Jarhead

You must go see this film.
If you've ever served in the armed forces, at least in the U.S.
this film is for you.
It really is that good.

I want to see it.

Were you a Marine RF? I am...and this movie could have been so much better. The opening sequence tried so hard to not be the same as Full Metal Jacket, that it failed miserably...it's not even a good spoof. The ending was cheesy as hell. I did enjoy parts of the movie & will probably add it to my DVD collection when it comes out (that's not saying much, I have over 600), but it just missed the mark on a number of parts.

I heard it was full over overly gay innuendos or something is that true? Otherwise it looked cool.

How do you think the film could have been better?

I didn't get any gay innuendo out of it, though there was too much of jake gyllenhaal's ass for my liking. I'd still say to go watch the movie, just don't do so with any sort of high expectations, especially if you've been in the military in general or the Marine Corps specifically.

Ahh, maybe I heard wrong That actor's sister is an awesome actress, particularly in Secretary

The opening boot camp scene was too forced for my liking, seemed fake...I'll grant that I went to recruit training 3 years after this scene was supposed to have taken place, so things probably changed quite a bit, but it just still seemed fake. I find it hard to believe that the kid getting killed during STA training didn't get that SSgt in trouble, even back then. That sorta thing makes headlines & people's careers don't recover very easily. Then you get to the scene after the christmas fireworks, when swofford is sitting at the table drinking water & his SSgt tells him that he doesn't want swofford covering his back. In a platoon like that, given that he didn't trust swofford, if the opportunity arose to send his best people on that mission at the end of the war, he wouldn't have chosen swofford, at least I wouldn't. Hard to regain trust, harder still to regain it in the middle of a battlefield. Then toward the end, it just seemed like they had a bunch of loose ends to tie up & rushed through it. I have a problem with a 1stSgt (foxx' character in the ending montage) leading a patrol, even an infantry 1stSgt. I haven't read the book, not sure how much of the last 15 minutes was actually in the book. I think a lot of that last 15 minutes was hollywood. I'd be interested to know if the person played by Foxx is still in the Corps, much less if he's a 1stSgt or even spent time in the OEF or OIF (as the movie seemed to hint, as far as I could tell)

I know that isn't answering your question of how I would make the movie better, RF, but it does explain in greater detail the problems I had with it.

No no, that's was fine.

Here are some good reviews:

"Jarhead is a personal story about one Marine that helps give us insight into a world most of us will never experience."

"'The performances are first-rate across the board, with Peter Saarsgard, who plays Swafford's spotter, almost certain to pick up his first Oscar nomination.'"

"Gyllenhaal is the heart and soul of a darkly funny and ferociously intense movie that sets its sights on soldiers under the gun of doing nothing."

"The best war movies -- and this one, despite its being overlong and repetitive, is among them -- hold that men fight (or in this case, are ready to fight) not for causes, but to survive and to help their comrades do the same."

"In all respects, Jarhead is straight from the horse’s mouth. See it."

"Jarhead, taken from the book by Anthony Swofford, a veteran Marine sniper from the first Gulf War, takes what might seem the easiest soldiering job in the world and tells you something profoundly different."

"Jarhead is the most unconventional anti-war film ever made..."

Quote:

Originally posted by Vagrant

Ahh, maybe I heard wrong That actor's sister is an awesome actress, particularly in Secretary

You may have heard correctly, though I would be willing to bet that the comment came from someone who has never been in, nor exposed (no pun intended ) to, the military. You get close to the people you serve with in situations like that. Not gay, but closer than most men are comfortable with, at least those not sure of their manhood.

And I agree...Maggie is hot, in a non-mainstream sort of way

I do agree, RF, that there are good things about this movie, & I have no doubt that many people will like it. But it didn't reach the expectations I had going into it. I laughed out loud at times, and enough to make me ask myself while there in the theater if this wasn't in fact a comedy rather than a drama or "documentary" of one person's experience at war. I thought often as well that it was overlong, as one of the reviews stated. I think it was a great story, one that needed to be told in some fashion, but I need to read the book & I believe that when I do, I will see many cases where hollywood messed with the real thing. I'll admit I'm wrong if this is not the case. Of course, if I am wrong, then the movie is that much worse...catch 22

I gotcha, your right I did hear it from someone who hasn't served and might be a little overly anything thats remotely gay must be gay, but I think I get where your coming from, guys always pull gay jokes on each other and stuff.

Absolutely, hot in a non-mainstream kind of way is a good way of putting it. She isn't the hottest lady out there but in Secretary, I've never seen such a frumpy looking person turn into such a sexy lady within the span of a 2hr movie

I'll have to see Jarhead, all those war type movies tend to be quite good overall in my book.

Quote:

Originally posted by Vagrant

I gotcha, your right I did hear it from someone who hasn't served and might be a little overly anything thats remotely gay must be gay, but I think I get where your coming from, guys always pull gay jokes on each other and stuff.

Absolutely, hot in a non-mainstream kind of way is a good way of putting it. She isn't the hottest lady out there but in Secretary, I've never seen such a frumpy looking person turn into such a sexy lady within the span of a 2hr movie

I'll have to see Jarhead, all those war type movies tend to be quite good overall in my book.

I haven't yet seen Secretary, guess I'll have to do that

on topic: Yes, I would tell anyone to see Jarhead, but go into it with a blank slate. And please, give feedback here after you're done. I'm always open to hear what others think, and I love to debate, especially when it has something to do with my Corps

Well, Jeronimo, your going to love this then, but i'm in The Army.
I leave soon too. There was a line in the movie when the one Marine
goes nuts with the dead body, The Staff Sgt. makes a comment along the
lines of: "The Army might let that slide, but we don't." Sad, but true.

Looks amazing...


Jarhead Screenshot from trailer...

I plan on seeing it today, I will write a review later on.

lol yeah lets post some critic quotes....aka, ill say this for $$$

Quote:

Originally posted by Tyrannous

Looks amazing...


Jarhead Screenshot from trailer...

Yeah, the trailer did its job...made it look amazing. One reason I was disappointed...I went in with high expectations. It was still a movie worth seeing, but not up to the level I'd hoped.

The part of the movie that the pic you posted shows is the most intense part...crazy shit.

I know exactly the part you're talking about RF. It is unfortunate that the statement is true. As it always goes, the actions of the few affect the many. I don't make a habit of bashing the other services, I just think that the Army is sometimes too big for its own good when it comes to policing stuff like that. And perhaps it doesn't ingrain the same ethos in its mid-level NCOs & SNCOs as the Corps does to take care of stuff like that at a lower level (though I grant that I may be speaking without knowing my subject...just my perception).