9 Best Marine Movies That You Should Watching Update 05/2024

Best Marine Movies

Every Marine has a favorite movie, whether it was to pass the time in the barracks or to encourage them to join the service.

Every Marine can recite lines from “Full Metal JacketGunnery “‘s Sgt. Hartman. When Col. Jessup says, “You can’t handle the truth!” in the courtroom of “A Few Good Men,” we may say the same thing.

For Marines, the following nine films are a must-see because of their quotable lines, gripping stories, and violent battle situations. Even if you’re a member of the Corps or a member of the public, these films give some light on the military’s smallest branch.

1. Taking Chance (2009)

Taking Chance (2009)

A volunteer military escort officer, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, follows the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming, based on real-life events.

“Taking Chance,” unlike most military films, concentrates on the aftermath of a soldier’s death in action, which is generally disregarded. The things are packed and shipped, the body is brought to Dover, and an escort brings them to their final resting place. As military personnel know, this is the standard procedure. Pfc. Chance Phelps’ escort duty is beautifully portrayed by actor Kevin Bacon in the film.

2. Jarhead (2005)

Adapted from best-selling 2003 book by former Marine Anthony Swofford about his pre-Desert Storm adventures in Saudi Arabia and fighting in Kuwait.

As a film about infantry life in the military, it shines even if the main character is an unreliable Marine who frequently gets into problems. Grunts in a fighting zone who can’t see any combat are what make this worth watching for the camaraderie, the silly games, and the shear boredom they feel.

3. Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

Dramatization of the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

It has John Wayne, therefore it’s a good watch. That’s all you need to know. There are cameos by the three Marines who hoisted the flag over Iwo Jima in the famous Joe Rosenthal photograph. It’s a classic war picture, showing Marines fighting on Tarawa and Iwo Jima, the scene of that famous flag raising in 1945.

4. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

This war’s dehumanizing consequences on new recruits can be seen in everything from their grueling boot camp training to their gory street combat in Hue, as a pragmatic U.S. Marine observes.

Because “Full Metal Jacket” is truly a two-film package, the first act depicts a realistic look atVietnam-era boot camp, while the second acts shows life for Marines during the fight of Hue City. R. Lee Ermey, who portrays Drill Instructor Gunnery Sgt. Hartman, is a constant source of fantastic zingers for the Marines who watch and appreciate his act.

5. Flags of our Fathers (2006)

Flags of our Fathers (2006)

The six men who hoisted the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima, a turning point in World War II, are the focus of this film.

When the flag was raised on Iwo Jima in 1945, the Japanese had not yet been beaten and it was not yet apparent when they would be. This is why it is important to view this film. Three of the six flag-raisers would be killed in the conflict, while the surviving three would be taken back to the United States and used to raise money for the war effort in the US. A Clint Eastwood-directed film tells that story. Iwo Jima: Letters from Iwo Jima, by Clint Eastwood, tells the Japanese side of the story.

6. Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

Hard-drinking, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant battles with his commanding officer and ex-wife when he assumes leadership of an attitude-ridden recon unit.

the fact that: As a Marine, you’ll be familiar with Gunny Highway’s primary character, a crusty old-timer who won’t take bullshit from anyone. As Highway, Clint Eastwood delivers such memorable lines as “Be warned. I’m unpleasant, vengeful, and worn out. Concertina wire and napalm are my favorite foods, and I can shoot a bullet into a flea’s groin from 200 meters away. “Sergeant Major, if I were half as ugly as you, I’d be a prophylactic poster boy.”

7. Rules of Engagement (2000)

Rules of Engagement (2000)

An attorney is defending an officer on trial for directing his troops to shoot on people after they attacked a U.S. embassy in a third-world nation.

the fact that: Two Marine lieutenants, played by Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson, are sent on separate career paths after a skirmish in Vietnam sets them on a road that eventually brings them back together after an embassy evacuation in Yemen goes catastrophically wrong. Condemned to death, Col. Childers (played by Jackson) orders his troops to open fire on the throng. After many years, Jones and Jackson start up where they left off in the jungles of Vietnam in a courtroom drama that displays the Marines’ close camaraderie.

8. Flying Leathernecks (1951)

During the Battle of Guadalcanal, Major Kirby leads The Wildcats squadron.

John Wayne is back, so there’s that. In this 1950s classic about Marine aviation during World War II, Wayne plays Maj. Kirby, a stern commander who assumes charge of his squadron before they head to battle on Guadalcanal.

9. A Few Good Men (1992)

A Few Good Men (1992)

Military lawyer Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder, claiming that they were operating in accordance with orders.

It’s a fantastic courtroom drama that examines the topic of what constitutes a legal order. ” Should two young Marines have obeyed their command to carry out a hazing ritual? An epic yelling war between Lt. Kaffee and Col. Jessup ensues as the result of a court-martial, which finally ends in a guilty verdict for both men (played brilliantly by Jack Nicholson).