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A Few Good Men (Special Edition) Customer Reviews (34 - 36 of 46 Reviews)

A gripping courtroom drama...
Certainly, a Few Good Men is one of the more ambitious movies made during the 1990s. Take some of the biggest stars in Hollywood -- Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore; add in a solid supporting layer -- Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollack and Christopher Guest; throw in a couple of up-and-coming stars -- Cuba Gooding Jr. and Noah Wyle. Now, add one of the industry's most recognizable directors -- Rob Reiner. And to top it all off, tackle not one major topic but two -- a major courtroom case AND the role of the military in society.

That's quite a recipe for a movie, but it's one that works incredibly well. Cruise and Nicholson are at the top of their game, and Moore's sensitive performance is a nice contrast to the other two sometimes over-the-top portrayals. There are few, if any, lulls in the action as key details are revealed in almost every scene. As a Broadway play, A Few Good Men was one of the hottest tickets in town. As a movie, it's something worth watching frequently, and certainly worth adding to your library.

Nicholson keeps the film alive...
For fans of the TV show JAG, 'A Few Good Men' may seem no better than an ordinary episode that goes for two hours and has different actors. But 'A Few Good Men' is an interesting look at the brotherhood that exists inside the US Marine Corps.
Tom Cruise is an ambitious albeit inexperienced Naval lawyer, assigned to defend two Marines who have killed another soldier in their Unit. The movie focuses on the idea of a Code Red, a form of Marine punishment whereby little mistakes receive big consequences so as not to forget what the rules are.
The movie is unfortunately severely dragged out before the court case, and Demi Moore shows the world that she is no more than Bruce Willis' former trophy wife with some terrible acting. Cruise's character acts cocky and invincible, before falling back on his assistants when he realises his case is a losing one.
Undoubtedly the strongest performance given in this film is by Jack Nicholson. While rarely on screen prior to the trial, Nicholson is forced to carry the film early on in his role as the commanding officer on the alleged-murderers' base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He delivers the most powerful lines ('YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH') and brings an other brief and uneventful climax to boiling point with his explosive acting and naturally devilish characteristics.
This is not the best courtroom drama ever made (see Philadelphia), but it is an interesting story to watch unfold and one that is worth watching twice to fully understand.

A superb military courtroom drama. Thoughtful and powerful.
This is one of the best military courtroom dramas that you will find. Tom Cruz and Jack Nicholson lead the superb cast in what has become a classic story of military justice. Other cast members who turn in fine performances include Kevin Bacon (he really shines in this one as the hard-ass Marine prosecutor) Kiefer Southerland, and JT Walsh. Cuba Gooding Jr. appears as a minor character and does his usual good job. I watched this film when it came out, and recently watched it again for the first time in many years. It has aged well, and has lost none of its punch.

This is the story of a group of US Marines at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, circa 1990 (before the War Against Terror). The story is simple (no spoiler here). Two Marines are accused of murdering one of their comrades and are put on trial for murder. Cruz plays the military attorney assigned to their defense, Demi Moore (in one of her better performances) plays his co-counsel. Both do well. Jack Nicholson has a relatively brief part in the film, but turns in what has become a legendary performance--he dominates utterly every scene in which he appears. This is truly an awesome performance by Nicholson.

A few minor complaints. The Cruz character (Lt. JG Caffee) is supposedly only a year or so out of law school. It is inconceivable that someone that junior would be assigned to a capital murder trial. Further, Moore (who plays a somewhat more experienced, albeit inept lawyer) implores Caffee not to withdraw from the case because "they need you...you know how to win...") Come again? A first-year lawyer (who in the story has never tried a case) knows how to win? Sorry, no. Even if Daddy was a famous lawyer, as the story indicates, first-year lawyers don't know how to try murder cases and are not assigned by the JAG Corps to do so. Whatever.

This minor quibble aside, the film does an excellent job of telling a complex and compelling story with clarity. This is a very good film. Although I rated it 4 stars, it probably deserves 4 1/2 stars, or 9/10. The DVD print is excellent. The musical score compliments the story very well, and makes this an even better viewing experience.

Overall an excellent film.

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