The film that put Oliver Stone on the map follows a young Charlie Sheen as a wet behind the ears private during his tour in Vietnam. He moves from a boy of hope to a man of blood, unafraid to do whatever it takes to survive his harsh reality.
During this bit, we are introduced to a variety of different characters, each exemplifying a personality one can expect to find in the Nam world. The idiot lieutenant newbie; the battle-hardened sergeant offset by the understanding, reasonable sergeant; the captain who commands respect; and of course, the myriad of nameless, faceless "gooks" that litter the Vietnam landscape and kill everything that moves.
The characters were developed very well, however, and did force me to care about their lives and what's going on. It even demonstrated the horrors the military enacted by attacking (and killing) innocent Vietnamese and destroying everything in their path.
While pulling a lot of cliches into the mix, the film was very good and dramatic to watch. It contained a slew of solid suspenseful moments enhanced by the development of the story as well as a few well setup shocker moments. It had a satisfying ending and kept me fairly glued by the plot and pacing.
In the end, the film asserted that in this instance, they were not so much fighting against the enemy out there, but the enemy within. I'd say it was quote good.
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