i think its a good character study, but done in a different way then in taxi driver. its a little more subtle. it was great, and the humor does stop about halfway through the movie, more or less after they swoffard starts worrying about his girl at home. it was a good movie, it won't beat out movies like platoon, or apocalyse now...but definatly better then full metal jacket. and i understand that you think its a copy of full metal jacket...but hey its based on a book, which is based on a true story, so what are you gonna do?

"strange things happen all the time, and so it goes and so it goes. and the book says, 'we may be through with the past, but the past is not through with us'" - MAGNOLIA