| 
 enlarge | Actors: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David, Johnny Depp, Kevin Dillon
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $2.49
You Save: $12.49 (83%)
New (68) Used (55) Collectible (4) from $2.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  293 reviews
Sales Rank: 2072
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 120
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: 027616862815
UPC: 027616862815
EAN: 0027616862815
ASIN: B00005AUJQ
Theatrical Release Date: December 24, 1986
Release Date: June 5, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 A Ho Chi Minh Studios production October 21, 2007
1 out of 18 found this review helpful
Only in Commie-Wood could this piece of garbage left-wing agitprop be lauded as a "modern day classic". As anti-American propaganda, it's far too crude and obvious to be taken seriously, as it utilizes every last Vietnam cliche' in the book, depicting American soldiers as drug-addicted, psychotic murderers and rapists, almost to a man. As a drama, it's extremely lacking- the characters are almost completely interchangeable, and of the few who are fleshed out a bit, I found myself incapable of giving a crap. As entertainment, it's utterly boring- from start to finish we're subjected to unceasing and monotonous killing and depravity. You could leave the room for an hour and not really have missed anything by the time you come back. Skip this sucker and keep your money out of Oliver Stone's pocket.
 Landmark Vietnam War film October 17, 2007
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
"Platoon" is Writer/Director Oliver Stone's highly autobiographical exploration of the Vietnam War.
The film is a landmark in America coming to terms with this controversial war. The film was made on a low budget as Hollywood would not touch this project. It's ironic then that the huge success of this film sparked a plethora of "Vietnam" movies and TV series of varying quality including Stone's own brilliant "Born on the Fourth of July".
The low budget nature of the film helps to give it an even greater sense of realism. It has a gritty authenticity and Stone certainly succeeds in making us understand what it was like to be a "grunt" down in the mud.
"Platoon" is beautifully shot and the battle sequences are brilliantly staged. It is not without its faults - some of the dialogue is a bit over the top and Charlie Sheen was perhaps not the best choice for the lead part - but these are relatively minor quibbles.
Altogether this is an extraordinary achievement by Stone.
The "Anniversary" DVD contains wonderful commentaries by Stone and Dale Dye - the technical adviser on the film who also has a small but crucial part as a commanding officer - who both served in Vietnam.
hell's duality September 28, 2007
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
Oliver Stone's brilliant 1986 film on the grunt's war in Vietnam had a lot to work with: a controversial subject well placed for dramatic effect, brilliant acting from his three leads (Dafoe, Berenger, and, yes, even Sheen), some stunning visual images (more on this in a moment), and the superb employment of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. The result is a movie that must rank in the top three of the 1980s and, to boot, one that is impossible to characterize cleanly as an anti-war movie (No one will suspect it of being pro-war.)
Stone, a Vietnam vet himself, holds up the insanity of the infantryman's life for close inspection, but one is left to draw his own conclusion about the war itself. This might seem evasive of the writer-director's political point except for the added factor that he dignifies those who fought the war not only in his screenplay but in the dedication of the flick itself to them.
One of a spate of late-80s Vietnam movies, Platoon is the most believable. Platoon endures as some of the cream of Stone's directorial repertoire in part because he manages to humanize his soldiers, never losing their misery, struggle, and--for some--residual and persistent hope in the face of the overwhelming horror of the film.
In the end, Platoon is more than anything else a picture about fratricide. Sheen's Private Taylor says as much, though his commentary on the complex lives and deaths of Dafoe's and Berenger's dueling sergeants hardly requires that commentary to seal the point.
Platoon is Oliver Stone at his best. In addition to four Oscars, the film harvested a long list of Academy Award nominations and several display cases full of other awards. All with good reason and well earned.
Excellent flick...(but remember- its a MOVIE !) September 20, 2007
2 out of 10 found this review helpful
For me, Platoon is one of the best war flicks ever - and certainly the best of the "'Nam" genre....It rates with Saving Private Ryan, Das Boat, etc...
Let's begin by admitting its a MOVIE...Not a documentary, not a true story, not a history - none of that. There's no way all the stuff in this movie happened to all units, or even to one particular unit.
The trick to understanding Platoon is to 1) realize that Vietnam is a war that will never have a good reputation (for all the obvious reasons) and therefore this film can't and doesn't have a 'victory'. The film is depressing in that sense, but it is at least true to that theme.
And 2) it helps to think of all the things that happen as a composite - Stone's rolling everything up into one unit in order to tell a story...
The acting is TERRIFIC. From Chris, to Barnes & Elias, to slacker Junior, to the Company Commander (played by David Dryer ?), it seemed every character "fit".
Uniforms were accurate, as were weapons. Jungle & bunker scenes were good (even though the night ambush had the ever-present Hollywood bluish background light, ah well...:)
The movie is overall somewhat cliche-ey about that era - everybody's a pot-head, we're all screwed over by "the Man", etc etc, blah blah blah...You have to look past that and try to feel the frustrations of a bunch of guys that didn't understand what this was about and why they were there.
Not a good time for America, and the movie captures that well.
Real or not? August 2, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I was born during the Vietnam war years, and have no idea if what Stone depicts in this movie is realistic or not; however, it is my favorite. There is so much more to this movie than many realize. The dynamics of the relationships between characters, especially Sgt. Elias and Sgt. Barnes are like taughtly pulled violin strings ready to snap. In fact, they do snap in an extremely dramatic and lethal manner. The scene where Sgt. Elias is literally running for his life is made even more heart wrenching when coupled with Barber's Adagio for Strings. This particular piece of music is haunting in it's self; but with the death scene of Sgt. Elias it is emotionally devestating. This particular piece of music portrays the despair, sorrow, and isolation felt by Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen's character), and probably many men who were truly there.
I will admit, not having been there, not learning much about Vietnam in school (it was a topic quickly glossed over), and having an older brother who was in Vietnam not talk about it, does lend itself to misinformation/misimpressions gathered from films such as this one. Having said that, what I take away from the movie is the Hell too many men experienced, and how the Vietnam war affected all of us in ways we don't even realize. Is it real? I believe many parts of it are not, as a whole, but did those things happen? Unfortunaley they probably did to some extent.
I watch this movie to remind myself of the atrocities done to man by man, and to remind myself why I honor our service men and women. With every watching I am humbled and awed by the sacrifices so many men gave. That is the value of Platoon.
|
|
|