The Bottom Line
Pros
- Collector's Edition is loaded with bonus material
- Terrific performances by the entire ensemble
Cons
- None worth noting
Description
- 11 deleted scenes
- 'Swoff's Fantasy Scenes'
- Expanded versions of the 'news interviews' featured in the film
- Intimate look at the filming of the movie with cast members and others chronicling the process
- Up close and personal with the real servicemen and other extras who worked on "Jarhead"
- 'Semper Fi' - An exposé on life after the Marine Corps.
- Commentary by director Sam Mendes (who promises to bore the audience stupid - but doesn't)
- Commentary by screenwriter William Broyles Jr and author Anthony Swofford
- DVD Release Date: March 7, 2006
Guide Review - "Jarhead" Collector's Edition DVD Review
Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard and Jamie Foxx star in "Jarhead," the film adaptation of ex-Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling book about his experiences in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Directed by Sam Mendes ("American Beauty"), "Jarhead" is an intense look at a group of men forced to live together - and depend on each other - as they serve a tour of duty in the Middle East."Jarhead" follows Swoff (Gyllenhaal) from his stint in boot camp through his sniper training and then through the seemingly endless period of just hanging out and waiting as he and his platoon are planted in the unwavering heat of the Iraqi desert with nothing but time to kill.
The Bonus Features
Pay the extra amount, skip the regular "Jarhead" DVD and go for the Collector's Edition. That's not a knock on the basic "Jarhead" DVD release; it's simply that the Collector's Edition has three featurettes that are worth paying the few extra dollars to own. Both DVDs have the standard deleted scenes, and both contain the full 'news interviews' as well as 'Swoff's Fantasties.' But the Collector's Edition includes some not-to-be-missed gripping behind the scenes featurettes that not only explore the making of the film but also explore the lives of the real Marines who served in Iraq.
