Review of Full Metal Jacket (1987) by Jesfsf — 15 Apr 2021

A great war film in two very different halves. The first half (I'd give a 9 or 10) took me back to boot camp like no other piece of media. Kubrick is masterful here in capturing the feel. R. Lee Ermey's Drill Instructor is brilliant (the only flaw in his performance is that he is, somehow, too likeable (Drill Instructors should have zero likeability)).

Here's the spoiler. Your experience in half two will be changed if you know ahead of time that it's random. The events of war seem random, so the movie conveys that accurately. The problem is that if you expect a structured narrative that builds in clever ways, you will be disappointed.

So as cinematic execution, excellent; as cinematic experience, a let down.