Wizard-8
Some people don't like "Rolling Thunder" very much, and while I can sort of see their viewpoint with some aspects of the movie, at the same time I can see some really good things. The movie is indeed very dark and downbeat, and there aren't any characters that we can totally sympathize with; even the main character played by William Devane has a few unlikable aspects. The pacing will also be a turnoff for some viewers. While I was never bored by the movie, I could see why some viewers will be wondering why the central character doesn't get down to business a lot quicker. And there is the fact that all the Vietnam vet characters in the movie are portrayed to be big losers and with diseased minds, a stereotype I am quite tired of seeing.But despite the movie not being perfect, there is enough good stuff here to make it worth a look. The acting (particularly Devane and Tommy Lee Jones) is very good, the action and violence still pack a pretty good punch more than three decades later, and Devane's character has some quirks that make his character interesting to study. While I wouldn't call this movie a classic, I do think it has enough to offer viewers who are up for a movie that doesn't have a slam-bang pace and is not wall to wall action.
videorama-759-859391
Paul Schrader has cooked up another treat for us in this low profile film, that deserves much more attention, believe you me. Devane, a vet, returns after spending 8 years in a POW camp, which a couple of scenes in black and white flashback of him being tortured, are truly and memorably powerful. Everything back home has become a bummer for him. His wife is looking to re marry a town cop, and take his son. He can't sleep, and of course he's having bad dreams, but hell is about to come raining down on him very quick. His wife and son are shot, and he's deprived of one of his arms, when these thugs invade his home, on account of all these silver dollars he's been awarded, a dollar per day he spent, rotting in that stinking camp, and when they ask ever so nicely to the locale of the coins, he stubbornly and silently resists. I couldn't believe, after seeing it a couple of times, that surging killer hot water, could melt the arm and take it off. He survives, where for revenge fans, this becomes golden to the grand and explosive shootout end. Tagging along with much younger groupie (Haynes) he heads to Mexico to wreak a bloody revenge on that murderous party, who actually have the balls to think, his ruin will just blow over. Devane, has a new advantage, his prosthetic new hand. One scene has his claw hand grabbing Askew's nuts, where you too really feel it. The casting is great and interesting, especially regarding the baddies, James 'Dukes Of Hazzard' Best, and Luke Askew, who really brings some nastily polished au natural characters to the screen. They are so good, particularly Best, I couldn't believe it, Askew, an ugly version of Peter Fonda. They are just two, among many other solid and great performances. Every actor delivers RT is very violent too, where if you like a good quality revenge flick, with heavy doses of violence, you will love this, although it moves at an unhurried pace, but this movie will rope you in, and when revenge time comes, you'll be howling with cheer. Great title song, (the first couple of images of film you won't forget) where there's a lot of a country feel to this probably almost forgotten flick, you should put on your definitely must see list. Devane is the man too, not overacting at all, it's beautiful. This is his movie, and if a Devane fan, this is the one to see him. The man to man talk with the new hubby in the shed, earlier in the flick, will raise some small giggles, but also some edginess. Tommy Lee Jones looks very young too, as Devane's nervous vet mate, (the range of scarred emotions he brings, was amazing). Here's a guy who has truly been effected by the war. He assists him in that hotel showdown in the finale, which is one great part of this flick among others. Love it.
Erik Nyberg
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.
