Review of Full Metal Jacket (1987) by Simon H — 06 Jun 2014

Full Metal Jacket is a simple film. Easy to follow with no heavy narrative involved, this Kubrick war drama opens your eyes to what war is really like. The film is separated into two acts. The first act shows the U.S. Marines going through boot camp with an amazing ad-libbed performance by R. Lee Ermey that has to be seen to be believed. Following the shocking conclusion to this part, you are taken into battle with Pvt. 'Joker' Davis, played here well by Matthew Modine. There is no real major story featured. It simply shows you what a normal (and bloody) day these men went through during the Vietnam war. This is what makes it enjoyable. With nothing to try and work out, you can simply sit back and enjoy it.

What also adds to the experience is the recreation of the Vietnam war zone. Surprisingly filmed completely in England, so much work has been put into making it look perfect that you would actually wonder at times if they shipped their actors out to Vietnam. A good cast, a good soundtrack and a fun time makes this a film worth watching.