A two-segment story that follows young men from the start of recruit training in the Marine Corps to the lethal cauldron known as Vietnam. The first segment follows Joker, Pyle and others as they progress through the hell of USMC boot-camp at the hands of the colorful, foul-mouthed Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. The second begins in Vietnam, near Hue, at the time of the Tet Offensive. Joker, along with Animal Mother, Rafterman and others, face threats such as ambush, booby traps, and Viet Cong snipers as they move through the city.

Based on the novel "The short-timers" by Gustav Hasford. Program content : Warner Bros., 1987. Special features: New 2000 digital master from restored elements ; soundtrack newly remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 ; interactive menus ; theatrical trailer ; scene access. Special features (Stanley Kubrick Directors Series Ed.) : Commentary by Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey and critic/screenwriter Jay Cocks ; new featurette "Full Metal Jacket: Between Good and Evil" ; theatrical trailer. Some copies are fullscreen (1.33:1). Stanley Kubrick Directors series editions are widescreen presented in a "matted" format and enhanced for 16x9 TVs. See holdings.