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[Luke C]

Saw it on Friday. Very enjoyable, your standard war film mixed with elements of realy comedy.

I went with a female friend and she especially liked the scenes where the male actors had no top on. Which there was a fair few of.

[Merkava]

I hear it sucked. Well, what I hear about it makes me think that it sucks. I was expecting a psychological drama like Fullmetal Jacket (without the overuse of the "happy music while doing horrible things" gimmick), but someone who saw it told me it was just women cheating on their husbands while they are at war. While I don't think this is the whole story, I'm still not that excited.

[Leonidas]

But you're missing the point. It's not supposed to be a psychological drama, nor a glamorisation of war. It was supposed to show a realistic and comedic account of what one man's experience was of serving with the US Marines in the first gulf war. It's all about the fact that they were pumped up and psyched up to such an extreme that they were expecting to be taking part in "The Mother of all Battles", when in reality they were sat about in the sand gaurding oil rigs. Imagine the chaos having hundreds of psyched up, fit, horny young men, raised on the image of Full Metal Jacket and The Deer Hunter, and instead being faced with digging latrines in the sand and having to create a Wall of Shame where they place the pictures of wives and girlfriends back home who have cheated on them in their absence!

[I Am Not Amused]

Loved this movie.

COMPLETELY disagree with it being a 'standard war movie.' I mean, the only person killed in the entire movie is killed DURING TRAINING. I loved the juxtaposition of their hard-ass training with their do-nothing war.

It wasn't a psychological thriller, but it was definitely psychological. The U.S. Military breaks down these young men, turns them into killing machines, and then - at the peak of their frenzy - gives them absolutely nothing to do. The fallout from which has terrifying (Gyllenhal almost murdering his squadmate), crushing (Gyllenhal and his targeter nearly beating their commanding officer), and sometimes amusing (Gyllenhal with a santa hat around his bits) consequences.

[sjbrot]

I think I had got enough out of the movie when Jamie Foxx says his one line of importance in the trailer:

"Oou-Rah."

[Luke C]

Loved this movie.

COMPLETELY disagree with it being a 'standard war movie.' I mean, the only person killed in the entire movie is killed DURING TRAINING. I loved the juxtaposition of their hard-ass training with their do-nothing war.

I didnt mean standard war film in that way. Not sure how I meant it. Tis well worth seeing.

[sketchyjoe]

I thought this film was brilliant. It was perfectly paced and gave you a real sense of the isolation, boredom and frustration the troops felt.

[HeroX]

i went with my gf and another couple and everyone but me hated it. but then again they were all expecting a 'standard war movie' and had even heard of full metal jacket (a fact which shocked me). i found it was very much in the same vein as full metal jacket, but was different enough to be worth watching. basically if you enjoyed full metal jacket, you'll enjoy jarhead.

[Mnementh]

I still need to see this, but I suggest that everyone check out the book it was based on.  It is a true story by a veteran of the first gulf war.

[cibohphobic]

The movie is very good, so long as you're not going in expecting standard war movie action-flick style fare. I'd heartily recommend the book as well, whether you've seen the movie or not, but especially if you have. It's done in a rather different style than the movie, and it's very interesting in that you almost get two different perspectives on the events in it. There's also a great deal in the book that isn't touched upon in the movie.

In summary, Jarhead = yes.

[kid_militia]

I thought this movie was very blah. I didnt actually go in expecting an average war movie, but before seeing it I remember somebody mentioning it as a potential for an academy award. yah, my ass. The story was invisible, oh, but it was "on purpose...to... convey how it was." Fuck that, I'll pass on the next movie that tries NOT to entertain me. I couldnt have given a smaller shit for any of the characters. "Oh, my ass, I wanted action!" (not an actual quote from the movie). This movie was a snoozefest, worth a single viewing at most. I'll stick to Apocalypse Now! for my war movie that makes me want to think.

And yes, I'm flaming the movie, no, I'm not trying to be an asshole to any people here on this forum.

[Bastardous Bassist]

I absolutely loved it, and thought be book couldn't be any better, because the huge scenes of the desert were so great at providing the post-modern directionless feeling that was needed.  Well, I stand corrected.  The book is amazing.  It doesn't have any of the stupid crap that the movie includes just for comic relief.  Basically, the point is that there are no heroes, nothing hapens, and you find yourself rooting for the characters to succeed, but success means bettering themselves, not succeeding within the plot (e.g. killing all the ragheads).

Also, alot of Marines are saying that it shows the Corps in a poor light.  I personally walked away with much more respect for the Corps after watching the movie and reading the book than before.  However, neither the book nor the movie is actually about war.  It's about the people participating in the war and how, despite how we see them, they're human.  They're not these amazing selfless guys that war movies are always about.  They're just average people put in extraordinary situation, and it's absurd to expect them to be incredible soldiers.  Hell, it makes me respect those who actually are far more than I used to, because it's hard to handle all the stress.

[airamek]

I really really liked this movie!

when i told my mate that it wasnt a 'war-movie' in the sense that there were no battles and no real blood shed [like say the first scene in saving private ran, for example], he lost interest in going. but holy shit, i really did like it. my brother had a copy of it at his house, but i want to go watch it at the cinema.

and, it has nirvana - something in the way in it. cant go wrong with nirvana