The deep demoralization of the US forces flows ultimately from their soul-destroying assignment to conquer the world on behalf of a bankrupt imperialism.

| Mar 5, 2021

Jarhead aims to provide the eternal reason why young men are drawn to war, like moths to the flame. Swofford and director Sam Mendes stress that to most young GIs, even the most fervently created antiwar film is a fighting man's pornography.

| May 7, 2020

These soldiers wanted action, any action, just to feel justified for the life they left behind and Mendes does a great job of showing that anguish. The cast is excellent, too.

| Original Score: B+ | Nov 19, 2019

A tedious film with an utterly unlikable protagonist.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 5, 2019

Gyllenhaal can, in fact, act, so the blame must fall elsewhere for his dim performance, all topless tears and soulful voiceovers. The same goes for Peter Sarsgaard, Chris Cooper and Jamie Foxx, three good actors forced into contortions of theatrics.

| Jan 16, 2018

Slick military faux-criticism

| Sep 1, 2009

For some it's an anti-war message, for others it's just a non-biased portrait of a man who never went to war despite being in the military during war time.

| Apr 29, 2009

Sporadically entertaining, and ultimately pointless -- although that seems to be its agenda right from the start.

| Jan 15, 2008

As a depressive riff on Generation X's first war...it's exceptionally well-crafted.

| Original Score: A | Sep 24, 2007

What little statement the film makes revolves around the absurdity of these men, trained to shoot with ultimate precision, and never given the chance to fire off a round.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 14, 2007

A series of disjointed, shocking, and often unintentionally-humorous vignettes designed to celebrate boy-boy camaraderie while fomenting anti-Arab sentiments in the name of God, mom, and Apple Pie.

| Original Score: 2/4 | May 31, 2007

The first 20 minutes of have masterpiece written all over them, unfortunately, that fire peters out quite constantly until the film comes to a near flat lining ending.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 23, 2007

As usual, when the US makes war against the rest of the world, it's the artist who steps up to the plate to expose the lies and senseless tragedy, not the faint of heart or soul politicians and media.

| Feb 10, 2007

full review in Greek

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Oct 3, 2006

Jarhead is simultaneously audaciously original and so mired in the clichés it knowingly acknowledges, sends up and honours that it has little new to say.

Full Review | Sep 28, 2006

Thanks to its poignancy and expert crafting, Jarhead could become a classic war drama -- one that speaks for a new era of soldier and worldliness.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 25, 2006

Swofford has said he doesn't mind the movie's alterations, but the real issue is how it dulls the intimacy and idiosyncrasy of his voice, which was the book's compass.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 12, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 1, 2006

if not a classic war film, at least a top-notch and engrossing imitation of one.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 6, 2006

It's another fine Gyllenhaal performance, but not really enough, because his suffering doesn't amount to a hill of Kuwaiti sand in the end.

| Feb 10, 2006