Good Morning, Vietnam

Good Morning, Vietnam works as straight comedy and as a Vietnam-era MASH, and even the movie’s love story has its own bittersweet integrity.

From the start, the film bowls you over with excitement and for those who can latch on, it’s a nonstop ride.

The first comedy about that war, Good Morning, Vietnam manages to be uproariously funny without ignoring or trivializing the tragedy. It's awkwardly contrived here and there, especially during its recon patrols into Vietnamese life, but for the most part Mitch Markowitz's skeletal script is smart enough to dig in, hunker down and stay out of Robin Williams' line of fire. [22 Dec 1987]

Good Morning, Vietnam stumbles whenever Williams isn't behind the mike, placing him in melodramatic, hackneyed situations that become increasingly predictable and preposterous, and director Barry Levinson's seemingly endless reaction shots of listeners grooving to the DJ's antics become irritating. Levinson manages, however, to be one of the few filmmakers to show the Vietnamese as complex, cultured people, rather than as helpless victims or the faceless enemy.

The film itself--a dramatic comedy based on the 1965 Saigon gig of irreverent Armed Forces disc jockey Adrian Cronauer--is good-hearted but shallow. It's a piece of programmed irreverence, photogenic torpor, prefab compassion. But Williams, as Cronauer, is so blazingly brilliant that he detonates the center, exploding it in berserk blasts of electronic-age surreality.

There's still enough hardcore Williams-when he's sitting by himself in his studio-to make Good Morning, Vietnam worthwhile, but the alarm bells are sounding. Heres another comic who wants to play Hamlet.

The way the story line has been directed it's a clumsier versions of the plots of 50s musicals.

This is quite a well known film, one I'd been aware of for many years but hadn't actually sat down to watch in full before. I can see why people like it, as it has an interesting mix of both comedy and drama, being almost painfully serious in some scenes and very irreverantly, did he just say that? type silly in others. This won't be to everyones tastes but I found it pretty entertaining. The story is pretty easy to follow, if a bit predictable perhaps, although im led to believe that its based on a true story, which is interesting but I don't know enough details to be able to ascertain to what extent this is a true story. I found it to be an entertaining watch - its surprising that Adrian is allowed to stay as DJ for so long, given his flagrant shrugging off of the rules. It'd be true to say that the story is a bit worthy perhaps - the local eccentric rebellious American sees what the pompous authority figures don't see, the human side to war and decides to arm the local community, tries to warn people about whats going on but is challenged and complained about. Obviously he's coming from things at a different perspective than others - he's an underdog character, which seems to be a typically popular character trait when it comes to American films and perhaps in American society in general. I have to say, I did find myself rooting for Aidan - he's irreverant and pushes the boundaries but, of course, he doesn't mean any real harm and is shown to be very popular with the troops, improving the morale. The main plus point being that he tries to arm the local community, not physically with weapons or militarily but by teaching them English in quite a witty way, to hopefully make them seem more assertive, after witnessing them struggle to stand up for themselves against other Americans. There is some fairly witty dialogue present, although I wouldn't say this is a film to watch and analyse to very many levels, if you know what I mean. I'd say this is more of a basic general watch - you can sit back, switch your brain off a bit and enjoy it for what it is. If you like comedy that pokes fun at somewhat pompous authority figures, irreverant, erratic, visual comedy then you'll likely enjoy this but it won't be for everyone. I could again make comparisons with it to the Police Academy films, in terms of the sort of comic nature of the characters and the tone of the comedy, although unlike the Police Academy films, there's definitely a serious side to the storyline as well. I suppose it reminded me of the character in the Police Academy films who is a voice contortionist, throwing his voice around a lot as Adrian pretends to hold conversations with other people while on air, when of course in reality its all him - you could call it professional improvisation, or some may think more along the line of irritatingly hyperactive?. I particularly enjoyed the scenes involving Adrian and Edward Garlick - it was interesting seeing Forest Whitaker in a role from back then (this film dates from 1987) and the way they interacted, it seemed they had an unspoken mutual respect for each other which came across well. This film covers some important messages and is amusing in parts but its also perhaps a little predictable, although it feels a little harsh to say so given the fact its apparently based on a true story and also I felt the ending arrived frustratingly suddenly. People could also criticise the fact that the violence tended to be shown a lot more frankly in relation to the Vietnamese, moreso than the Americans, although perhaps that is more fair than if an American film had portrayed themselves to be the main victims of that war? as I say, I don't think its a film to really over analyse. I also felt that the authority figures came across as perhaps a bit 2D, there were stereotypes at play that maybe wasn't entirely fair but I don't know a great deal about the subject to say with any real expert knowledge. Overall yes, I would recommend this film.

While he’s certainly enjoyed his share of transcendent roles, there’s a big part of the Robin Williams filmography that can be boiled down to “let’s just stick this guy in a scenario and let him ad-lib his way through a themed standup routine.” That’s one of his rare gifts, something worth celebrating, but it can also lead to some lazy filmmaking. In this entry, he plays a brash, boisterous morning DJ, recruited to lighten the mood among troops stationed in overseas action, but that often seems like an excuse to get him rolling in front of a mic and watch the fireworks. Although his character is based on a real person who did indeed host a daily radio hour for the boys, their two paths quickly diverge. In the name of drama, the cinematic equivalent gets loud, challenges the rule book, butts heads with supervisors and discovers there’s another side to every “official” story. Williams delivers a lot of heart with his humor, rich dashes of humanity that make his roles deeper than just a manic circus, but these notes are often secondary. Good Morning, Vietnam is guilty of over-indulging his radio performances, relishing their rapid-fire punchlines while losing touch with the narrative. Until he finds a local girl to swoon over, Robin’s studio act feels disconnected from the American occupation, as if he were broadcasting from half a world away. This detachment isn’t always without merit - there’s a great scene near the climax where he spontaneously performs for a **** convoy and is overwhelmed to realize what his silly show means to the G.I.s - but it often doesn’t feel so intentional. After he locates a love interest (shaky though it may be), the wayward DJ engulfs himself in Saigon flavor and we get a better idea of what life was like for both the shell shocked locals and the unwelcome airman in a strange town. We don’t see much of a spark from the couple, but their clumsy, unlikely courtship finally gets the plot moving and gives Williams a chance to show his sensitive side. Dating in conservative, repressed 1960s Vietnam was a very different proposition to its US counterpart, and though he’s patient and understanding, our protagonist struggles to grasp its nuances. This is where the film is at its most thoughtful, using cultural disconnect on an individual level as a metaphor for broader misunderstandings in a political sense. Many of its twists are telegraphed, but that doesn’t make the message any less pertinent. With a relatively simple plot and an even-handed sense of morality, Good Morning, Vietnam leans on its star’s jumbo-sized personality to inject color. He delivers that, bouncing around the broadcast booth like a runaway super ball, even if it doesn’t always feel relevant to the greater message. Its heart’s in the right place, and Williams is as mesmerizing as ever, but the big picture is a little light and spacious.

Williams is very good and there's some good humour but the writing isn't always great.

Robin Wiliams and Forest Withaker are very good. The film is somehow funny, but not too much. It's no masterpiece.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]