I had a sense of deja vu when watching Platoon: either because I already saw it or because this movie inspired numerous movies like it-movies that compare & contrast the ideals & reality of war & what it reveals about people. It is a bit frightening how little things have changed since Vietnam: atrocities directed outside the unit then reflected within it; the sense of no accountability; the idea of too much power given to young men & how seemingly futile wasted life is. Not necessarily a must see unless you want to see a film with an amazing cast or where Willem Dafoe doesn’t chew up the scenery. Martin Sheen was in Apocalypse Now. Charlie Sheen is in Platoon. Will one of Charlie’s kids be in the next definitive movie about Vietnam?