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 enlarge | Actors: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David, Johnny Depp, Kevin Dillon
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $3.32
You Save: $11.66 (78%)
New (71) Used (56) Collectible (4) from $1.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  298 reviews
Sales Rank: 2506
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
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: ******BRAND NEW****** ** Over 1.5 million orders shipped worldwide and more than 500 000 items in stock, BUY FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE, ESTABLISHED SINCE 1998 - INETVIDEO ~~~
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| Customer Reviews:
 Remembering May 15, 2006
26 out of 28 found this review helpful
Twenty years later, after PLATOON was released in 1986 and brought some of the horrors of the Vietnam experience to the public's media-jaundiced eye, at last the film can be seen and discussed critically. 'At last', in this viewer's vocabulary, includes the fact that more time for healing from actually being in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 has passed, making the response to Oliver Stone's film more rational. Now the film is a film, not a nightmare memory inducer, and that fact in no way diminishes the power of the message.
Oliver Stone wrote and directed this musing on the effect of war on the psyche and emotional crippling that Vietnam produced in those who survived. Stone was there and that makes his cinematic lead Chris (Charlie Sheen), an random kid from a privileged family who volunteers to go to Vietnam for 'patriotic reasons', an exception in the platoon to which he is assigned, the leader of which is the mentally broken and emotionally scarred Staff Sgt. Bob Barnes (Tom Berenger). Chris' positive influence is Sgt. Elias Grodin (Willem Dafoe), and the two are the polar opposites of evil and good. But the main characters of this gripping film are the other kids who daily are subjected to the horrors of life in the Vietnam jungles with the atrocious living conditions of filth, rain, heat, vermin, and the constant threat of the VC hidden in the atmosphere, ready to kill them at any moment. And these conditions along with the destructive effects of the government's insane war result in mankind stooping to its lowest level, such as decimating a village of people in the manner of My Lai.
The combat scenes are viscerally rigorous and well staged, but the odd thing about seeing this film as a veteran of that war is how watered down the atrocities now seem: scenes of dead bodies, both US and VC, lying on the ground or being scooped into mass burials ignores the fact that in reality what would have been seen are strewed body parts, unrecognizably torn by booby traps, mines, and powerful gunfire.
But there is only so much the public can tolerate and so the film must be tidied up a bit. The impact remains in the eyes of the actors called upon to recreate the veterans. Stone does his best to show the insanity of war, a statement as powerful as any that war must not be the answer in today's world. And we haven't learned. And that is what this viewer is remembering. Grady Harp. May 06
The Best Military Movie Ever. May 1, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
One of my all time favorites. This is certainly one of the best movies ever made. It rises above most military movies in that narrative is used selectively for momumental effect. Color and scene shots are creative and stunning. Thanks to an entire winning cast of believable characters and commanding performance by Charlie Sheen. It is an original production, flawless, timeless, without peer or jury.
Not the best war film but it's a great one anyways April 18, 2006
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
During the time of Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola in a duel egoist/proud statement, he said the film wasn't about Vietnam, it was Vietnam. Well Platoon in essence isn't Vietnam, it's just a movie that happens to be about that war. Well it's certainly a well-made war film, it's not of the absolute best war films like others are but it's still definately worth a watch anyways.
Inspired by Oliver Stone's own experiences in Vietnam, the film finds college idealist Chris Taylor volunteering for Vietnam, believing that poor people shouldn't be the only ones in service while the rich ones could stay home. Entering his group as an untrained rookie, everyone else basically gets on his case about everything. He's also torn between 2 rival factions within his very own group: one led by Sgt Elias and the other by Staff Sgt Barnes. Unlike most war movies which tend to have a certain objective (Private Ryan in the Spielberg film, killing Colonel Kurtz in Apocalpyse Now), Platoon is basically about surviving until you can go home.
One of the nice things about the Taylor character is that even at times he gets caught up in the war and quickly catching himself. One scene has him almost sadistically firing his weapon at a Vietnamese's feet, using the old "dance!" gag, but 10 minutes later he's stopping a gang rape before it takes place. There's not a lot of quiet reflection throughout the film but you can tell they're being affected by it, including the well-known "thousand yard stare".
It's funny that Platoon ended up winning Best Picture and Director even though to me JFK is the perfect Oliver Stone film. While Platoon is certainly a great war film, personally I found JFK to be better but oh well. Like World War II, you can say that one film is the quintessential Vietnam film whether you think it's Apocalypse Now, Platoon, or even lesser known films like Hamburger Hill. Regardless it's nice to have another film about the Vietnam experience. To me the Coppola film is about the long-term effects war has while this is more about that initial time in wartime.
The film essentially is being triple dipped as their was an initial release, the Special Edition and I hear of an Anniversary edition. I'd recommend the Special Edition and didn't actually find out about the third until I after I bought this one. It's a good war movie but I'd wait until the next release.
'Nam '86... April 18, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Back whenever (I don't remember) I saw a "coming up next" bar on AMC stating that "Platoon" was about to play. However I was a moron back then listening to Green Day so I figured I should play on the computer and listen to bad music. Kids are pretty dumb, I was one, we were all one.
Anyways this movie, like all really good Vietnam films, really took some time to take in. Everyone plays there part in this, a small story in a larger depressing one. I could go on to each persons plot and character, but that would mediocorize (not a word) the other reviewers who displayed the characters.
This is one hell of an engaging film, full of everything you could find in a divided war...injustice, hate, innocence, and revenge. Everything to make an interesting movie, well, here you have it. Does have some scenes that will, well, you won't like the looks of it. By the middle ATLEAST you will create some emotion towards this, as it is nearly as real as it comes.
From the first scenes of the bodies of fallen soldiers, past the heart-racing night ambush, through Elias' majestic...(I don't wanna ruin everything if you haven't seen it), all the way to the last, costly battle, a battle that will have you shaken at the horror.
Each character will stay with you to the end, unless they become a casualty along the way, you will miss them, even if you didn't care. This entire movie is a definite rent, and a great own. I watch it from time to time when it comes on tv, but is usually censored.
Charlie Sheen was perfect in this movie. Playing the caught-in-the-middle Chris who battles for proper glory but only finds that war isn't all about glory, it's about staying alive and making it back home.
20th Anniversary Collector's Edition vs Ultimate Edition. April 16, 2006
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I just wanted to clear up something said by L. Petersen. The 20th Anniversary Edition release of this film is not the same as the Ultimate Edition. The 20th Anniversary Edition includes 10 minutes of deleted footage, including alot of the footage Stone cut of Johnny Depp.
The Ultimate Edition was remastered and had a lot stills included with it. Heres a list of its special features:
* Audio commentary from writer/director Oliver Stone
* Audio commentary from military advisor Capt. Dale Dye
* 'A Tour Of The Inferno': a 'making of' documentary (50 mins)
* 'Bringing It All Back Home' featurette (15 mins)
* 'Lights Out' featurette (10 mins)
* Still galleries
* TV spots
* Original theatrical trailer
They are mostly the same as the Special Edition with the exception of two new 10 minute featurettes. But it does not include any deleted scenes, unlike the 20th Annivesary edition.
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