Platoon Review

Messages: The overall message of this movie is that war is futile, and the Vietnam War was especially futile. Good people get killed and bad people survive. Good people do bad things. Nothing is solved. The hero finds his courage over the course of the movie, to a degree, but he also finds disgust and despair.

Role models: Characters are complicated and sometimes good people do bad things, like the main character, Chris, who is generally a good person, but who becomes jaded and makes some bad decisions over the course of the film. There is a rivalry between Sgt. Barnes and Sgt. Elias; the former is the "evil" one, while the latter is a more kindly, more open-hearted figure.

Violence: This movie features brutal, up-close war violence, with guns and shooting, lots of blood, and many, many dead bodies. The movie puts us in the thick of battle, with explosions, screaming, and sheer terror as well as sheer adrenaline. American soldiers are seen beating up and committing other atrocities on Vietnamese people (i.e. raping, shooting, burning villages, etc.).

Sex: Some playful sexual innuendo in the dialogue.

Language: There is very strong, constant language here. "F--k" and "motherf--ker" are used quite often, as is "s--t," "p---y," and "c--ksucker." Other words include "dick," "hell," "son of a bitch," "ass," "asshole," "Goddamn," "bitch," "pecker," "faggot," and "Jesus Christ" and "for Christ's sake." Additionally, there are racial slurs like "gook."

Consumerism: Not an issue

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some soldiers are likely older teens and most characters are seen smoking cigarettes and/or pot at some point. A few characters drink beers in one scene.