Full Metal Jacket (1987)
In Vietnam, the wind doesn't blow. It sucks.
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 26 June 1987 |
| Genre | Drama, War |
| Director | Stanley Kubrick |
| Starring | Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin and Vincent D'Onofrio |
| Runtime | 117 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.3/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 90% · Metacritic 78/100 · TMDB users 8.1/10 |
| Budget | $30 million |
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What kind of watch this is
Stanley Kubrick directed Full Metal Jacket in 1987, a 117-minute drama that dissects how the U.S.-Vietnam War strips away individuality. Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, and Vincent D'Onofrio navigate the brutal transition from boot camp to the streets of Hue. The film does not rely on heroics; it documents the machinery of dehumanization. The wind, as the tagline notes, does not blow. It sucks.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes reports a 90% Tomatometer score, alongside an 8.3/10 average rating. Metacritic sits at 78 out of 100, a generally favorable mark. Critics praised the first act’s intensity and the cast, particularly R. Lee Ermey. Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film "harrowing, beautiful and characterically eccentric," noting Ermey’s obsession. Richard Corliss of Time labeled it a "technical knockout," admiring Kubrick’s precision. Some found the Vietnam segment muddled, though most agreed the opening stood out.
How it did with audiences
It cost $30 million and made $46 million in the United States. By 1998, that figure had climbed to $120 million worldwide. On TMDB, users rate it 8.1 out of 10. The numbers say it was a steady earner, not a blockbuster, which is exactly how you want a film about war to perform.
Awards
Full Metal Jacket picked up 5 awards from 11 nominations. Kubrick took home 4 of them, including Best Director from the Boston Society of Film Critics and Best Producer from the Academy of Italian Cinema. R. Lee Ermey snagged the remaining win for Best Supporting Actor. The rest went to other films, which is standard procedure for this kind of war movie.
What came next for the cast
Matthew Modine had just starred in Birdy. What followed was a long run of work, from The Dark Knight Rises to Oppenheimer. He never quite left the spotlight, even if the spotlight changed shape. Adam Baldwin had appeared in Ordinary People. His post-1987 credits include Independence Day and Predator 2. The jump from serious drama to alien-hunting is jarring. Careers are not straight lines. They are often a series of strange pivots.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Full Metal Jacket.
Sources
- Full Metal Jacket on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q243439 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Full Metal Jacket” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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