An absolute waste of money

Absolutely amazing

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

When I saw Paul Schrader credited for the original story, but not the final screenplay, I became as much enthusiastic as I grew suspicious. But I didn't get that right, because he díd co-write the screenplay... Reading his criticism (Imdb trivia) puts me in the right again, since the studio changed a lot of his original ideas; his script was simply reworked without his consent.I must say I liked this film anyway, but I am still hoping to find the book some time. The character Rane is not a racist as he would have been according to Schrader, but in this version he is still fascinating; quiet, letting things happen, but still one can sense there is a lot going on with him. I'm glad William Devane got the role instead of Kris Kristofferson, because he adds sympathy to the character and I'm not sure how well this would have worked with Kristofferson.The story is another matter. As said before, the criticism on the Vietnam War and the racist character that Rane was intended to be, are nowhere to be found. Rane is a hero, but 'dead' as he states himself and it is really hard to get a grip on him, ór the story. In the end, the only thing he wants is revenge for his murdered son, and there is still the camaraderie between him and his army buddy Vohden. In between, Rane hooks up with blonde bombshell Linda, who tries to get through to him. But between his broken family life - which is ultimately taken away from him by a merciless gang - and his new status a hero who is totally out of place, there is nothing left...A violent, nihilistic finale ensues, and I can only try to imagine what Schrader's intentions and input could have done better for this strange, but certainly not bad result.7 out of 10.

Besides being listed by Tarantino as one of his favorites, I didn't know a lot about this movie before seeing it. Heck, I didn't even know Tommy Lee Jones had a role in it, but I'm glad he did, because it was actually one of the movie's few delights. You see, the 95 minutes spent watching this movie were some pretty wasted ones.Despite that harsh verdict, I don't think this movie's a terrible one. It's just irrelevant. Everything in it has been done so much better in similarly themed movies, both since and before.Rambo did the action far better. The sleazy grindhouse movies did the gore better (or at least they had a lot more of it). First-class films like Taxi Driver and Deer Hunter did the drama and story about the misfit 'Nam veteran way better. Actually, these first-class films also did the action better. And Rambo did the drama better than Rolling Thunder as well. Not to mention all these movies were a lot better entertainment and interesting pieces of cinema history. This film doesn't deliver anything unique besides mish-mashing shoot-outs, gore and story into a single unremarkable and forgettable movie.This could all be forgiven if it had the charm of a zero-budget exploitation film, but it doesn't even come close, being a far too professionally made film to ever be so bad it's good. It's just so bad it's boring.

Rolling Thunder is directed by John Flynn and written by Paul Schrader and Heywood Gould. It stars William Devane, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Haynes, James Best, Dabney Coleman and Luke Askew. Music is scored by Barry de Vorzon and cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth.When Major Charles Rane (Devane) returns from being a POW in Vietnam, he finds the world is a different place. His wife has been unfaithful and wants a divorce, his son doesn't know him and not everybody appreciates his service in the war effort. When some sympathetic town citizens hold a ceremony and give him 2,555 silver dollars, it signals the start of violence that takes Rane into a new war......I'm just gonna sit here.When Quentin Tarantino proclaimed Rolling Thunder as one of his favourite movies of all time, it was both a blessing and a curse. It's great that this undervalued and under seen gem hit the press notices, even getting a new Blu-ray release in the process, but with Quentin's name comes the millstone of exploitation and cheap flea-pit cinemas showing grubby movies. Nothing wrong with that, many film fans, myself included, enjoy 70s exploitation films and spent time in the afore mentioned sticky carpeted and tobacco perfumed theatres. But Rolling Thunder deserves better than being part of this filmic cultured arc, to have interested new parties seek it out purely with expectation of a revenge driven bloodbath movie.You learn to love the pain.John Flynn's movie is one of the finest of all the revenge driven movies out there. It has rich characterisation and thoughtful insight into the pain and tragedy of post war adjustment. The performances of Devane (brilliantly understated) and Jones (haunted) really add a bite to the narrative, turning in sensitive portrayals of men who left their souls in the bowels of some Hanoi hell. Thus when the violence is unleashed in a whirl of shotgun blasts and hook handed carnage, it isn't for gratification, it's an extension of a tortured or guilty psyche. There's genuine realism in the characters during the build up, with director Flynn taking his time to let the plot unfold. From the Rane and Vohden family homes, to Linda Haynes' love interest, reactions ring true without histrionics.It's your time, boy.The violence is well orchestrated, especially for the finale played out suitably in a grubby brothel. Rest assured bloodhounds, you are well and truly catered for here as well. It's the perfect blend of exploitation and intelligence, with a good sense of time and place too. There's flaws for sure as some credibility is invariably stretched, there's a whiff of misogyny in the air (though I don't think it is intentional, just ignorance by the writers) and some may find the stereotypes afforded the Mexicans as being unappetising. But flaws be damned, this is a cracker-jack movie, a modern day Western just waiting to be discovered by a new generation of film fans. 8.5/10

I liked the first review of this movie as posted, and I have seen it several times over the years. There is a point which seems to have eluded all the reviewers I have ever read. This movie is a *western*. This was the first western movie made after the disappearance of the genre for many years. The car was the horse, the girl friend typically was left behind, the revenge theme for the raid and the deaths of his family, the returning veteran from Nam instead of the civil war, the border locale, the dying buddy/trooper, even the name "John Rayne" being close to John Wayne all scream "I am a WESTERN MOVIE!", but not one print reviewer whom I have ever read picked up on it! Not one!