Customer Reviews

Few Good Men, a

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

To say A Few Good Men is superb is an understatement. This film has it all: a great story, great acting, great suspense, and great drama. The film should really be part of the 5-Star Collection. The film has a great cast Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, and Kevin Pollak.

This film is about two members of the Navy, who are being tried for the murder of their partner for being a witness to one of them shooting illegally into Cuba. This sparks for a great drama in which a smart mouthed, cocky lawyer (Cruise), his brash female love interest (Demi Moore), his "helper" so to speak (Kevin Pollak), a angry Col. (Nicholson), and the prosecutor (Kevin Bacon).

This film is great, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves good acting and an even better story.

DVD Special Features Include:

• Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
• Production notes
• Audio Commentary by Director Rob Reiner
• Exclusive Documentary: Code of Conduct
• Featurette: From Stage to Screen with Aaron Sorkin and Rob Reiner
• Full-screen and widescreen anamorphic (2:35:1) formats

This fact-inspired court drama still holds its punch and looks great on blu-ray. The script is well-written and an all-star cast is put to good use, but it's Nicholson who's most remembered for his commanding role (and best supporting oscar win). There are not alot of blu-ray extras - a couple of featurettes and a spotty Rob Reiner commentary (with subtitles!), but there is a calibrator which can be accessed via the insert instructions. This film is highly recommended (but be prepared for few moments of 'rousing hollywoodism' at the end).

How much critical thought can the military allow its rank and file? Certainly most orders must be followed unquestioningly; otherwise ultimately the entire Armed Services would collapse. But where do you draw the line? Does it matter how well soldiers know not only their military but also their civic duties? Does it matter whether trials against members of the military are handled by way of court-martials, or before a country's ordinary courts?

I first saw "A Few Good Men" as an in-flight movie, and after the first couple of scenes I thought that for once they'd really picked the right kind of flick: A bit cliched (yet another idle, unengaged lawyer being dragged into vigorously pursuing a case against his will), but good actors, a good director and a promising storyline.

Then the movie cut from the introductory scenes in Washington, D.C. to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Jack Nicholson (Colonel Nathan Jessup) inquired: "Who the f**k is PFC William T. Santiago?"

And suddenly I was all eyes and ears.

Director Rob Reiner and Nicholson's costars describe on the movie's DVD how from the first time Nicholson spoke this (his very first) line in rehearsal he had everybody's attention; and the overall bar for a good performance immediately rose to new heights. Based on my own reaction, I believe them sight unseen. Or actually, not really "unseen," as the result of Nicholson's influence is there for everybody to watch: Never mind that he doesn't actually have all that much screen time, his intensity as an actor and the personality of his character, Colonel Jessup, dominate this movie more than anything else; far beyond the now-famous final showdown with Tom Cruise's Lieutenant Kaffee. Nobody could have brought more power to the role of Jessup than Nicholson, no other actor made him a more complex figure, and nobody delivered his final monologue so as to force you to think about the issues he (and this film) addresses; and that despite all the movie's cliches: The reluctant lawyer turning out a courtroom genius (as lead counsel in a murder trial, barely a year out of law school and without *any* prior trial experience, no less), the son fighting to rid himself of a deceased superstar-father's overbearing shadow, and the "redneck" background of the victim's superior officer Lieutenant Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland, who nevertheless milks the role for all it's worth).

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who adapted his own play, reportedly based the story's premise - the attempted cover-up of a death resulting from an illegal pseudo-disciplinary action - on a real-life case that his sister, a lawyer, had come across in the JAG Corps. (Although even if I take his assertion at face value that assigning the matter to a junior lawyer without trial experience was part of the cover-up, I still don't believe the real case continued the way it does here. But be that as it may.) Worse, the victim is a marine serving at "Gitmo," the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, where *any* kind of tension assumes an entirely different dimension than in virtually any other location. In come Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and co-counsels Lt. Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollack) and Lt.Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), assigned to defend the two marines held responsible for Santiago's death; L.Cpl. Harold Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and PFC Louden Downey (James Marshall), who claim to have acted on Kendrick's orders to subject Santiago to a "code red," an act of humiliating peer-punishment, after Santiago had gone outside the chain of command to rat on a fellow marine (none other than Dawson), attempting to obtain a transfer out of "Gitmo." But while Kendrick sternly denies having given any such order and prosecuting attorney Captain Ross (Kevin Bacon) is ready to have the defendants' entire company swear that Kendrick actually ordered them to leave Santiago alone, Kaffee and Co. believe their clients' story - which ultimately leads them to Jessup himself, as it is unthinkable that the event should have occurred without his knowledge or even specific direction.

