Full Metal Jacket

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Full Metal Jacket

R

1987

1h 56m

War

History

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

87 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Stanley Kubrick's take on the Vietnam War follows smart-aleck Private Davis (Matthew Modine), quickly christened "Joker" by his foul-mouthed drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey), and pudgy Private Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio), nicknamed "Gomer Pyle," as they endure the rigors of basic training. Though Pyle takes a frightening detour, Joker graduates to the Marine Corps and is sent to Vietnam as a journalist, covering -- and eventually participating in -- the bloody Battle of Hué.

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Critics Consensus

Intense, tightly constructed, and darkly comic at times, Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket may not boast the most original of themes, but it is exceedingly effective at communicating them.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/13/2023

What happened to the Kubrick who used to slip in sly, subtle jokes and little editing tricks? This may be his worst movie.

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Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

12/07/2022

Full Metal Jacket is violent, caustic, ironic, and cold, an amoral object formed from a camera gliding majestically across slow-motion carnage while refusing to blink an eye or shed a tear.

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Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Herald Examiner

08/09/2022

Kubrick is trying to make a movie about madness and chaos, but he won't give in to the chaos.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 8

4/4

It still qualifies as one of Kubrick's most underrated pictures, and it's second only to Apocalypse Now as the best Vietnam War movie ever made.

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Branyan Towe

Loud and Clear Reviews

07/29/2024

4/5

As Private Leonard “Gomer Pyle” Lawrence, D’Onofrio encapsulates the impact that military brainwashing can have on soldiers and their mental health in a way that is better than expected

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Sabra P

@Sabrapriz 3d

A hard-hitting movie laced with moments of dark humour and brimming with social commentary.

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Marcos Z

@Tomatico2 Jan 12

Me encanto la primera parte es tan icónica, la recomiendo en absoluto

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Chris B

@chbrandt Jan 10

Terrible movie IMO. After all these years of not having watched this one, this is time I'll never get back. The first half of the movie was at least interesting, but the second half was awful. Huge let down.

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Jay W

Jan 9

It is amazing how much R. Lee Ermey steals the show in this movie. Long before I saw this movie, I knew of R. Lee Ermey's performance. His character's fame has become the legacy of the film and defined Ermey's career. If you look at his filmography after this film, and they are all his roles are basically drill sergeants. He is the voice that people think of when they imagine a drill sergeant. The juxtaposition between the terrible things that are going on, and the tone that it is being presented with is the big hook of the movie. This movie is showing how awful the Vietnam War was, it is grim, it is heartless it is hard to watch. But the movie's soundtrack is full of upbeat high energy happy songs. Including an ending shot that really exemplifies the whole contrast of what you see versus what you hear. Like so many Kubrick classics, it leaves you with a lot to think about.

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DZ E

@Ziggy88z Jan 4

86/100 RIP Drill Sergeant.

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Simon G

@Simon5 Jan 3

Not an easy watch, from the tragic story of Leonard (Pyle) to the ending where joker battles his internal conflicts and has to make a decision whether to side with peace or war. This film really does portray the brutal reality of war in all forms, from the transformation of men from seemingly innocent beings to war ready killing machines. The splitting of the film in two parts pushes the system of training straight to war, especially in the case of the Vietnam war, to the viewer. Giving you no chance to relax before being plunged straight into the battlefield. Again not an easy watch in the slightest but one you have to see.

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Stanley Kubrick

Director

Matthew Modine

Private Joker (Private

Adam Baldwin

Animal Mother

Vincent D'Onofrio

Private Gomer Pyle (Leonard Lawrence)

R. Lee Ermey

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, Drill Instructor

Dorian Harewood

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Full Metal Jacket: Trailer

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Synopsis

Stanley Kubrick's take on the Vietnam War follows smart-aleck Private Davis (Matthew Modine), quickly christened "Joker" by his foul-mouthed drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey), and pudgy Private Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio), nicknamed "Gomer Pyle," as they endure the rigors of basic training. Though Pyle takes a frightening detour, Joker graduates to the Marine Corps and is sent to Vietnam as a journalist, covering -- and eventually participating in -- the bloody Battle of Hué.

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Screenwriter: Gustav Hasford
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Natant, Warner Brothers
Rating: R
Genre: War, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 1, 1987, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $42.9M
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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