Review of Gardens of Stone

Right-wing, hackneyed, stereotyped. It's been 24 years since I first heard of this movie, so I have wanted to see it for a quarter century. Unfortunately it turned out to be an un-involving mess. And the absolute worst part is the jarring, atonal jazz-like musical score that yanks you out of every scene it infects. The next worst thing is the script, with "you've heard it before" dialogue like a film from the 1930's. Even the top-notch acting performances of Sweeney, Jones and Caan cannot overcome this stilted narrative. Fishburne gets one short scene, early, as the sadistic black Barracks Leader. "Gardens of Stone" is one of those train-wreck viewing experiences, that one wishes one had been warned about beforehand. The IMDb rating is currently 6.5, but a 2.5 would be more accurate.