Full Metal Jacket (1987) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?
Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
Rated R • 1987 • 1h 56m
Kubrick's Vietnam War film in two halves: a brutal Marine boot camp and the battle of Hue. The R rating is for the systematic psychological destruction of recruits (including a murder-suicide), graphic combat violence, strong language, and a sniper sequence of sustained intensity. One of the greatest anti-war films, and one of the most extreme on this list.
Cast
Is Full Metal Jacket appropriate for kids?
Kubrick's Vietnam War film in two halves: a brutal Marine boot camp and the battle of Hue. The R rating is for the systematic psychological destruction of recruits (including a murder-suicide), graphic combat violence, strong language, and a sniper sequence of sustained… Read more — free account
Content severity in Full Metal Jacket
What happens in Full Metal Jacket, moment by moment
- 0:05 💬 Language 7/10
- 0:10 🔥 Mature Themes 7/10
- 0:20 💬 Language 7/10
Sex and nudity in Full Metal Jacket
A Vietnamese sex worker proposition sequence — played darkly comic. A soldier's crude sexual boasts. Nothing explicit.
Violence and gore in Full Metal Jacket
A drill instructor is shot and killed at close range, then the shooter kills himself — depicted with shocking directness. Graphic combat in Hue — soldiers shot, a wounded sniper revealed to be a teenage girl. The final sniper sequence is one of cinema's great sustained sequences of violent tension.
Language in Full Metal Jacket
R. Lee Ermey's drill instructor delivers an unceasing torrent of creative abuse and profanity — some of the most inventive verbal violence in cinema. Strong language throughout.
Drugs, alcohol, and smoking in Full Metal Jacket
Minimal in combat sequences. Not significant.
Mature themes in Full Metal Jacket
The deliberate dehumanisation of recruits as a military training method — and what it produces. The duality of man: the film's central irony is the 'born to kill' slogan next to a peace badge. A system that creates killers and then deploys them against an enemy that fights with equal conviction. Kubrick's coldest film.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Full Metal Jacket appropriate for kids?
Bontent's parent guide suggests Full Metal Jacket is best for ages 17+. It's rated R. Kubrick's Vietnam War film in two halves: a brutal Marine boot camp and the battle of Hue. The R rating is for the systematic psychological destruction of recruits (including a murder-suicide), graphic combat violence…
What age rating does Full Metal Jacket have?
Full Metal Jacket is officially rated R. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 17+.
What is Full Metal Jacket about?
Kubrick's Vietnam War film in two halves: a brutal Marine boot camp and the battle of Hue. The R rating is for the systematic psychological destruction of recruits (including a murder-suicide), graphic combat violence, strong language, and a sniper sequence of sustained intensity. One of the greatest anti-war films…
Is there sex or nudity in Full Metal Jacket?
A Vietnamese sex worker proposition sequence — played darkly comic. A soldier's crude sexual boasts. Nothing explicit.
How violent is Full Metal Jacket?
A drill instructor is shot and killed at close range, then the shooter kills himself — depicted with shocking directness. Graphic combat in Hue — soldiers shot, a wounded sniper revealed to be a teenage girl. The final sniper sequence is one of cinema's great…
Is the language in Full Metal Jacket appropriate for kids?
R. Lee Ermey's drill instructor delivers an unceasing torrent of creative abuse and profanity — some of the most inventive verbal violence in cinema. Strong language throughout.
Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking shown in Full Metal Jacket?
Minimal in combat sequences. Not significant.
What mature themes appear in Full Metal Jacket?
The deliberate dehumanisation of recruits as a military training method — and what it produces. The duality of man: the film's central irony is the 'born to kill' slogan next to a peace badge. A system that creates killers and then deploys them against an…
How long is Full Metal Jacket?
Full Metal Jacket runs 116 minutes, directed by Stanley Kubrick, released in 1987.
Where can I read the full Full Metal Jacket parent guide?
Create a free Bontent account to unlock the full scene-by-scene notes, filter by your kids' ages, and save titles to your personal watchlist.
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