A cool movie for those warfare movie lovers. I never saw this movie in theaters, but my friend insisted I watch it with him on DVD. I'm glad I did.

This film can be summed up by the lyrics of a single song 'War... huh... what is it good for...absolutly nothing, say it again', i forget who the song is by, but you get the picture. Yet while it manages to display the dissilusionment often felt about modern political war, the film manages to stay clear of too many cleches that surround what life in the miltary is like. This balance is most notable in the role of Sworff played by Jake Gyllenhaal. who simultauously critricses the marine corps, yet willingly partakes in the life he is presented with as a result of being in the marine corps!! All in all the film is an intelligent look into the military and war with the indervidual stories of people found within the marine corps taking the main focus rather than any overt political comment. in my opinion this adds to the films genius, by presenting the facts and reality of the characters it leaves the audience to decide what to make of what happens within the film. In this way forcing the audience to think, and distencing itself from other shoot um up action films where answers to moral dilemers are often given in neat little packages. with this film you have to face in full, the range of human capabilites and feelings, from heroism to cowadice, to anger, hate and love, its all there.

This is definitly one of those movies that every young adult should see. Especially those considering the military. The story is realistic. The characters are believable. And the content is not too bad given how far they could have gone.

This was truly an excellant film. For one thing, it is extremly funny. But it is much more than that. It is probably as close to modern warfare as can be dipicted in a movie. I have heard a few first hand stories of Iraq veterans, and this film comes very close to hitting the mark. The soldiers are fighting boredom, not a horrific enemy. There are no huge, epic, stomach churning conflicts in the film. That is because the movie wants to be more serious than that. It is not a pretentious, action packed bloodbath in the vein of Private Ryan. It is a soldiers story, clear and simple, and I think every teenage kid interested in modern warfare and potentialy fighting should see THIS film, not Saving Private Ryan.