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Platoon (MGM)
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
"Platoon" is director Oliver Stone's well-done look at the horrors of the Vietnam war through the eyes of a young recruit named Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen). Stone both wrote and directed the film, and although some of the characters are not fully-written, the ideas are still brought and the points are still made.
Taylor is overseen by the two leaders of the platoon, Elias (Williem Dafoe) and Barnes(Tom Berenger) - the two men have very different viewpoints on the rules of war, which, in any war, leads to a lot of trouble. Based partially on the experiences that Oliver Stone went through in the war, which I believe can also be found in further detail in Stone's book, "A Child's Night Dream". The majority of the film feels realistic and although Stone's dialogue isn't always great, the situations are generally well-written.
Watching Charlie Sheen, he may not have been the best possibility for the role, but it's certainly also his best performance that I'm aware of. It's unfortunate that poor choices eventually led to a lack of roles for the actor, who is now back with TV's "Spin City". The rest of the cast, including Dafoe and Berenger, are generally good as well, although some of the more minor supporting characters don't get much in the way of screen time.
I don't consider "Platoon" the best of the war genre; I enjoyed both "Saving Private Ryan" and "Thin Red Line" more, and also, "Apocalypse Now". Still, "Platoon" is certainly a well-done film on it's own, giving us a look at the tragic events of war. I just would have liked a fuller idea of who some of these characters are.
The DVD
VIDEO: MGM's new anamorphic transfer isn't stunning, but after a few recent titles that were not given the best treatment, this is asome of their better work. The film is now about 14 years old, but here, it hardly looks worn. MGM's effort here is also very natural-looking and consistent. Sharpness is strong throughout, with the picture never sliding into softness. The dimly lit jungle sequences sometimes seem murky, but it sort of works for the movie and seems intentional. Detail is generally pleasing as well.
The only real problem I had with the presentation was that there are some noticable flaws on the print used, which consist of the occasional minor mark and scratch. I've seen worse, and none of it bothered me that much.Colors are generally solid; sometimes subdued, sometimes bold. The greens of the jungle are strong and nicely saturated, and the oranges and reds of fire are vibrant. Stone's usual cinematographer Robert Richardson(who was also responsible for the magnificent work in both the recent "Snow Falling On Cedars" and Scorsese's "Bringing Out The Dead) does outstanding work capturing the action in the jungle, and his work was nominated for an Oscar.
SOUND: The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound for "Platoon" has a good side and a not-so-good side, but the majority of it is enjoyable. For a 14-year old film, the sound is moderately active and sometimes agressive during the more intense sequences. The flip side of the film's age is that it's not terribly dynamic, and there isn't a lot of bass or power to it. The most recent example that I always think of is, besides "Saving Private Ryan", director Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line", where explosions hit with such force and power that it almost becomes haunting and so realistic it's terrifying.
Here, explosions hit, but don't really have any force behind them. The sound is agressive, but flat. Dialogue seems thin as well, although for the majority of the film I found it easy to understand. Background details are nicely offered; surrounds deliver rain, insects or other various jungle sounds. In it's own way, the audio kept me enveloped in the situation.
MENUS:: Although MGM doesn't always do well in other areas, their menus have been quite solid lately, and "Platoon"'s animated menus keep with the tone of the film while also being an enjoyable introduction to the DVD.
EXTRAS: Here's where the major differences are found. The original DVD that was released by Artisan had 2 commentaries - one by Millitary advisor Dale Dye and the other was by director Oliver Stone. There were also a number of other additional features. Here, all we get is the trailer - that's it, that's all. Possibly, MGM could not get the rights to the extra material, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't have gone out to gather new extra materials on their own.
Final Thoughts: Although it's very unfortunate that MGM decided not to go out on their own and create their own special edition, "Platoon" is still worth owning. Since the original special edition is now out of print and costing quite a bit on auction, the $19.99 for this MGM release (less at most online stores) isn't bad at all.
