Rating: 
Summary: A Classic
Review: I first saw this film when I was relatively young. The older I get, the more I can appreciate what went into this film. This movie has a fantastic story line, phenomenal actors, and is just very well made.
Two young Marines (Marshall and Bodison) end up killing a fellow Marine in a disciplinary action and are put on trial. Their military lawyers (Cruise, Moore, and Pollak) are entrusted with their fate as the proescutor (Bacon), throws everything he has at them. In the middle are the three ranking Marine officers (Nicholson, Walsh, and Sutherland) who hold the truth to everything. This complex story line is maximized by a great acting core, who really make the plot believable. Other notable actors are Cuba Gooding Jr. and Noah Wyle (ER).
This movie came out long before JAG, in fact it probably paved the way for many military dramas. It is a fantastic military drama.
It also contains fantastic conflict of interest that I found fascinating. Col. Jessup is the warrior's warrior in this film. In this movie he does nothing but what he truly believes to be in the best interest of the Marine Corps and his country. Yet he is portrayed as the villain. Very interesting when you think about it.
Rating: 
Summary: A Few Old Cliches
Review: I love this film. I love the way every last cinematic crotchet concerning the military, lawyers, the Cold War, the judicial process, and politics in general gets thrown in one after the other. I love the way the coverup makes absolutely no sense, since it can gain the powers-that-be nothing while risking everything. (Compare this to Abu Ghraib, where the authorities actually *investigated* the crimes and then *exposed* them. What could they have been thinking? Are they Democrats or what?) I love the way the romantic arc goes from hostility to grudging respect to starry-eyed glances as if timed by a stopwatch. I love the way the characters stop acting like individuals in the second half and start jerking around like puppets solely to fit the requirements of the plot (e.g., the J.T. Walsh character's suicide, which comes out of nowhere and means nothing.) I love the way that Jessup, characterized as a nasty but sharp officer, suddenly turns into a howling maniac in the last five minutes. I love the way the conspiracy comes across as if it was concocted by pinheads... but I already said that, didn't I?
So if I love this flick so much, why only two stars? Solely and completely because Nicholson's in it. That's all.
I've never bothered to watch "The West Wing", but if it's anywhere near as much an expression of halfwit, cliche-ridden self-righteousness as this flick, I'm sure I'd love it. Or maybe not.
Rating: 
Summary: "What do you wanna discuss now? My favorite color?"
Review: "A Few Good Men" isn't a perfect movie. It doesn't have the greatest plot, nor does it have the greatest script. It also can be melodramatic and it tends to pretend that its plot is a lot more clever than it really is when it all comes down to it. So, that doesn't sound like a very good movie, right? In most cases, yes. However, the film is saved by superb acting and an impressive cast. Therefore, it proves to be an entertaining film despite being somewhat flawed.
Two soldiers are accused of killing one of their own in a beating gone wrong. A Navy lawyer and his team is their only hope as they set out to prove that they were ordered to give the beating to the soldier due to him falling behind and snitching on another soldier--but never intended to kill him. All of the evidence points to murder, but when looked at through a magnifying glass there tends to be more to the picture than meets the eye. This all makes for an interesting courtroom drama--while not perfect or original--that has top notch performances.
As I said in the beginning, the movie is very flawed. There are a lot of weaknesses that can be spotted within the blink of an eye, but the film is saved by stellar performances from Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Kiefer Sutherland, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon. While his performance isn't a major role, the late J.T. Walsh is also great to watch. As good as Cruise and company are, the real show stopper is the one and only Jack Nicholson, who delivers a chilling and flawless performance as he is in one of the most memorable scenes in film history. Since this is based on a play, the film is over-the-top at times and is very melodramatic. The use of dramatic music tends to get tiresome as well, as it appears that people behind the movie do not think we're smart enough to notice when a moment is somber or crucial. I don't mind music in movies, but they really overuse it at times. Still, I must repeat that this is a good movie.
I don't have the special edition, I just have the first edition that came out on DVD. As much as I like the movie, it's nothing I need to re-buy. The version I have is fine. The picture and sound quality is good enough and I really don't need any special features for this movie. The special edition is only recommended for hardcore fans. If you already have the older DVD and only like the movie, then there's no need to re-buy it.
"A Few Good Men" is a good movie that is saved by excellent acting. The outstanding cast makes up for the flaws in the film. Just keep in mind that this movie can get a little over-the-top with the dramatics, but if you love these actors then that will make up for that. If you haven't seen it yet, then I do recommend that you check it out. It is one of those movies that everybody talks about, and for good reason. -Michael Crane
Rating:
Summary: Best movie EVER!
