This important and much celebrated picture about the dehumanization mission of a boot camp and its ultimate effect on individuals later on in Vietnam is one of those films where the director falls in love with one single idea of a film and then builds his plot pyramid to lead us ultimately to that one focal point.

Kubrick is perfectly at home in this dark brutal and sometimes even darkly funny tale of average everyday guys put into situations they are so completely unprepared for.

The cast is very good with Lee Ermey playing the unforgettable Sgt. Hartman. Matthew Modine does a pretty good job as Joker -- a Charlie Sheen-esque character than one needs in every war film.

However, I think this one -- like most Kubrick films (that are usually based on novels) has dated and has lost much of its edge over time. There are still some unforgettable moments and dialogues but the full frontal moral transparency isn't such a novelty anymore.