By the time of this movie's production, Tom Cruise had made the part of the shallow youngster suddenly propelled into manhood one of his trademark characters (see, e.g., "The Color of Money," "Top Gun" and "Rain Man"); nevertheless, his considerable skill (mostly) elevates Kaffee's part above cardboard level. Demi Moore gives one of her strongest-ever performances as Commander Galloway, who would love to be lead counsel herself in accordance with her rank's entitlements, but overcomes her disappointment to push Kaffee to a top-notch performance instead. Kevin Pollack's, Kevin Bacon's and J.T. Walsh's (Jessup's deputy Lt.Col. Markinson's) performances are straight-laced enough to easily be overlooked, but they're fine throughout and absolutely crucial foils for Kaffee, Galloway and Jessup; and so, vis-a-vis Dawson, is James Marshall's shy, scared Downey, who is clearly in way over his head. The movie's greatest surprise, however, is Wolfgang Bodison, who, although otherwise involved with the production, had never acted before being drafted by Rob Reiner solely on the basis of his physical appearance, which matched Dawson's better than any established actor's; and who gives a stunning performance as the young Lance Corporal who will rather be convicted of murder than take an unhonorable plea bargain, yet comes to understand his actions' full complexity upon hearing the jury's verdict.

"Unit - corps - God - country" is the code of honor according to which, Dawson tells Kaffee, the marines at "Gitmo" live their lives; and Colonel Jessup declares that under his command orders are followed "or people die," and words like "honor," "code" and "loyalty" to him are the backbone of a life spent defending freedom. Proud words for sure: But for the "code red," but for the trespass over that invisible line between a legal and an immoral, illegal order they might well be justified. That line, however, exists, and is drawn even in a non-public court-martial. I'd like to believe that insofar at least, this movie gets it completely right.

this guy seems to be in all the good stuff...even though he's not favorite actor, this movie does have my favorite actor in it. you guessed it kendrick: Kiefer Sutherland. JACK BAUER RULES!!!! about the movie i had my doubts, cause most military movies seem to be all the same but this movie will stand out as one of the best, cause it deals with not just the military...but standing up for what's right. when i watched this i kind of lost track this was a military movie (JAG).

favorite quotes: "So this is what a court room looks like."

can't remember exactly what jack says but "faggoty white uniform" hahahahaha

I really like this movie. It has alot of suspense and it keeps you wondering what the outcome will be. This movie is my favorite movie and I keep wanting to watch it over and over again. I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who likes suspense mixed in with a little humor!

Well i happen to think that the movie is open and shut When the Fish Drill Team performs in the begining sequence. Other than that this movie is allright

How much critical thought can the military allow its rank and file? Certainly most orders must be followed unquestioningly; otherwise ultimately the entire Armed Services would collapse. But where do you draw the line? Does it matter how well soldiers know not only their military but also their civic duties? Does it matter whether trials against members of the military are handled by way of court-martials, or before a country's ordinary courts?

I first saw "A Few Good Men" as an in-flight movie, and after the first couple of scenes I thought that for once they'd really picked the right kind of flick: A bit cliched (yet another idle, unengaged lawyer being dragged into vigorously pursuing a case against his will), but good actors, a good director and a promising storyline.

Then the movie cut from the introductory scenes in Washington, D.C. to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Jack Nicholson (Colonel Nathan Jessup) inquired: "Who the f**k is PFC William T. Santiago?"

And suddenly I was all eyes and ears.

