Review of Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) by Evan H — 10 Sep 2014
As a film, this is pretty good. As a story...hmm...it has its pros and cons. But as a showcase for Robin Williams at his comedic (and yes, dramatic) peak, it is sensational. Frankly, the bits this movie is the most famous for (Williams' manic, improv-like, stream-of-consciousness routines on the radio mic) are quite dated.
Lots of the (pre-70s) references were dated in the late 80s, and they are MORE dated now, they'll fly over many new audience members heads. But these scenes ARE a jaw-dropping example of the unique genius of Mr.
Williams, his fearless, peerless ability to go anywhere at lightspeed, and make it funny. Even funnier, perhaps, are some comedic scenes WITHOUT the radio mic - where Cronauer relates to his colleagues, bosses (great Yankee supporting cast)- and ESPECIALLY the English class he winds up teaching.
These English class scenes are not the only bits of the movie that made me recall the similarities between my OWN experiences in Vietnam and this flick. Another were Cronauer's dating issues. Unfortunately (for movie goers), my own experiences were far more interesting than Cronauer's - the "romantic" subplot here falls pretty flat (partly due to the poor casting of the romantic interest).
Most of the stuff however where Cronauer connects with the locals works really well - especially the English class and the camp bar owner. But the Viet Cong "thriller" aspect of the plot feels shoehorned uncomfortably in - which is a shame because the kid who plays the brother of Cronauer's crush delivers the goods.
So the story is variable...but the mise-en-scene is absolutely fantastic, with heaps of brilliant second-unit cut-ins of the troops/bases/escalations/patrols/protests/demonstrations - not the mention the soundtrack that overlays these bits.
(The film is very political, but with hardly any dialogue directly denoting it as such). And Williams...Robin Williams owns this movie that vaulted him from star to superstar. The way he balances killer comedy and raw pathos, laughter and tears (sometimes in a single scene - like the brilliant sequence where he performs on the street for some young troopers in trucks) was career defining, life defining.
Good morning Vietnam, and good night Robin.
This review of Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) was written by Evan H on 10 Sep 2014.
Good Morning, Vietnam has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
