Review: Jarhead

Every war film is different. Every war film is the same.

A story. A man gets lost on the way to college. He joins the US Marine Corps. He trains as a scout/sniper. He goes to war. But he is still lost.

Jarhead is a lot like Desert Storm, the war this film is about. It looks spectacular, it leaves you with a warm inner glow, but it doesn't really achieve anything.

Jarhead is competently made. It's funny. It has heart. It's easy to empathise with the characters. But it has all been done before, and in most cases better. It's a little like Platoon set in the desert.

Six out of ten M40s.