Review: I really like this movie. It has alot of suspense and it keeps you wondering what the outcome will be. This movie is my favorite movie and I keep wanting to watch it over and over again. I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who likes suspense mixed in with a little humor!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: How much critical thought can the military allow its rank and file? Certainly most orders must be followed unquestioningly; otherwise ultimately the entire Armed Services would collapse. But where do you draw the line? Does it matter how well soldiers know not only their military but also their civic duties? Does it matter whether trials against members of the military are handled by way of court-martials, or before a country's ordinary courts?I first saw "A Few Good Men" as an in-flight movie, and after the first couple of scenes I thought that for once they'd really picked the right kind of flick: A bit cliched (yet another idle, unengaged lawyer being dragged into vigorously pursuing a case against his will), but good actors, a good director and a promising storyline. Then the movie cut from the introductory scenes in Washington, D.C. to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Jack Nicholson (Colonel Nathan Jessup) inquired: "Who the f**k is PFC William T. Santiago?" And suddenly I was all eyes and ears. Director Rob Reiner and Nicholson's costars describe on the movie's DVD how from the first time Nicholson spoke this (his very first) line in rehearsal he had everybody's attention; and the overall bar for a good performance immediately rose to new heights. Based on my own reaction, I believe them sight unseen. Or actually, not really "unseen," as the result of Nicholson's influence is there for everybody to watch: Never mind that he doesn't actually have all that much screen time, his intensity as an actor and the personality of his character, Colonel Jessup, dominate this movie more than anything else; far beyond the now-famous final showdown with Tom Cruise's Lieutenant Kaffee. Nobody could have brought more power to the role of Jessup than Nicholson, no other actor made him a more complex figure, and nobody delivered his final monologue so as to force you to think about the issues he (and this film) addresses; and that despite all the movie's cliches: The reluctant lawyer turning out a courtroom genius (as lead counsel in a murder trial, barely a year out of law school and without *any* prior trial experience, no less), the son fighting to rid himself of a deceased superstar-father's overbearing shadow, and the "redneck" background of the victim's superior officer Lieutenant Kendrick (Kiefer Sutherland, who nevertheless milks the role for all it's worth). Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who adapted his own play, reportedly based the story's premise - the attempted cover-up of a death resulting from an illegal pseudo-disciplinary action - on a real-life case that his sister, a lawyer, had come across in the JAG Corps. (Although even if I take his assertion at face value that assigning the matter to a junior lawyer without trial experience was part of the cover-up, I still don't believe the real case continued the way it does here. But be that as it may.) Worse, the victim is a marine serving at "Gitmo," the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, where *any* kind of tension assumes an entirely different dimension than in virtually any other location. In come Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and co-counsels Lt. Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollack) and Lt.Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore), assigned to defend the two marines held responsible for Santiago's death; L.Cpl. Harold Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and PFC Louden Downey (James Marshall), who claim to have acted on Kendrick's orders to subject Santiago to a "code red," an act of humiliating peer-punishment, after Santiago had gone outside the chain of command to rat on a fellow marine (none other than Dawson), attempting to obtain a transfer out of "Gitmo." But while Kendrick sternly denies having given any such order and prosecuting attorney Captain Ross (Kevin Bacon) is ready to have the defendants' entire company swear that Kendrick actually ordered them to leave Santiago alone, Kaffee and Co. believe their clients' story - which ultimately leads them to Jessup himself, as it is unthinkable that the event should have occurred without his knowledge or even specific direction. By the time of this movie's production, Tom Cruise had made the part of the shallow youngster suddenly propelled into manhood one of his trademark characters (see, e.g., "The Color of Money," "Top Gun" and "Rain Man"); nevertheless, his considerable skill (mostly) elevates Kaffee's part above cardboard level. Demi Moore gives one of her strongest-ever performances as Commander Galloway, who would love to be lead counsel herself in accordance with her rank's entitlements, but overcomes her disappointment to push Kaffee to a top-notch performance instead. Kevin Pollack's, Kevin Bacon's and J.T. Walsh's (Jessup's deputy Lt.Col. Markinson's) performances are straight-laced enough to easily be overlooked, but they're fine throughout and absolutely crucial foils for Kaffee, Galloway and Jessup; and so, vis-a-vis Dawson, is James Marshall's shy, scared Downey, who is clearly in way over his head. The movie's greatest surprise, however, is Wolfgang Bodison, who, although otherwise involved with the production, had never acted before being drafted by Rob Reiner solely on the basis of his physical appearance, which matched Dawson's better than any established actor's; and who gives a stunning performance as the young Lance Corporal who will rather be convicted of murder than take an unhonorable plea bargain, yet comes to understand his actions' full complexity upon hearing the jury's verdict. "Unit - corps - God - country" is the code of honor according to which, Dawson tells Kaffee, the marines at "Gitmo" live their lives; and Colonel Jessup declares that under his command orders are followed "or people die," and words like "honor," "code" and "loyalty" to him are the backbone of a life spent defending freedom. Proud words for sure: But for the "code red," but for the trespass over that invisible line between a legal and an immoral, illegal order they might well be justified. That line, however, exists, and is drawn even in a non-public court-martial. I'd like to believe that insofar at least, this movie gets it completely right.
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