Rypro 525

Well, i just watched the movie last night. excellent movie, up unitl Leonard killed Lee Emery and then himself, the movie made the first part a waste because then it goes in a different direction.
\anyone else agree?

Darkfriend

Hmmm... Saw the movie again last month and it's one of my favorites from Kubrick. The first part focuses on the training and building of killing machines while the second part deals with action on the field.

Sure the movie goes in a different direction, but for me it does not make the first half a waste. I basically saw this movie as one journey, the beginning (especially the hair clipping part) dealing with the loss of innocence and "brainwashing", while the second half was mostly about teamwork, being a man without losing your humanity.

Oh, and the "sucky sucky 5 dolla" scene was great

KTIK

I think the final twenty minutes dealing with the sniper are the best twenty minutes of the movie.

Rypro 525

wasn't that one whole scene the basis for the south park episode with "ming lee the vieatamise prostitute", and the 2 live crew song "me so horny"

Rival11

I loved the entire movie - it's more of an adjustment you have to make when watching the second half. The first part had you wondering, how would these guys do in battle? The second half shows you not only how they are in battle, but it goes into their personal lives, interests, fears.....etc. Excellent movie.

Darkfriend

Yes Soldierboy! Exactly!

RichC2

The movie is littered with wonderful scenes.

But yes, it goes from a strong movie into a typical one in the second half. So I completely agree with you.

RyoHazuki

I hear this complaint all the time. What exactly were you expecting in the second half? R. Lee Ermey bringin the funny on the battlefield?

NaturalMystic79

What I'm most stumped about is why Kubrick's OAR is 1:33.1 full screen?

Hokeyboy

Now why'd you have to bring that up?

mikehunt

if they run, they're vc. if they don't run, they're well disciplined vc

DeltaSigChi4

NO!

Duder

I agree. The first half of the movie is an excellent, if not the best, film representation of boot camp. Absolutely classic. The second half is rather weak comparatively, and doesn't really stand out compared to other war movies. As a result, the movie felt disjointed and lopsided. Had the entire thing been about the boot camp, it would've been a better movie IMHO.

Jackskeleton

I have heard this for ages. Personally the first hour and the second hour are like night and day. But I don't think the film fell apart. I loved both parts.

It's good to see our little rypro growing up and watching films and discoverying them for the first time. Now I feel like the film snobs I talked to when I was younger. sniffle sniffle.. the circle is complete.

Apone

"I'm gonna give you three seconds, exactly three ****in' seconds, to wipe that stupid lookin' grin off your face or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull **** you.

That pretty much summarized the film for me. It literally gouged out my eyes and near blinded me to see the next half. The part where Pvt. Joker utilizes his ¡®Born to kill¡¯ nature didn¡¯t hit me greatly. However still great, *M60 fire* ¡°Here some! Here some, yeah, yeah! Here some baby!!¡±

And yes I am being stupid here.

UAIOE

The thought of that would make my day.

I did see another movie where he was battling "Charlie" and while there wasnt quite as many quips as FMJ, he still brought the funny.

Example: "Its time to sprinkle some shit in Charlies rice bowl"


Makes me wish he could do "Mail Call" in 100% uncensored FMJ style.


The "me so horny" scene is also classic.

Rivero

This movie does indeed fall apart once Gomer kills himself, and most of that has to do with Mathew Modine. He simply isn't versatile enough an actor to pull off this role and the movie sufferes heavily for it. Some of the writing in these sections are sloppy and the scenes of fighting that are supposed to occur in Vietnam look like they take place on dressed sets in England.....probably because they do.

Groucho

I don't think it falls apart, but the second half isn't nearly as poweful as the first. Probably because we've all seen so many Vietnam movies, there's nothing in that second half that really stands out, apart from the sniper sequence.

Tom Banjo

Although I love the entire film, I'll admit to sitting down and only watching the boot camp section on it's own. It stands alone really well, IMO.

Coral

I think after that first hour, it doesn't "fall apart" but it really doesn't offer us anything we haven't seen many times before in a war/Vietnam film.

It's a very average film.

Spanky BananaPants

For me, it's like two movies in one. One half is not necessarily better than the other. Personally, I prefer the boot camp segment over the Vietnam segment, but that's just me.

I don't think a movie just about boot camp would do all that well on it's own. Kubrick just took the film to it's inevitable conclusion. Overall, I'd say it's one of the best war movies ever made.

clappj

I don't think it necessarily falls apart.
To me, it almost seems like two completely separate films fused together by a small thread.
The first half is definitely classic!

NaturalMystic79

Do you guys agree that Platoon is a more solid Vietnam flick?

PJsig08

First half is definitely bettew then the second half. This is a common belief between my friends and I. Still, the movie is great.

Platoon is up there as well, it's a close one between it, Full Metal and Apocalypse Now. Tough call, all good in their own ways....

renaldow

I'd have to buck the trend and say I've always been a bigger fan of the 2nd half of the movie. I think I'll have to buck the trend also and say that if you read the book you'd probably appreciate the 2nd half of the film more, yet would probably be more disappointed in the film as a whole.

I'll also go on a stretch and say this is probably one of Matthew Modine's best movies. This isn't a fictional film, it's an autobiography of Gustav Hasford's experience in Vietnam, and Modine stays very true to Pvt Joker. The story is being told from the perspective of a reporter that is trying to remain an observer and not become so much of a participant, which sets it apart from most war movies being told from the viewpoint of an infantryman trying to survive the war. Comparisons to other Vietnam movies like Platoon, is unfair.