Ride the Thunder

Masterfully told with great cinematography, the movie tells the stories of a South Vietnamese man and the American soldier he fought alongside. The movie grabs your attention from the beginning and you find yourself entrenched in the struggles of South Vietnamese soldier Le Ba Binh, a husband and father, expertly portrayed by actor Joseph Hieu. I found it enlightening to see the historical clips interspersed throughout, giving the moviegoer a glimpse of the perspective of the soldiers returning to the U.S. and the attitudes prevalent in our culture during that era. The shocking film footage of Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland, as well as the clips of now Secretary of State John Kerry as a young man give this movie a powerful historical gravity that cannot be denied. The film is very moving, very timely- given the current state of foreign affairs, and also quite entertaining.

The movie showed the determination of the certain Vietnamese who lost their country to a communist dictatorship and relocated to the U.S. to become exemplary citizens. Most have realized and taken advantage of the "American Dream." It was sad to hear the lies of Jane Fonda and John Kerry and I have always thought that they should have been prosecuted under the Sedition Act. The movie shows John O'Neill debating John Kerry and refuting all of Kerry's lies that he told to our Armed Services Committee concerning the way our servicemen treated Vietnamese citizens. Kerry lied to promote his political career in the state of Massachusetts and it worked. The basic theme of the movie was to show how the Vietnamese in America rose to "Ride the Thunder" with the help of the U.S. and that they will be forever grateful to the American people for supporting them. You wish that whites, blacks and browns who were born in the U.S. shared the same feelings as the Vietnamese regarding opportunities for those who are qualified.

This movie is way too politically biased. The acting is cheesy at best. I couldn't get past the 45 minute mark. The whole thing sounds like a traveling evangelist show. Bad. Bad. Bad.

Acting wasn't the best. But a great story. Sad what we left behind when we pulled out. What you learn in school isn't what really happened.

A moving docu-drama that will leave you with tears in your eyes and pride for your country in your heart. Based on the book of the same name, this movie reveals a part of history that is largely unknown: the brotherhood that developed between American soldiers and the South Vietnamese soldiers they fought alongside and the suffering and oppression of the South Vietnamese people after the Vietnam War. This movie is a must-see for every American, but will be particularly eye-opening for many of the first generation children of the South Vietnamese refugees who have made America their adopted country. To them, Ride the Thunder bestows the gift of a richer heritage of which too many are unaware. I know this firsthand as I am one of them.