Platoon - 1986

Chandler - 12/24/12

Remember when Charlie Sheen wasn't a mockery of himself? When he was actually on pace to be a good actor, following in his father's footsteps? Well that all came crashing down after he starred in Major League. But before then... there was Platoon.

Platoon has a pretty good cast, although most of the actors weren't famous yet: Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Kevin Dillon, Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker... etc etc. It's pretty much your basic Vietnam movie with an emphasis on realism, and a nod to the My Lai Massacre. The film highlights the clusterfuck-ness of guerrilla warfare and the disconnect between officers and infantrymen during the war. Platoon is not nearly as epic as Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now, but it's worth a watch if you like war movies.

Rating - 3