Customer Reviews

Full Metal Jacket (Full Screen)

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a fantastic movie, but please read other reviews regarding the acting, camera work, plot, storyline, etc. This review is only about the DVD version.

The DVD itself is a major disappointment. Poor transfer, no extras, no surround sound, full screen only, and hardly even a menu or chapter selection. Like the other Stanley Kubrick DVDs in this white-box series, this Full Metal Jacket is pretty much a VHS dub of the movie - only thrown together onto a DVD. I'm suprised that it's not double sided like the original commercial DVDs were.

Given the advances in DVD technology when this disk was released there was no need to sell such a lackluster product, besides trying to get as many Stanley Kubrick movies as possible into one big boxed set before Christmas of 1999. This movie, The Shining, and to a lesser extent, A Clockwork Orange all suffer from this same exceedingly poor DVD treatment.

Hopefully soon this movie will be re-released in a better DVD package, much like Goodfellas or The Shining needs. Until then, buy this DVD only if you're a huge fan or if it's laying in the bargain bin.

One of Kubrick's master works.
An extremely graphic movie and the drill sergeant is particularly real.
This was probably because he was a Marine and from what I have heard, was originally hired as a technical advisor. Kubrick realized he had pure gold and put him in front of the camera.
The second half gives the viewer a taste of the Vietnam war and being in the "s***".
I enjoyed the film immensely and have added it alongside my other Kubrick favourites

Good movie, bad studio.
What the thought process behind having this DVD only include the pan scan version is what I keep asking myself.
Don't let the Stanley Kubrick Collection labeling fool you; or you might very well end up having to buy this movie AGAIN just to see it in widescreen.

In 1962, Stanley Kubrick move to Hertfordshire, England to film Lolita. Stanley Kubrick was born in the Bronx, New York in the 1920s, but after filming The Killing, Kubrick spent a couple of years in Germany to film Paths of Glory where he met his final wife and then he spent a few months in Spain to film Spartacus. After filming Spartacus, the next project after that was Lolita.
In 1969, Stanley Kubrick helped NASA film the moon landing. In since de-classified language, Richard Nixon referred to the moon landing with the code words, "The Bay Of Pigs". This is not secret information that I would be in danger for revealing; in fact on the contrary, all this information can be seen on a documentary on YouTube, just search 'Stanley Kubrick' and 'moon shot'. In order to make sure that Stanley Kubrick would not talk about this in the United States, Stanley Kubrick was on Richard Nixon's public enemies list of which Paul Newman too was also on.
Stanley Kubrick stayed in England for the rest of his life to avoid the United States Secret Service agents that he feared would go after him regarding his involvement with and knowledge of the moon landing.
All this leads to why Stanley Kubrick deliberately decided to make a movie about Vietnam in England, in what has to be the World's record for the farthest distance away from Vietnam that a Vietnam War movie was made.

The movie was stubbornly in Howard Hughes style filmed entirely in England. Palm trees, and buildings and sets had to be created on an English studio parking lot.

The effect, in the hands of the sheer bacchanalian Felliniesque master hands of Stanley Kubrick is statuesque in its sheer breathtaking brilliance. Characters and scenes seem to jump from the screen from the hellish brackish days of training in the barracks with the bellicose curmudgeon drill sergeant with his sadistic style of molding the soldiers into lethal killing machines.
Days and nights humping it through basic training. The sheer disciplines; the rigours, the running, the relays, the sidestepping, the rope climbs, the drills.
Graduation is an unforgettable event as the occasion cascades into a deadly conclusion which underscores the brutality and lethality of the bloody business that is War.

After basic training the soldiers descend into a fiery Danteian pit of Southeast Asian combat hell.

After landing in Khe Sanh, they are attacked during the Tet Offensive as it is supposed to have occured at this otherwise obscure and remote outpost and in this case the Americans held their own.
After this, they are given orders to rendevous to Hue, pronounced Hway.

The first casualty of war is the loss of innocence and this movie poignantly guides the viewer further into the psychological battleground of war as the soldiers painstakingly try to advance and cover ground against and unseen force lurking beyond.

This movie like all Stanley Kubrick movies is great and not to be missed. If you are a fan of Stanley Kubrick, why not get this video?

.. but I've enjoyed it and find it very rewarding. A lesser Kubrick film is still much, much better than the average block buster.

One of the best war movies out there! The DVD is thin on extras, but the movie's awesome!

Platoon is probably the best war movie ever but this one comes pretty close. The boot camp sequence in the beginning with Lee Ermy as the sergeant is priceless. The treatment and language used on the recruits is harsh and unbearable. You 're happy that it's not you going through this hell. When we are transported to Vietnam you sense relief for the soldiers that appear to be under less pressure here then at boot camp. There's even comedy relief that Kubrick allows in this midst of chaos. I love the way Kubrick uses the sniper in this movie. If you haven't seen the movie I won't give up the identity of the sniper but it was a nice surprise. I agree that it doesn't depict the Vietnam war as well as some other movies but it doesn't try to be a documentary. The purpose of a movie and with all of Kubrick's work is to entertain the audience. If you want reality watch the news. As with most of Kubrick's work this one was again overlooked at the acadmeny awards.

First of all....many Marines say that the first 30 minutes of the movie about boot camp is THE most accurate depiction of Parris Island in cinematic history. And of course Lee Ermey himself being a former Marine drill instructor tops it all....his profanity laced tirades are totally outrageous.

Second of all, the latter half of the movie deals with a subject not covered in Vietnam movies, a squad getting lost and having to face a lone sniper. Its a radical departure to be sure, but Kubrick in his usual cinematic mastery makes it very gripping.

So if you like Vietnam movies that are a bit different but still as strong as Hamburger Hill and Platoon, check this one out....its fantastic.

one of my favorite movies kubrick and matthew modaine how better can it get.lol. i suggest this omvie to anyone who likes kubrick, war movies or both for that matter. i also read the book that its based off of "the short timers" by gustav hasford it was really good but i still liked the movie better becasue it had vincent d' onfario and and the segarent(its like blasphemy that i cant remeber his name at this moment) but this movie is great, kind of boring at parts but still its deffinalty worth a watch.

When Ordinary People are all Plunged into a Boot Camp Hell Pitbulled by a Leatherlung D.I. (R.Lee Emery) to Prepare for the Vietnam War and the Dehumanizing Process that turns People into Trained Killers.

Produced and Directed by Stanley Kubrick (2001:A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut) made a Savage Vietnam drama with a dark sense of humour. There's terrific performances by Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R.Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard and Ed O'Ross. The first 45 minutes is a Masterpiece and then the last 71 Minutes, the movie turns into familiar territory with dark humour. The film's conculsion is Strong and Satifysing. This newly restored DVD is better than the previous DVD transfer. DVD has an sharp Pan & Scan (1.33:1) transfer and an strong newly remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is a Well Made film, which it might be far from some of Kubrick's best films but his elements are here. It's worth viewing. Based on the Novel "The Short-Times" by Gustav Hasford. Screenplay by Kubrick, Hasford and Micheal Herr. Grade:A-.