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Good Morning, Vietnam Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 22 Reviews)

"Rockin' from the Delta to the DMZ!"
Good Morning Vietnam is one of Robin Williams' earliest forays into drama. While The World According to Garp is arguably his first attempt to be taken seriously and blend his comedic sensibilities with drama, Good Morning maintains a much better balance. The first half of the movie is an anarchic anti-authoritarian comedy while the second half has the comedy take a back seat in favour of an unrequited romance and the growing insurgency in Saigon.

Mitch Markowitz's screenplay makes a smooth transition between these two halves by doing it gradually with elements of comedy and drama blending together naturally so that neither one is entirely abandoned in favour of the other.

Director Barry Levinson successfully harnessed the comedian's wild, manic energy in this movie. Of course, the Williams' radio monologues (famously adlibbed by the comedian) are the highlights as he cuts loose with his trademark rapid-fire humour ("What's the difference between the Army and the Cub Scouts? Cub Scouts don't have heavy artillery."). Williams is an actor who needs a strong director to rein him in. His best movies are the ones where he collaborated with a director who had their own distinctive vision (Peter Weir, Terry Gilliam and Gus Van Sant) and this one is no different.

Even though Good Morning is essentially a vehicle for Williams, Levinson wisely surrounds him with a strong supporting cast of character actors, like Robert Wuhl, Bruno Kirby and J.T. Walsh.

Along with Oliver Stone's Heaven and Earth, Good Morning Vietnam gives a human dimension to the Vietnamese people. Unlike many other Vietnam War movies of the `80s, the Vietnamese are not portrayed as some anonymous enemy but real people with their own distinctive personalities.

This incarnation is an improvement over the previous DVD. There is a six part "Production Diary" that runs 34 minutes. This is a retrospective look back at how the film came together and just how much of it is based on the real Adrian Cronauer who is interviewed. He sets the record straight and even talks about the origins of his famous sign-on (and the film's title). Director Barry Levinson talks about Robin Williams' extensive improvisations and how the director knew when to let him go and when he had to stick to the script. One part also focuses on the film's fantastic soundtrack of `60s rock `n' roll music and the role it played in the movie. Another segment focuses on the actual shoot that took place in Thailand and the logistical nightmare of filming there. Add to that the extremely hot weather which, incidentally, gave the film a certain amount of authenticity. There are lots of good anecdotes told but sadly, only cast members Bruno Kirby and Robert Wuhl are back with Williams no where to be found.

"Raw Monologues" features 13 minutes of footage from Williams' radio monologues that was not used or alternate takes of some of the jokes. There is some pretty funny material here but it is fascinating to see this material in rough form, watching how Williams would refine it by dropping some bits and keeping others with slight variations.

Finally, there is the original teaser and theatrical trailers.

"Warm, No, This Is the Setting For London Broil"
Many have tried to dismiss this film as nothing more than a comedic vehicle for Robin Williams. The concept of making light of the horrors of war, particularily Vietnam since it's still so recent in the minds of many turns alot of viewers off to the important potential lessons to be learned in this wonderfully insightful movie.

Based on the true life accounts of Air Force officer and D.J. Adrian Cronauer we get a birds' eye view into the strict and ridiculous bureaucracy that can at times reign over military policy and in effect hamper the morale and efforts of the American military.

Cronauer provided a much needed spontaneity to the air waves of Vietnam radio and brought however briefly to the American soldiers the contemporary music they wanted to hear. There is alot to laugh at in this film, what else could you expect with the likes of Robin Williams in the lead role. However there is much more going on than what first meets the eye. The concepts of friendship, acceptance and love soon become entangled into the comedic elements which lead to the sad and poignant realization that cultural differences can't always be overcome by good intentions. A bittersweet truth so poignantly conveyed by the beautiful Trinh when rebuffing the romantic advances of Cronauer with the statement, "Vietnam ladies not friends."

This film will definitely make you laugh. It will also make you cry and even more importantly make you think. In the final analysis that's what it's all about. There are many wonderful performances in this movie complimenting Robin Williams amazing tour-de-force. My two favorites are Tung Than Tran as 'Phan' and Chintara Sukapatana as 'Trinh.'

Highly Recommended!!

a must-see movie
i love good morning vietnam because robin williams does an amazing job of balancing humor and drama. this is one of my favorite movies of all time, and i highly reccommend it to everybody. you've got to watch it more than once, because you'll see something new or catch another sly joke each time.

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