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| Full Metal Jacket | 
 enlarge | Actors: Adam Baldwin, Bruce Boa, Tim Colceri, Vincent D'onofrio, Harry Davies
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $3.53
You Save: $11.45 (76%)
Buy New/Used from $3.53
Avg. Customer Rating:  (21 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2731
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 116 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: WARD116311D
UPC: 085391163114
EAN: 0085391163114
ASIN: B000P0J09C
Release Date: May 15, 2007
Theatrical Release Date: 1987
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Full Metal Jacket June 26, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Awesome movie!! If you were ever in the Marines or trained as a Naval Officer under the Marines prior to the mid 80's, you will greatly appreciate the first half of this movie. Highly recommend it!!
 Kubrick Misses The Mark June 18, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
What a gyp! I had hoped Full Mental Jacket would challenge Apocalypse Now and Platoon for film supremacy as far as Vietnam War storytelling was concerned, but, in my opinion, it fell way short of its target.
Full Metal Jacket could easily have been named Full Mental Straight-Jacket for Private Pyle's (psyche collapse at the end of the first act). It demonstrates the mental breakdown of a new recruit, who was not too well put together in the first place; the systematic deconstruction of individual recruits in boot camp was a common design and practice by drill instructors on both coasts - MCRD in San Diego, CA and at Paris Island, NC. Lee Emery's depiction of Gunnery Sgt. Hartman was genuinely scary. I suppose his history as a real life drill instructor had alot to do with his character's authenticity and power. This was a casting coup for Kubrick, but that's where the genius ended. Every other character came off as unbelievable, paper thin, and one-dimensional. Pyle's schizophrenia can be seen as America's conscience and attitude about the war. On some level this worked, as America turned against itself during that time when the pressure got to be too much, not unlike Private Plye shooting Sgt. Hartman and then himself. The only surprise in the entire film. After Act I the film took a steep nose dive and never recovered before it crashed and burned somewhere near Hue City. Interestingly, all three of these Vietnam War movies are narrated by a protagonist, but Kubrick's Private Joker was the weakest character of the bunch. Compared to Lieutenant Willard (Martin Sheen) in Apocalypse Now and Private Taylor (Charlie Sheen) in Platoon, Matthew Modine's soulless depiction of a war correspondent was never within the whelm of belief or sympathy. Far from it. He was, for my part, unlikable from beginning to end. His only action of merit was when he busted a cap in the wounded VC sniper at the very end of the film. Finally a heroic, and merciful act, but even that can be up for debate. "Hard corps", oh yeah! Private Joker's only act of redemption, and Kubrick's, too.
Good movie on the Vietnam conflict, but somewhat over-praised June 6, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Full Metal Jacket shook the world when it came out onto the big screens back in 1987. It was then supposed to be one of the best movies ever made on the Vietnam conflict. I was in my late teens when I went to watch it. If you're old enough to remember this era, it was right when America was putting a lot of focus and attention into exorcising its old nightmares of the south east jungle chaotic defeat. Full Metal Jacket was among the last of the movies based on this theme to reach the audience in the 80's.
I still remember having had mixed feelings about this movie: it was as close to a video report as was possible back then and, to some extent, it was quite new and unprecedented. The effect was that, both in terms of format and contents, it felt quite realistic and altogether encompassing. The story has the viewer involved in it, suffering along with the rookies before getting engaged on the battlefield.
The first half of the film is probably the most noteworthy for the quality of its depiction of the US military's brainwashing of its youth before fielding them as fresh meat to the hungry war beast. Beyond that first half, and although the actors' play is top notch and some fights are of almost mythical reach (I'm thinking about the NVA's female sniper scene for instance), the second half of the film -the one that takes place on the Hue battlelfield- is heavily impacted by a tough, "not-so-real" touch, ie, the movie was actually shot in a derelict part of London, with fake vegetation, palm trees and overall buildings. It's so blatantly obvious that it killed in me the bonding with the movie that I had felt right until then. It probably was for budgetary reasons that Kubrick opted for that movie location, but to this day, I still don't understand why he did not go for the Philippines, or Thailand for instance. With that "little" correction, the movie would certainly have ranked, in my opinion, among the Top3 best Vietnam conflict movies ever made along Apocalypse Now [Region 2]and The Deer Hunter [Region 2]
 Not a good film May 28, 2008
11 out of 16 found this review helpful
Of all the Vietnam films Ive seen, I think this one is the most disappointing. Not the worst, but considering Kubrick is the director, the expectations automatically grow and by that measure, it is hugely disappointing. From boot camp (which actually is the best part of the film) to Nam, the film never seems to find a correct note. Maybe Kubrick was trying to make a more surreal film about Vietnam, maybe in a way a satire, Im not sure. In any case, it never really works consistently. The subject of Vietnam has produced some of the most haunting films ever, but not in this case. I would put a lot of that blame on the cast. Not once did I believe that any of these characters were real. They came off as second rate actors trying to play soldiers and that is a huge problem with the film. It needed serious actors.
Haunting Image of Parris Island and 'Nam May 24, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
One of my favorite genres of movies is the Vietnam War movies. I love APOCALYPSE NOW, DEER HUNTER, and PLATOON as well. But FULL METAL JACKET stands alone in it's on unique way. From start to finish, there is an eerie feel/feeling to the movie that only KUBRICK can create.
FULL METAL JACKET is not my favorite Kubrick film, but it is still Kubrick nonetheless and the first part of the movie in Parris Island is one of the most memorable acts ever seen in a movie. This part of the movie is also one of the most unforgettable and realistic exposes of Basic Military Training.
Then suddenly, the story changes to Vietnam. This is where a lot of people are turned off from the movie, but a lot goes on during this part and Kubrick is able to portray the war in his eyes. Though probably incorrect, still very interesting. It really demonstrates how most people sort of lost there minds in Vietnam and didn't really care about the war, but only about each other. TRUE UNITY.
FULL METAL JACKET is a true CONTEMPORARY CLASSIC and one of Stanley Kubrick's many masterpieces. It stands out as one of the most unique war movies ever put on celluloid.
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