Director Rob Reiner and Nicholson's costars describe on the movie's DVD how from the first time Nicholson spoke this (his very first) line in rehearsal he had everybody's attention; and the overall bar for a good performance immediately rose to new heights. Based on my own reaction, I believe them sight unseen. Or actually, not really "unseen," as the result of Nicholson's influence is there for everybody to watch: Never mind that he doesn't actually have all that much screen time, his intensity as an actor and the personality of his character, Colonel Jessup, dominate this movie more than anything else; far beyond the now-famous final showdown with Tom Cruise's Lieutenant Kaffee. Nobody could have brought more power to the role of Jessup than Nicholson, no other actor made him a more complex figure, and nobody delivered his final monologue so as to force you to think about the issues he (and this film) addresses; and that despite all the movie's cliches: The reluctant lawyer turning out a courtroom genius (as lead counsel in a murder trial, barely a year out of law school and without *any* prior trial experience, no less), the son fighting to rid himself of a deceased superstar-father's overbearing shadow, and the "redneck" background of the victim's superior officer Lieutenant Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland, who nevertheless milks the role for all it's worth).

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who adapted his own play, reportedly based the story's premise - the attempted cover-up of a death resulting from an illegal pseudo-disciplinary action - on a real-life case that his sister, a lawyer, had come across in the JAG Corps. (Although even if I take his assertion at face value that assigning the matter to a junior lawyer without trial experience was part of the cover-up, I still don't believe the real case continued the way it does here. But be that as it may.) Worse, the victim is a marine serving at "Gitmo," the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, where *any* kind of tension assumes an entirely different dimension than in virtually any other location. In come Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and co-counsels Lt. Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollack) and Lt.Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), assigned to defend the two marines held responsible for Santiago's death; L.Cpl. Harold Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and PFC Louden Downey (James Marshall), who claim to have acted on Kendrick's orders to subject Santiago to a "code red," an act of humiliating peer-punishment, after Santiago had gone outside the chain of command to rat on a fellow marine (none other than Dawson), attempting to obtain a transfer out of "Gitmo." But while Kendrick sternly denies having given any such order and prosecuting attorney Captain Ross (Kevin Bacon) is ready to have the defendants' entire company swear that Kendrick actually ordered them to leave Santiago alone, Kaffee and Co. believe their clients' story - which ultimately leads them to Jessup himself, as it is unthinkable that the event should have occurred without his knowledge or even specific direction.

By the time of this movie's production, Tom Cruise had made the part of the shallow youngster suddenly propelled into manhood one of his trademark characters (see, e.g., "The Color of Money," "Top Gun" and "Rain Man"); nevertheless, his considerable skill (mostly) elevates Kaffee's part above cardboard level. Demi Moore gives one of her strongest-ever performances as Commander Galloway, who would love to be lead counsel herself in accordance with her rank's entitlements, but overcomes her disappointment to push Kaffee to a top-notch performance instead. Kevin Pollack's, Kevin Bacon's and J.T. Walsh's (Jessup's deputy Lt.Col. Markinson's) performances are straight-laced enough to easily be overlooked, but they're fine throughout and absolutely crucial foils for Kaffee, Galloway and Jessup; and so, vis-a-vis Dawson, is James Marshall's shy, scared Downey, who is clearly in way over his head. The movie's greatest surprise, however, is Wolfgang Bodison, who, although otherwise involved with the production, had never acted before being drafted by Rob Reiner solely on the basis of his physical appearance, which matched Dawson's better than any established actor's; and who gives a stunning performance as the young Lance Corporal who will rather be convicted of murder than take an unhonorable plea bargain, yet comes to understand his actions' full complexity upon hearing the jury's verdict.

"Unit - corps - God - country" is the code of honor according to which, Dawson tells Kaffee, the marines at "Gitmo" live their lives; and Colonel Jessup declares that under his command orders are followed "or people die," and words like "honor," "code" and "loyalty" to him are the backbone of a life spent defending freedom. Proud words for sure: But for the "code red," but for the trespass over that invisible line between a legal and an immoral, illegal order they might well be justified. That line, however, exists, and is drawn even in a non-public court-martial. I'd like to believe that insofar at least, this movie gets it completely right.

