A Few Good Men is one of those movies that I feel my basic words cannot do justice. This is one of the greatest courtroom dramas ever made. It is most well known for the “you can’t handle the truth” line by Jack Nicholson which is an iconic line for sure, but this movie is so much more than that. Also, the fact that this scene has been parodied to death tells you that it means something.
How to Download A Few Good Men
A Few Good Men was released on December 11, 1992. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you want to see more movies with young Tom Cruise, watch Top Gun, Cocktail, or Rain Man.
The Movie Review
Tom Cruise was a rising star in the 80s, but it is movies like A Few Good Men that showed he was far more than just a good-looking guy. This movie has an amazing cast: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore usually get all the credit, but Kevin Bacon and Keefer Sutherland (who I forgot was in this until I watched it again) are also great. It has a solid ensemble cast and the performances are all great.
Compelling Storytelling and Performances
It is the acting that really sells this story. The story is that at Guantanamo Bay, a marine has been killed and two marines stand accused, military lawyer, Daniel Kaffee is given the job of defending them. Kaffee is known for always going for a plea deal, rather than taking a case to trial, but at the insistence of another military lawyer, Joanne Galloway, he decides against it and pleads not guilty.
This leads to a massive trial where Jack Nicholson’s Colonel Jessop is on the stand and accused of giving the orders that led to this marine’s death. I do not want to go into any more detail than this. I had forgotten much of what happened in A Few Good Men and I pretty much hung on every word. What is interesting is that the movie tells you what actually happened to this marine very early on so you kind of know what the “truth” is, yet you are still captivated as it is the quest for justice and honor that is at the heart of this story.
Critique and Overall Impact
While I love this movie, I will admit that I do think that it could have perhaps had a little bit of time shaved off and it would have flown better for it. Hey, the acting is great, by far the best thing about this movie is that every single actor on that screen commits to their part and gives it their all. However, there are some parts that I feel just go on a tad too long and a little less would have meant more. To be fair, this could be just me and it does not take away from the enjoyment I get from the movie.
Forget the “you can’t handle the truth” bit as A Few Good Men is far more than this. It is not the kind of movie that is going to make you feel good or smile, but it packs one hell of a punch and tells a great story. Even when you know what is going to happen, this is one hell of a great ride to be on. I picked up the 25th anniversary 4K of this and the sound and audio quality on that thing is spectacular, one of the best 90s movies in 4K I have seen audio and visually.
