Anyways. This one, Platoon, I'd been aware of for some time yet only now got around to watching. I wasn't entirely sure what exactly to expect, except that the movie was set during the Vietnam War. Initially, the movie didn't seem to have much of a plot, but the plot becomes clearer as the movie progresses. Perhaps you could say the plot is a little more abstract than in the other movies. It basically begins with a cold open as the central character arrives in Vietnam, minimal exposition in the traditional sense.
It stars Charlie Sheen, who vaguely resembles Tom Cruise, and also I think a mix of him and Jason Bateman. I think it was Charlie Sheen's father, Martin Sheen who was in Apocalypse Now, so I guess in the back of my mind, son resembled father (unsurprisingly).
It's interesting how each movie depicts a different slice of/take on the events of the Vietnam War. We Were Soldiers I'd describe as artful, almost, in a way, particularly due to the score/soundtrack for the battle scenes. Platoon was more raw, more brutal, in a way. No graceful/artful flourishes like in We Were Soldiers. Full Metal Jacket was different in a Kubrickian way (admittedly, the only other real reference for Kubrick's work I have is A Clockwork Orange, having also disliked and intentionally tried to forget The Shining), in that it definitely feels like a Kubrick film.
War is hell, as having watched all these various war movies has confirmed for me (I think "War is hell" is a quote from Full Metal Jacket somewhere). Platoon takes place entirely in Vietnam, unlike We Were Soldiers and Full Metal Jacket (and Born on the Fourth of July, the other Vietnam War movie I've seen yet haven't mentioned here yet).
Although this movie had a slightly abstract front end and I couldn't initially really tell where the plot was going, in the end. I did end up liking it. It depicts and focuses on the group dynamics within the group of soldiers portrayed, particularly conflicts amongst them as well as camaraderie (in some cases). It's perhaps a bit more character driven, in that the focus of the plot deals with the individual natures of the various characters and how they do or don't get along with each other while fighting the war.
I'm not sure if it was based off real events, and if so, to what extent [edit: yes, it was based off the director's experiences]. In the somewhat abstract beginning, the pacing seemed a bit slow, but when it came to what I assumed (correctly) was the climax, there was some brief falling action afterward as you'd expect to occur based on a traditional plot arc.
The focus on internal conflicts within the band of soldiers was interesting since none of the other war movies I've seen have had that be such an integral part of the plot. Full Metal Jacket perhaps touches on it a bit (particularly in the first act during the boot camp, where Joker becomes responsible for making sure Vincent's character improves) and I think there's also a scene or two in Jarhead regarding such things, but it's not the focus of those films.
There was a character named Elias in this movie, who had an interesting and important role, although so as not to spoil anything I won't say more about that, except that I think that's a nice name, although Ian is still my top favorite.
Although I've said in the past that I don't exactly like war movies, maybe I do like them after all?? (gasp) At least some of them. My main focus with regards to war movies would be: about the Vietnam War, very famous (even if they're about other wars, such as Saving Private Ryan) and/or starring an actor I like (such as Peter Sarsgaard and Jake Gyllenhaal in Jarhead [maybe I should rewatch this... it's been awhile since I last saw it]).
At the moment, I think I'd rank my top favorite Vietnam War movies in this order:
We Were Soldiers (I thought it made a particularly unique impression due to the music/score/soundtrack)
Full Metal Jacket (the Kubrick factor)
Platoon