A good adaptation of Aaron Sorkin's play, A Few Good Men. Rob Reiner does a great job creating a suspenseful, entertaining tale of a fence line shooting at a Guantanimo Bay marine base. Sorkins dialogue sparkles as it always does. The sound is particularly strong technical high point. Jack Nicholson does a great job as Col. Nathan Jessup, the base commander. This role earned him a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Tom Cruise, Keifer Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon all have respectable performances. The only true weak spot in the film is yet another wooden, one-dimensional performance by Demi Moore.

Written by Aaron Sorkin ("The American President", "The West Wing") based on his play, "A Few Good Men", the story is centered around the nature of an assault and subsequent death of a Marine by two other Marines at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Was it premediated? Did the base commander (Jack Nicholson) or his lieutenant (Kiefer Sutherland) order it or know about it? Prosecutors Demi Moore, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Pollak are sent to Cuba to find out. The suspenseful courtroom confrontation results in an oft-quoting line from Jack Nicholson.

Well acted by all, including JT Walsh, Kevin Bacon, Cuba Gooding, Noah Wyle, a nearly unrecognizable Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap), and director Reiner's former assistant Wolfgang Bodison.

I did not care for Tom Cruise's character, Lieutenenat Kaffee, because of his continual smart-ass attitude. As a lieutenant with a single piece of fruit-salad on his chest, his behavior toward superior officers, including a Navy Lieutenant Commander and a Marine Colonel, is inexcusable and would have him in trouble long before. Some of the rare humor in the movie is based on Kaffee never having a pen when he needs one, and not knowing how to interpret military time. His complete disregard for things military, including saying "yeah" instead of "yes" to the judge as his first word at the pre-trial meeting is more evidence of his lack of maturity and disrespect. I understand the point of the salute at the end of the trial, yet I feel it was undeserved and weakened the ending. Those are my only gripes.

"You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls...and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know - that Santigo's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives! You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties...you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall! We use words like "honor", "code", "loyalty". We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide...and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn...what you think you are entitled to!"

This is only one of a long list of good movies from Rob Reiner (Stand By Me, Spinal Tap, Misery, The Princess Bride, The American President, When Harry Met Sally).

The reasonably-priced DVD includes the widescreen movie, director Rob Reiner's somewhat sparse commentary, a behind-the-scenes, a bit about the development of the script, and the usual trailers, cast/crew/production info, subtitles, etc. And Demi keeps her clothes on, thanks.

This is one of the best military courtroom dramas that you will find. Tom Cruz and Jack Nicholson lead the superb cast in what has become a classic story of military justice. Other cast members who turn in fine performances include Kevin Bacon (he really shines in this one as the hard-ass Marine prosecutor) Kiefer Southerland, and JT Walsh. Cuba Gooding Jr. appears as a minor character and does his usual good job. I watched this film when it came out, and recently watched it again for the first time in many years. It has aged well, and has lost none of its punch.

This is the story of a group of US Marines at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, circa 1990 (before the War Against Terror). The story is simple (no spoiler here). Two Marines are accused of murdering one of their comrades and are put on trial for murder. Cruz plays the military attorney assigned to their defense, Demi Moore (in one of her better performances) plays his co-counsel. Both do well. Jack Nicholson has a relatively brief part in the film, but turns in what has become a legendary performance--he dominates utterly every scene in which he appears. This is truly an awesome performance by Nicholson.

A few minor complaints. The Cruz character (Lt. JG Caffee) is supposedly only a year or so out of law school. It is inconceivable that someone that junior would be assigned to a capital murder trial. Further, Moore (who plays a somewhat more experienced, albeit inept lawyer) implores Caffee not to withdraw from the case because "they need you...you know how to win...") Come again? A first-year lawyer (who in the story has never tried a case) knows how to win? Sorry, no. Even if Daddy was a famous lawyer, as the story indicates, first-year lawyers don't know how to try murder cases and are not assigned by the JAG Corps to do so. Whatever.

This minor quibble aside, the film does an excellent job of telling a complex and compelling story with clarity. This is a very good film. Although I rated it 4 stars, it probably deserves 4 1/2 stars, or 9/10. The DVD print is excellent. The musical score compliments the story very well, and makes this an even better viewing experience.

Overall an excellent film.