Military Mondays: “Jarhead” Review

6/12 ForReel Score | 2.5/5 Stars

“Get some Marines! Get some!” And yet, they got none. Despite valiant acting performances Jarhead suffers from unbearable cliches and very unlikable characters, ultimately leading to underwhelming war drama.

Gyllenhaal, Foxx, and company give a valiant effort for the cameras, but no one will be claiming Jarhead is any of their best film. My biggest gripe with Jarhead is it relies too much on the “brainless marine” cliche. Early on the characters are so unlikable that by the time the audience is supposed to feel for their trials and tribulations, that train had long left the station. Ironically, around the time the audience had tuned out, Sam Mendes began to take over. The shots of the burning oil field is some of his better work. Unfortunately for him and us, it was too little too late.

Much like the Marines in Jarhead, I spent most of my viewing time wallowing in boredom. The only battle I had to win was to finish this film.

Acting and Casting - 1 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 1 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 0