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Full Metal Jacket

Play trailer 1:57 Poster for Full Metal Jacket R 1987 1h 56m War History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
89% Tomatometer 88 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Stanley Kubrick's take on the Vietnam War follows smart-aleck Private Davis (Matthew Modine), quickly christened "Joker" by his foul-mouthed drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey), and pudgy Private Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio), nicknamed "Gomer Pyle," as they endure the rigors of basic training. Though Pyle takes a frightening detour, Joker graduates to the Marine Corps and is sent to Vietnam as a journalist, covering -- and eventually participating in -- the bloody Battle of Hue.
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Full Metal Jacket

Full Metal Jacket

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Critics Consensus

Intense, tightly constructed, and darkly comic at times, Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket may not boast the most original of themes, but it is exceedingly effective at communicating them.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Sep 13, 2023
What happened to the Kubrick who used to slip in sly, subtle jokes and little editing tricks? This may be his worst movie. Go to Full Review Jay Scott Globe and Mail Dec 7, 2022
Full Metal Jacket is violent, caustic, ironic, and cold, an amoral object formed from a camera gliding majestically across slow-motion carnage while refusing to blink an eye or shed a tear. Go to Full Review Peter Rainer Los Angeles Herald Examiner Aug 9, 2022
Kubrick is trying to make a movie about madness and chaos, but he won't give in to the chaos. Go to Full Review Noah Berlatsky Everything is Horrible (Substack) Sep 18, 2026
Full Metal Jacket initiates its viewers into the realities of war, which are also, supposedly, the realities of being a man. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 8, 2025
4/4
It still qualifies as one of Kubrick's most underrated pictures, and it's second only to Apocalypse Now as the best Vietnam War movie ever made. Go to Full Review Branyan Towe Loud and Clear Reviews Jul 29, 2024
4/5
As Private Leonard “Gomer Pyle” Lawrence, D’Onofrio encapsulates the impact that military brainwashing can have on soldiers and their mental health in a way that is better than expected Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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michael Sep 2, 2026 weakest of kubricks masterpieces See more Euler N @RT78607452 Sep 17, 2026 I've heard that it's the best war film ever made. Quite disappointing. It's a pretty standard war film, showing us what we already know about war: soldiers going mad, racism, cruelty, authoritarian officials, etc. The acting is good, and the cinematography is excellent. But there are no lessons about strategy, no poetry, no deeper message, and no political criticism. Or, at least, nothing innovative about any of it. I can only recommend this movie to die-hard fans of war films. See more Christopher S @megagoodtimes Sep 8, 2026 The ironically dark humor about war kubrick seems to convey to the viewer is classic. Portrays the systematic constructs and the frailty of human capabilties and the machine monster that pulls the strings. Crude, violent, and somehow disturbingly mysterious. See more Cole D @RT78180295 Aug 25, 2026 One of the best war movies ever See more Lincoln L @Linkolnbio2 Aug 21, 2026 It's solid, It is well-constructed, reliable, and does exactly what it sets out to do. See more bruce C @bruce999 Aug 3, 2026 the music and the drama collide nicely. well done worth watching See more Read all reviews
Full Metal Jacket

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Cast & Crew

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Stanley Kubrick

Director

Matthew Modine

Private Joker (Private

Adam Baldwin

Animal Mother

Vincent D'Onofrio

Private Gomer Pyle (Leonard Lawrence)

R. Lee Ermey

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, Drill Instructor

Dorian Harewood

Private Eightball

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Full Metal Jacket

Full Metal Jacket: Trailer Full Metal Jacket: Trailer 1:57 Now Playing View more videos
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Full Metal Jacket

Full Metal Jacket (1987) Full Metal Jacket (1987) Full Metal Jacket (1987) Full Metal Jacket (1987) Matthew Modine as Pvt. Joker in "Full Metal Jacket." (L-R) Matthew Modine as Pvt. Joker, Kevyn Major Howard as Rafterman and Adam Baldwin as Animal Mother in "Full Metal Jacket." Kevyn Major Howard as Rafterman in "Full Metal Jacket." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Stanley Kubrick's take on the Vietnam War follows smart-aleck Private Davis (Matthew Modine), quickly christened "Joker" by his foul-mouthed drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey), and pudgy Private Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio), nicknamed "Gomer Pyle," as they endure the rigors of basic training. Though Pyle takes a frightening detour, Joker graduates to the Marine Corps and is sent to Vietnam as a journalist, covering -- and eventually participating in -- the bloody Battle of Hue.
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Screenwriter
Gustav Hasford
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Natant, Warner Brothers
Rating
R
Genre
War, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 1, 1987, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$42.9M
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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