Full Metal Jacket

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1:57

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 Hue.

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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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Andrew T

@RT72355796 Jul 24

This movie is really two half movies put into one and I don’t know which half is more difficult to watch. That gritty vibe throughout the whole movie is what makes it so beautiful. It truly captures the emotions of modern warfare. It is also a perfect example of why the United States of America has the most lethal military in human history. 10/10

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Christian K

@ckacar Jul 17

Kubrick certainly has particular, and seemingly accurate, view of America and its military.

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Squirt R

@Squirt_Reynolds Jul 17

Me love you long time

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Ben W

@Username618 Jul 4

Have seen 'The Killing' (1956), 'Dr Strangelove' (1964), 2001 (1968), A clockwork orange (1971), The Shining (1980), Full Metal Jacket (1987). I think Stanley Kubrick was happiest as a stills photographer- evidence. His camera v. often does not movIe. Tone... strays more to the side of comedy, than it does tragedy; almost always viewing characters with a form of contempt, possibly. A slow pace, punctuated by violence. Meh.

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Michael S.

@mavfan1 Jun 19

Haunting performance

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Tristan B

@tristan3 Jun 17

[BOT] A bit overrated honestly.

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Stanley Kubrick

Director

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Private Joker (Private

Adam Baldwin

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Vincent D'Onofrio

Private Gomer Pyle (Leonard Lawrence)

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Full Metal Jacket: Trailer

1:57

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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 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)