Jarhead: A Review Of The Reviews

When I saw the trailers for Jarhead, the movie on the first Gulf War, I thought it might by a typical Hollywood anti-military, war-for-oil athem. So this morning, I've been reviewing the milblogs and blogs authored by vets for news and views.

There's not a lot out yet, reflecting more on the set I'm looking for than the film. None of the overseas milbloggers have seen the films yet, and the at-home guys are hard working, low paid and not, apparently, a big bunch of Friday night movie-goers. But I found three:

Don Sensing at One Hand Clapping has an authoritative review that, in full, doesn't drive me to see the movie:

I give Jarhead three out of five bayonets, mostly on the strength of its visuals. ...

Perhaps as a retired Army officer I am at a disadvantage since I sat there mentally scoffing at some of the baloney.

Jarhead fails to meet Alfred Hitchcock’s number one requirement for a good movie: “You have to have a story.” And Jarhead simply has no story. There never seems to be a point. This may work for a skillfully-crafted literary memoir (as apparently Swofford’s book was) but it simply doesn’t work at all for a motion picture.

Visual richness is director Mendes’ strong point, and it’s not for nothing that one reviewer called the movie “eye candy.” Especially impressive are the scenes of Kuwait’s oil wells afire and darkening the skies from horizon to horizon. A lot of the action (well, there’s no real action; this is a war movie with no war) takes place under the oily smoke and sky, and you’ll not be able to tell the difference between Mendes’ special effects and video of the real thing.

Military Christians Worldwide echoes by quoting others:

Opening to mixed reviews: Jarhead, an R-rated movie about the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Rottentomatoes.com has review summaries, including:

"Puzzlingly hollow."

"Although it's well made...the actual point of the film is...well, hard to find."

"This is not a war film; it's a lack-of-war film."--

Doc Russia at Bloodletting liked the movie:

For those of you who have a burning need to know; it is a little anti-war. I only say that because the reasons given for going to war are only the protection of the Saudi oil. Fortunately, there is fairly little of thatfloating around, and it is finally dropped as a subject in the film when one Marine points out that "we're here, that's all that matters." ...

It is the most accurate portrayal of life in the Marine Corps as a Marine grunt that I have ever seen. Bar none. more accurate than "the D.I.," more accurate than Full Metal Jacket.

Others made the Full Metal Jacket comparison, but not in as complimentary a tone.

A couple other notes:

Gay men really like the movie. I didn't go to any of the posts that showed up during my search, but apparently there are a lot of shirts-off buff guys in the movie.

The point was made by some that star Jamie Foxx is a jerk for his sympathetic portrayal of Cripps founder Stanley "Tookie" Williams, who hopefully will be executed soon.

And finally, for the serious film critics among you, there's this:

I saw the movie Jarhead tonight. Greeattt movie. You all should see it. Its really like compeling and like woahhh. I liked it. So you better like it bittchh. Plus there were some hot guys sitting in front of me. But yah.