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Full Metal Jacket

Play trailer 1:57 Poster for Full Metal Jacket R 1987 1h 56m War History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 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 Hue.

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Full Metal Jacket

Full Metal Jacket

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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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Critics Reviews

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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. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
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 Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Christopher C. @RT39836430 9h This film is intense and provides insight into the horrors of war, especially when there are soldiers on the ground. It’s a blessing from God that we now have laser guided weapons amongst other tools to utilize so that the United States can protect its service men and women. Also, I have seen many times the enemy will put US service men and woman in a moral dilemma by using women and children to fight. In my eyes, there should be zero hesitation to blow these women and children away, the most important thing is that our service men and women return safely and that we achieve our objectives, even if it harms the environment. One American life is more valuable than all of our enemies lives so I pray we keep that in mind looking into the future. Amen. See more din D @L1J2K3 1d This movie just near perfect. Before diving deeper, I just want to go over that like usual with Kubrick the score, cinematography, and performances are pitch perfect and many memorable moments happen. It looks at the Vietnamese war in a much different way by not only looking at more city type fighting instead of jungle but going into the army camp life. It's disturbing although sometimes funny and it takes its time saving the true action sequences for the perfect moments. See more Kristofer K @kbkaizer May 13 Words can't explain the emotion this story brings as you tag along to experience the full lifecycle of war in this Kubrick masterpiece. See more Gog I @RT3467954 Apr 22 At that time, they made very good films about the war. See more Guilherme M @RT21202523 Apr 11 One of the best war movies out there. Depicts not only the horrors of war but actually tells the history behind its soldiers. Full Metal Jacket proves Staley Kubrick really can't make a bad movie. Even if it's not used his melancholic style, you can still see the iconic atmosphere and the slow descend to insanity that some may experience during war. Tough the ending doesn't feel like a actual ending, it's still a amazing movie that you should watch. Also props to Paint it, Black at the credits!! See more Horror fan 4 @Horrorfan4life Apr 4 What a unique and beautiful way to show how brutal war can be. Whether it's in boot camp or going overseas to fight a war we should've never been involved in. Private pile endures some of the most brutal things in boot camp. Private joker is my favorite character but the drill sgt steels the movie with his loud talking and brutal insults. Stanley did an amazing job with this classic movie. Tim Treakle See more Read all reviews
Full Metal Jacket

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Movie Info

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 Hue.
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)