Siskel & Ebert was on channel 2 at 11:35 pm every Sunday. Here is our weekly tribute to the two legends. Film school starts now.
G's Take: This was Kubrick's first film after a seven year hiatus and I think there is some rust on display here. The first half of the film, arguably, is some of Kubrick's best work as we follow new recruits through basic training. FULL METAL JACKET is more about breaking down ordinary people and re-building them into machines of war than it is about the Vietnam conflict. The story doesn't sustain itself though for the entire film, the last half feels flat and lacks authenticity and it has nothing to do with being shot in England, it has to do with the action which is served up in a display of stereotypical war film scenarios.
"Routine" is not a word that comes close to describing the films of Kubrick, but it defines the last half of FULL METAL JACKET. THUMBS UP, but Kubrick has done better. An uneven Kubrick film though is still better than some directors best efforts.
See you on forty deuce,
G
