MovieRob’s Birthday Bash of Favorites 2022 (#28 of 49) – Platoon (1986) – Encore Review 3

January is my birthday month, so I decided that I would try and do something quite unique and special for this milestone in my life. I will be turning 48, so I decided to watch 49 (48+1 for good luck) of my all time favorite movies in a random order over the course of this month. I have reviewed every one of these films already, but I will now give new perspectives on them all. Every one of these films received a 10/10 scoring from me. Some of these reviews will contain spoilers so if you have never seen them before, I recommend that you read some of my previous reviews of the film that are spoiler free before reading on…

Hope you enjoy!

This is film #28 of the 49.

Let’s continue with…

“I love this place at night, the stars. There’s no right or wrong in them. They’re just there.” – Sgt. Elias

Initial Viewing Memories – Saw this on video the day it debuted and was amazed at how powerful a story this was. The fact that it is based on Oliver Stone’s own experiences makes it even more poignant that some of these events actually did occur.

Number of Times Seen – Too many to count (Video in ’86, DVD, 7 May 2013, 22 Feb 2016, 12 Aug 2019 and 17 Jan 2022)

Link to original review – Here, Here and Here

Brief Synopsis – A new recruit in Vietnam must learn quickly how to maneuver himself around the politics of the unit and still stay alive with enemies all around.

My Take on it – This is a movie that I have loved ever since I first saw over 35 years ago or so.

The story plays out really well and is IMHO the best Vietnam movie ever made because it shows the complicated politics within the unit and how the soldiers all must deal with it throughout their time there.

The cast is superb and Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger all shine in their roles here.

The story mixes together drama and action really well and allows the viewer to get a clear idea about the various levels of politics that were apparent on so many different aspects along the way.

The fact that this is loosely based on true events in the life of Director Olover Stone adds an even greater level to the story because it makes things even more poignant to watch unfold.

This film was quite deserving of its 4 Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture.

Highly Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – In many U.S. military leadership classes, the character of Lieutenant Wolfe is used as an example of how not to behave as a junior officer. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (10/10) (no change from original review)