Platoon Leader

"War is hell. This was worse..."

1988 1h 37m EN

😐

5.5

MID

★5.5TMDB · 58

DramaWarAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

West Point graduate lieutenant Jeff Knight meets cynicism when taking command of sergeant Michael McNamara's tour veterans platoon in a Vietnamese trench camp. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn't allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the G.I.'s officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals.

“War is hell. This was worse...”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Michael Dudikoff
Lt. Jeff Knight
Robert F. Lyons
Sgt. Michael McNamara
Michael DeLorenzo
Raymond Bacera
Jesse Dabson
Joshua Parker
Rick Fitts
Sgt. Robert Hayes
Tony Pierce
Jan Shultz
Daniel Demorest
Duffy
Brian Libby
Sgt. Roach

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Aaron Norris
Writers: Andrew Deutsch, Rick Marx, David L. Walker
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Aaron Norris, shot by Arthur Wooster. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by George S. Clinton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael J. Duthie shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael Dudikoff and Robert F. Lyons and Michael DeLorenzo carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "War is hell. This was worse...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0095877 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 58 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Aaron Norris directs. Arthur Wooster behind the camera. George S. Clinton scores. Michael J. Duthie cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

138 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Aaron Norris, shot by Arthur Wooster. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by George S. Clinton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Michael J. Duthie shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Michael Dudikoff and Robert F. Lyons and Michael DeLorenzo carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "War is hell. This was worse...".
7IMDB entry: tt0095877 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 58 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur Wooster
Original score: George S. Clinton
Editing: Michael J. Duthie
Costume design: Katherine Dover
Makeup / hair: Merryl MacKenzie
Sound: Patrick Cyccone Jr.
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Platoon Leader (1988)

Also by

Aaron Norris

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2019-12-08
One of the lesser Vietnam flicks of its era, but has some positives A Lieutenant fresh out of West Point (Michael Dudikoff) is assigned to command a platoon at a remote outpost in the jungles of Binh Dinh province, Vietnam. His cynical men don’t respect him until he returns after being wounded and has a little more wisdom at jungle warfare. "Platoon Leader" (1988) was based on the memoir by James R. McDonough and mixes the plot of “The Green Berets” (1968) with style more akin to “Platoon” (1986). But this is noticeably low-budget by comparison and typical of 80’s Dudikoff or Chuck Norris flicks. (Think of the contemporaneous “Braddock: Missing in Action III” by the same director, Aaron Norris, Chuck’s brother). Despite some dubious acting and a story that coulda been more compelling, there are worthwhile elements (like a couple of unique pieces on the soundtrack) and even some moving moments. Dudikoff is effective in the titular role as is Robert F. Lyons as the more-experienced NCO. The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot on a farm in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which is a decent stand-in for Southeast Asia. GRADE: C

Production companies