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Green Dragon

  • 2001
  • PG-13
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
Green Dragon (2001)
Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar
Play trailer1:48
1 Video
10 Photos
DramaWar

The story of some Vietnamese refugees as they first arrive at Camp Pendleton in the United States as the Vietnam War ends in 1975.The story of some Vietnamese refugees as they first arrive at Camp Pendleton in the United States as the Vietnam War ends in 1975.The story of some Vietnamese refugees as they first arrive at Camp Pendleton in the United States as the Vietnam War ends in 1975.

  • Director
    • Timothy Linh Bui
  • Writers
    • Timothy Linh Bui
    • Tony Bui
  • Stars
    • Patrick Swayze
    • Forest Whitaker
    • Duong Don
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    1.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Timothy Linh Bui
    • Writers
      • Timothy Linh Bui
      • Tony Bui
    • Stars
      • Patrick Swayze
      • Forest Whitaker
      • Duong Don
    • 23User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Green Dragon
    Trailer 1:48
    Green Dragon

    Photos9

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    Top cast36

    Edit
    Patrick Swayze
    Patrick Swayze
    • Gunnery Sergeant Jim Lance
    Forest Whitaker
    Forest Whitaker
    • Addie
    Duong Don
    Duong Don
    • Tai Tran
    Hiep Thi Le
    Hiep Thi Le
    • Thuy Hoa
    Billinjer C. Tran
    • Duc
    • (as Billinjer Tran)
    Kathleen Luong
    • Second Wife
    Phuoc Quan Nguyen
    • Loi
    Long Nguyen
    Long Nguyen
    • Quang Hai
    Catherine Ai
    • Hien
    Phu Cuong
    • Old Man
    Kieu Chinh
    Kieu Chinh
    • Kieu
    Trung Nguyen
    • Minh
    Jennifer Tran
    • Anh
    Linda Tran
    • Thuy Hoa's Sister
    Tuan Tran
    • Tuan
    Le Van Tuoi
    • Uncle Tien
    Joe Ho
    Joe Ho
    • Binh
    Elyse Dinh
    Elyse Dinh
    • Red Cross Volunteer
    • Director
      • Timothy Linh Bui
    • Writers
      • Timothy Linh Bui
      • Tony Bui
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews23

    6.11.2K
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    Featured reviews

    gte411i

    WATCH IT

    I would recommend this movie to anyone who would like an accurate perspective of the South Vietnamese people. Unlike the previous critic, I will leave any misinformed politics aside. Although the war was highly political, and the movie does comment on the war, the film is not based on any political agenda like the previous critic leads you to believe. Instead, I believe the movie's focus is on the human stories of people struggling to forge a new life after their country was taken away from them. What is refreshing and what gives the movie credibility is that the director and most of the actors are Vietnamese, many of whom went through similar experiences as depicted in the movie after the war. In that sense, the movie is real, not just some form of propaganda "intended for the not-too-bright oversentimental without-a-dose of a history-lesson or critical thought Americans." It is a movie for Americans, Vietnamese immigrants such as myself, and people who dare regard the United States as the great and imperfect hope that it is.
    5=G=

    Part history, part drama, all lackluster, all earnest

    Along Southern California's coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, sprawls Camp Pendelton, home to about 50,000 U.S. Marines. Less than an hour's drive to the north, not far from Disneyland, is a Vietnamese enclave of about 200,000 without political boundaries which the road signs call "Little Saigon". "Green Dragon" peers into the lives of a handful of Vietnamese who, in 1975 during the fall of Saigon, occupied a refugee camp at Camp Pendelton and went on to be assimilated into American society and establish communities such as "Little Saigon".

    Part history lesson and part drama, "Green Dragon" is sensitive look at a people in flux agonizing over their expatriation and fragmentation while coming to grips with an uncertain future. The film is a somewhat uneven and austere hodgepodge with the look of a low budget indie. However, what it lacks in embellishments it makes up for in nobility of purpose and should be appreciated by those with a special interest in the time and the people involved. (C)
    6kevin_robbins

    While not reaching outstanding heights, The Green Dragon presents a storyline that merits your time

    I recently viewed The Green Dragon (2001) on Tubi. The storyline revolves around Vietnamese refugees arriving in America towards the end of the Vietnam War. As the war's conclusion nears, the film depicts a significant transition for the immigrants, with a few American soldiers striving to facilitate a smooth adjustment.

    Directed by Timothy Linh Bui (Powder Blue), the film features Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing), Forest Whitaker (Rogue One), Duong Don (We Were Soldiers), Hiep Thi Le (Cruel Intentions), and Billinjer C. Tran (We Were Soldiers).

    This movie offers a unique and authentic storyline, with well-written subplots that unfold fascinatingly. The acting is solid, with Swayze's character feeling realistic and Whitaker delivering a relatable performance. The portrayal of how the Vietnamese grapple with the tension between their future and past, navigating necessary adjustments, is both believable and compelling. The film concludes with a mix of sadness and enlightenment.

    In conclusion, while not reaching outstanding heights, The Green Dragon presents a storyline that merits your time. I would give it a score of 6/10 and recommend watching it once.
    moeller-1

    A courageous and beautiful film

    This film went beyond anything I had ever expected it to be. The acting was incredible, the scenes were moving and the characters memorable and beautiful. I was so happy to see Patrick Swayze back and looking good and of course Forest Whitaker was fabulous. His relationship with the young Mihn was touching. Please, go rent this movie; you won't regret it.

    10/10*
    4jmarcel

    Not much happens

    The intent of the film was good, however, the execution lacked the emotional punch that could have resulted from the storyline. We've seen the subplots before: the angry officer sympathizes with the foreigners, the big misfit befriends a young boy, the rebel in the crowd shouting out against the system..etc.

    This is a quiet film and while not that bad, it didn't seem to capture the elements of "camp life" well enough to give me a sense of the refugee's fear of leaving the safe camp and starting a new life in America. There were moments in the film that had potential, but overall, it seemed a dull cinematic experience.

    Not much happens in this movie. Go see "Heaven and Earth" instead.

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Band of Brothers (2001)
    War

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Producers had originally wanted to construct an animatronic green dragon, but the idea was scrapped as it was deemed too expensive.
    • Goofs
      Near the beginning of the movie, Minh (the young boy) walks the length of the darkened Quonset hut. He goes to the end and looks through the set of double doors. The very next scene switches to the exterior. He is now exiting a single door, because he has come out on the side of the building.
    • Quotes

      Addie: [explaining his drawing of a whipped slave] What's wrong, kid? Don't worry, that's not me. That's not me. See, that's an America you don't understand yet. It's bigger than those Sears and Roebuck's catalogs they been giving you, or those movies they're showing you, and your Mighty Mouse comics.

    • Crazy credits
      Crew Morale... Quynh Trinh
    • Connections
      Featured in Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Patrick Swayze/Patton Oswalt/The Vines (2002)

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Green Dragon?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 23, 2004 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Vietnamese
    • Also known as
      • Puff the Magic Dragon
    • Filming locations
      • Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Franchise Classics
      • Franchise Pictures
      • Rickshaw FIlms
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $281,803
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $16,007
      • May 5, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $281,803
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 55m(115 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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