Review of Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) by Ryan W — 11 Oct 2014

Solemn yet hilarious movie about an unconventional DJ for a US military radio station in Vietnam whose controversial style makes him popular among the soldiers but infamous among his superiors.

This film does a very good job of juxtaposing Robin Williams' energetic, spontaneous style of humor with the harsh, brutal realities of war. Much of the movie--especially the first half--is essentially just a Robin Williams stand-up special. He rattles off joke after joke in his signature style, making light of often very serious situations. But underneath these playful laughs lies a deep and serious story that ties Williams into the horrors of the war.

Overall, I felt that the plot was well-balanced in terms of humor and emotional depth; however, I didn't feel that there were many uproariously funny parts--mostly just many small chuckles--and I also didn't feel entirely pulled into the serious story. But while it was not a flawless film, I felt that it, on the whole, succeeded on many challenging fronts and deserves its place among the many Robin Williams classics.