Plot Summary
Chris Taylor is a young, naive American who, upon his arrival in Vietnam, quickly discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also with the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him. While his two commanding officers draw a fine line between the war they wage against the enemy and the one they fight with each other, the conflict, chaos and hatred permeate Taylor, suffocating his realities and numbing his feelings to man's highest value... life.
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Movie Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes
TOMATOMETER
87%- Reviews Counted: 45
- Fresh: 39
- Rotten: 6
- Average Rating: 7.8/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: Possibly the best work of any kind about the Vietnam War since Michael Herr's vigorous and hallucinatory book 'Dispatches.
Fresh: Platoon is different. It matters.
Fresh: ...it's still the standard against which all other movies about the Vietnam War are judged.
Fresh: Platoon is like the Wall -- a dark and unforgettable memorial to the dead of Vietnam and an awesome requiem to the eternity of war.
Customer Reviews
A must see
I saw this by myself when I was in 7th grade and have never viewed movies the same since. While I didn't understand what made this movie so powerful at the time (it was 1986) I came to understand it more with every viewing. I've seen this movie many, many times now and it never fails to strike a chord within me. It reminds me that there is a place within the human heart and psyche that is capable of withstanding extreme hardship and psychological stress. But it's more than that. You'll have to see it for yourself to understand. The thing I remember the most after seeing it for the first time, as a 12-year old, was an elderly woman who was sitting at the end of the same aisle I was in. I was about to walk past her after the end credits had finished when I noticed that she was crying. I didn't have the heart to say "Excuse me" and squeeze past her, so I sat back down and waited for to gather herself. That was the first time in my life that I realized that war touches people in every sense of the word. Many years later I still think of that woman whenever I see Platoon. Did she have a son, a husband, a family member die in that war? I'll never know. But I'll never forget her. Her tears allowed me to realize the power that a film can have, and I've never looked at films the same way again.
A MASTERPIECE
I have been a great admirer of this film for years. I recommend it to EVERYONE! not only is it a great film, but it is the best film example of what vietnam was like from the big things you see, down to the tiny details (thanks to Capt. Dale Dye USMC ret. as the technical advisor). Tom Berenger was brilliant as SSgt. Barnes(he should have won the academy award for his performance hands-down, especially for the drunken speech in the bunker scene), Willem Dafoe was a great Sgt. Elias(truly showed how talented an actor dafoe is), and the rest of the cast was just awesome! This is an important film that should not only be seen for entertainment, but also to learn about a trying time in United States history. If we don't we'll make the same mistakes again.
inspired me to the utmost
One of the great things about this Oscar - Winning film is the drama. Charlie Sheen was heartwarming throughout the film and brought passion and emotion to the film. He gave his best acting and I truly admire him for that. Sheen was dramatic throughout Platoon and so was Dafoe and Berenger. I highly recommend this film to everyone who likes drama and I hope they put this film in their top 5 favorite films of all time.
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- $9.99
- Genre: Drama
- Released: 1986
- © 1986 Orion Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
