Jarhead

New DVD review from Nick at Nite

Jarhead

Uh, Full Metal Jacket this is not. I get it already. War is hell. Even if the war is not really a war, but is a police action intended to keep the price of gas low, low, low. Sound bitter? I am not. I actually supported the first war in Iraq. It is this second one I have a problem with. I digress. Back to Jarhead. This movie is a combination of Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, Hamburger Hill, Deer Hunter, Hair, and Apocalypse Now. Unfortunately, it lacks the flair and originality of its parentage. In one scene in this movie, they actually repeat the "... this is my rifle ..." scene from Full Metal Jacket (without the death). There are the predictable Dear John letters, the guy with the criminal record who gets kicked out of the unit for lying about it, cheating wives and girlfriends, "the horror, the horror" speech, etc ..., etc ..., etc ... The performances were fine. Jake and Jamie are good. Chris Cooper has a brief, but memorable appearance. Mostly, I just wasn't that interested in the story. It all seems a little trite in comparison to what our Marines are facing everyday in Iraq today. I give it a "C."