An early entry in what became quite a wave of Vietnam War films in the following decade or so, some of which were okay, and some of which were stunningly (if disturbingly) brilliant. "The Boys in Company C" slots in closer to the former, missing any real stars to make a bigger impact.
The film is very formulaic, right down to the stereotypical wartime experiences. It starts with a group of enlistees from all over America turning up to USMC basic training near San Diego. There, they are put through the ringer by a few hard drill instructors (including R. Lee Ermey, a few years before his iconic and scary performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in "Full Metal Jacket") before shipping off to Vietnam, where the film follows the company through various experiences, including serving under a commander who believes America would be doing better in the war if they understood the game of soccer better.
The film is very formulaic, right down to the stereotypical wartime experiences. It starts with a group of enlistees from all over America turning up to USMC basic training near San Diego. There, they are put through the ringer by a few hard drill instructors (including R. Lee Ermey, a few years before his iconic and scary performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in "Full Metal Jacket") before shipping off to Vietnam, where the film follows the company through various experiences, including serving under a commander who believes America would be doing better in the war if they understood the game of soccer better.