I admit right off the bat to not being a fan of Matthew Broderick. I personally didn't think even think that "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was that good. I admit he was in some pretty bad films like the 1998 "Godzilla". Here, I think it's probably his best role. I'm not counting the voice of Simba from "The Lion King". The movie's plot is pretty basic, with a guy joining the military and meeting all these weird characters along the way. It seems like there were a lot of military movies made in the 1980's. As this was a movie I knew little about, I was surprised to find it classified as a comedy. I mean, it honestly works better as a serious drama. The film co-stars Christopher Walken, who is as good as ever in this movie. Broderick plays a guy named Jerome, who really does seem realistic. I like how he talks about what happened to everybody at the end of the movie. It might not have much action, but it doesn't need to. ***

RELEASED IN 1988 and directed by Mike Nichols, "Biloxi Blues" concerns a group of recruits going through Army boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi, as World War II is still raging. Matthew Broderick plays the main character while Corey Parker appears as his Jew friend. Christopher Walken plays the eccentric drill sergeant.This is a fairly entertaining talky drama with light comedic touches. The boot camp seems kind of laid back compared to real life, particularly the trainees' relationship with the drill sergeant. (I was in Marine boot camp forty years later and it was totally strict with no leave on the weekends until a single weekend near the end of the three months; and, even then, it was limited to the base). As usual, Broderick makes for a likable protagonist while Walken is entertaining in an off-kilter kind of way.Park Overall plays a prostitute in an awkward (but realistic) sequence while Penelope Ann Miller appears as a potential girlfriend for our hero. It's cool seeing the latter when she was so young and fetching.THE FILM RUNS 106 minutes and was shot entirely in Arkansas. WRITER: Neil Simon from his play.GRADE: C+ (5.5/10)

When I Am Asked If I Missed Out On The Newest Medina, Sandler, Ferrell, Etc Comedy ... I Remember Movies Like Biloxi Blues And Neil Simons Prequel Brighton Beach Memoirs ... I Realize I Am Not The One Missing Out ... Biloxi Blues Is One Of The Funniest Movies On The Theme Of Reaching Manhood ... Mathew Broderick Is Excellent As The Star Of The Story Eugene Morris Jerome A Budding Writer Who Has Yet To Learn About Writing ... Christopher Walken As With Any Role Is Brilliant As The Apparently Insane Drill Sargent ... This Movie Is A Laugh Riot From Beginning To End And Full Of Moments We Can All Relate To ... Biloxi Blues Like Brighton Beach Memoirs Is A Must See ... My IMDb Rating 9 Out Of 10

It is difficult to believe that there is such a thing as the 'service comedy'. Well, there is and this film is one of them. What anybody could find remotely funny about being drafted into the army puzzles me, but it takes all kinds to make a world. The story concerns a young man from New York who is drafted and how he has to spend his time with a bunch of misfits in boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi, where it is very hot and uncomfortable. He learns how to be a soldier and is meant to be 'grown up' by the end of his experiences. The film is written by legendary playwright Neil Simon but I have been lukewarm toward his other work and I found no reason to change my mind after seeing this film. I just sit here scratching my head thinking 'why' but his plays and movies are popular and have made a lot of money, so who am I to argue? Matthew Broderick plays the lead role of the young military novice but the only thing the film really has going for it is the presence of Christopher Walken as a psychotic drill sergeant, who makes Broderick's, and everyone else's life a nightmare with his somewhat strict adherence to the rules of combat in peacetime. Walken is a great actor and he makes a meal of his part, turning the sergeant into a monster who gives no quarter and doesn't receive any. At least I thought that at first, but somehow, through the process, the audience becomes sorry for him, despite or because of the fact that he is a total psychotic.. A few of the supporting players turn in good work but, this is forgettable, and something to be recommended only for people who like movies about the army. Whoever and wherever they may be, this is for them