Things change with 1968 Thet Offensive during which Joker is forced to take part in combat and later assigned with Rafterman to report about Battle of Hue. The plot switches to Vietnam where Joker, now promoted to Sergeant and assigned to military newspaper as reporter, has relative easy time in the rear of the front, which he likes, unlike his combat-hungry photographer Rafterman (played by Kevyn Major Howard). He nevertheless begins to improve but Sergeant fails to see that he has succeeded too much in instilling murderous instincts in young man, which would have bloody consequences.

One of the recruits is Leonard “Goomer Pyle” Lawrence (played by Vincent D’Onofrio), overweight and not particularly bright man whose initial inability to adhere to Hartman’s high standards make him the favourite target of Sergeant’s verbal and physical abuse. He and his comrades are subjected to brutal regimen by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (played by Lee Ermey), drill instructor determined to destroy any sense of individuality, install iron discipline and turn young men into efficient killing machines. “Joker” Davis, one of many recruits who at the beginning arrives to Parris Island where he would go through basic training. The protagonist and narrator, played by Matthew Modine, is James T. The film is based on The Short Timers, 1979 novel by American writer Gustav Hasford, inspired by his own experiences as US Marine in Vietnam War. The most telling example is the penultimate title in his filmography, 1987 war film Full Metal Jacket. it tended to be the latter in case of Stanley Kubrick, American director famous for spending many years in meticulous preparations for each new film. Films can easily fail for merely being made too early or too late. Timing is everything, even for film makers who earned reputation of the Seventh Art deities.

Full metal jacket movie reviews