Total failure is a bit of an exaggeration. I do think that if the characters were more likable, we would have actually cared that Swoff's girlfriend was cheating on him and we would have cared about what's his name dying, but I don't think it was a total failure. I wasn't bored watching these characters, I just didn't come to love any of them.

Well .. thats not really why I didn't like the movie though ...

love the av. . . ./...

At the end of the day, I really didn't care about any of the characters.

ooo... lets complain about realistic characters... good job guys...

I saw it with an army buddy of mine... of course he loved it... I loved it... most of the audience loved it... really great film

9.2/10

A-

Don't Enlist For Jarhead

Interesting beginning, extremely zzzzzzzzzz middle, and oddly engaging epilogue.

C-

full review soon.

So the shit streak continues. When Mendes can't deliver, be afraid. Be very afraid.

It was very good acting wise, but the story was week.

B+

I loved it, although on some level I can see why some people wouldn't. A-

I wasn't talking about that. I was just referring to how you came to hate it the more you thought about it.

Ever heard of difference of opinion? For me it was the most unenjoyable moviegoing experience of the year other than 'The Devil's Rejects.' If there isn't one character worth caring about, that is characterized as a big problem IMO.

Aaaah

Lacking in character devleopment, but I still liked it, the movie made me very interested to read the book, when nomally once I see the movie I have no desire to read the book.

A-

No, I didnt get that at all. Remember they we're only in actual combat for what..the last 20 minutes of the movie? If you want to call it that.

Wait. You are docking the movie a grade. For realism?

Now thats classic.

You must have forgot the one soldier from texas, that wanted to talk about the truth..and freedom of the press.

And wanted to know what the pills did, and why should he sign a waiver, before he signed the waiver.

yeah, everyone was brainwashed.

According to the woman who is the mother of Troy, who is now really upset at Swofford for what he wrote in the book, realism is obviously a subjective experience.

uh...

i just dont really have the drive, or feel like putting in any effort to discussing this movie, but i really did enjoy it a lot. nice, after like 3 huge disappointments in a row.

never said anyone was to be honest .. i was refering just to the fact that everyone goes through that in the beginning of the film .....

I'm not changing my grade from a B, but I actually like it a bit more upon reflection. I definitely don't see how anybody could hate it, and before you decide to ask me if I've ever heard of a difference of opinion, Joe, don't.

Im docking the movie a grade because it doesnt take side even when it tries to offer realism. The realism either is supposed to make us hate the soldiers or like them even better, the movie seems to suggest that we are supposed to be rooting for them because they were in this so called hot temperature and suffering all this hardship but it doesnt sway you if you are going to offer so many evil falws of the soldiers. Thats my grip. If it was something like Platoon, I would understand thats shows good soldiers mixed in with bad soldiers

And like what Andaroo said about realism when in fact Troy died in a car accident while the movie made it look like he was involved in some kind of crime that lead to his death

A movie could have all the realism it can but if it offers no storyline or a message about, its a mess.

You know, I did that for Gunner Palace. Not that it was realism, which I was expecting from a documentary, but its complete ambiguity and sort of superficial treatment of subject. I found the directors condescending tear stories about being able to hop on a plane and go home when the boys couldn't to be utterly unprofound. I found his inability to condemn or condone anyone's actions to do the entire story of our tropps a complete disservice. I found it completely decontextualized in its desire to adhere to "real-time" trueism, and I found the soundtrack worse than all of the above issues combined.

I can't decide on if I like the movie or not like it. It mostly just confuses me because they don't really do much. The one thing that I was looking forward to when they hinted at it was the little sniper action towards the end. But, that ended so abruptly, and cheesy I might add, that it ruined most of the ending. I also didn't like the fact, and Ididn't really get this, that they were bummed that they didn't get to fire there guns but were having a party about the ending of a two day war that didn't show them one bit of action...? They were all hyped to go to war and they were happy that they got to sit in a desert and walk through oil?? Maybe they were happy they got to end the boredem, maybe not. Thats why I don't know if I like the movie or not, I have no idea why many of the soldiers acted the way they did or fealt the way they did. Also, I really hate the blatent rip off of Full Metal Jacket. Your not going to top that movie so don't try. Did they have to take the "rifle" saying right from FMJ or is this something the marines always say? Since im up in arms, I will give it a C.

around here that is "highly disliked/pretty much hated"...you should probably give it more like B/B+. FYI.

From his description, I'd give a C as well. I'm using Yahoo's wording in my grading, so B means "Good" and B+ means "memorable", and C is average/mediocre.