"Platoon" is director Oliver Stone's well-done look at the horrors of the Vietnam war through the eyes of a young recruit named Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen). Stone both wrote and directed the film, and although some of the characters are not fully-written, the ideas are still brought and the points are still made.
Taylor is overseen by the two leaders of the platoon, Elias (Williem Dafoe) and Barnes(Tom Berenger) - the two men have very different viewpoints on the rules of war, which, in any war, leads to a lot of trouble. Based partially on the experiences that Oliver Stone went through in the war, which I believe can also be found in further detail in Stone's book, "A Child's Night Dream". The majority of the film feels realistic and although Stone's dialogue isn't always great, the situations are generally well-written.
Watching Charlie Sheen, he may not have been the best possibility for the role, but it's certainly also his best performance that I'm aware of. It's unfortunate that poor choices eventually led to a lack of roles for the actor, who is now back with TV's "Spin City". The rest of the cast, including Dafoe and Berenger, are generally good as well, although some of the more minor supporting characters don't get much in the way of screen time.
I don't consider "Platoon" the best of the war genre; I enjoyed both "Saving Private Ryan" and "Thin Red Line" more, and also, "Apocalypse Now". Still, "Platoon" is certainly a well-done film on it's own, giving us a look at the tragic events of war. I just would have liked a fuller idea of who some of these characters are.
The DVD
VIDEO: MGM's new anamorphic transfer isn't stunning, but after a few recent titles that were not given the best treatment, this is asome of their better work. The film is now about 14 years old, but here, it hardly looks worn. MGM's effort here is also very natural-looking and consistent. Sharpness is strong throughout, with the picture never sliding into softness. The dimly lit jungle sequences sometimes seem murky, but it sort of works for the movie and seems intentional. Detail is generally pleasing as well.
The only real problem I had with the presentation was that there are some noticable flaws on the print used, which consist of the occasional minor mark and scratch. I've seen worse, and none of it bothered me that much.Colors are generally solid; sometimes subdued, sometimes bold. The greens of the jungle are strong and nicely saturated, and the oranges and reds of fire are vibrant. Stone's usual cinematographer Robert Richardson(who was also responsible for the magnificent work in both the recent "Snow Falling On Cedars" and Scorsese's "Bringing Out The Dead) does outstanding work capturing the action in the jungle, and his work was nominated for an Oscar.
SOUND: The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound for "Platoon" has a good side and a not-so-good side, but the majority of it is enjoyable. For a 14-year old film, the sound is moderately active and sometimes agressive during the more intense sequences. The flip side of the film's age is that it's not terribly dynamic, and there isn't a lot of bass or power to it. The most recent example that I always think of is, besides "Saving Private Ryan", director Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line", where explosions hit with such force and power that it almost becomes haunting and so realistic it's terrifying.
Here, explosions hit, but don't really have any force behind them. The sound is agressive, but flat. Dialogue seems thin as well, although for the majority of the film I found it easy to understand. Background details are nicely offered; surrounds deliver rain, insects or other various jungle sounds. In it's own way, the audio kept me enveloped in the situation.
MENUS:: Although MGM doesn't always do well in other areas, their menus have been quite solid lately, and "Platoon"'s animated menus keep with the tone of the film while also being an enjoyable introduction to the DVD.
EXTRAS: Here's where the major differences are found. The original DVD that was released by Artisan had 2 commentaries - one by Millitary advisor Dale Dye and the other was by director Oliver Stone. There were also a number of other additional features. Here, all we get is the trailer - that's it, that's all. Possibly, MGM could not get the rights to the extra material, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't have gone out to gather new extra materials on their own.
Final Thoughts: Although it's very unfortunate that MGM decided not to go out on their own and create their own special edition, "Platoon" is still worth owning. Since the original special edition is now out of print and costing quite a bit on auction, the $19.99 for this MGM release (less at most online stores) isn't bad at all.
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