Ride the Thunder

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.

Is Fred Koster related to Henry Koster? Director of THE BISHOP'S WIFE, et al.

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.

I was incredibly surprised at the extremely favorable reviews after viewing this film. It doesn't help that the recent Burns/Novik film was released several months ago, eclipsing the efforts of this film. The story is epic, some of us are very familiar with the history of Vietnam from early colonial times to the present. I'm one of those people, and have spent considerable time in Vietnam, speak basic Viet, and understand the culture - so that's the caveat. The story told in this film was nothing new to me, and I mean nothing. The Burns/Novick film was refreshing, and there was new material I'd never seen, including some compelling footage gleaned from the archives in Hanoi. VC and NVA vets gave emotional interviews.... and in Vietnamese. And US vets also told their incredible stories. Ride the Thunder made some attempts at this, with a couple of interviews with US vets. Nothing from VC/NVA, or S Vietnamese. In the end, these portrayals created an awkward mix of low quality drama, and documentary lacking any real substance. It's kind of shocking, really.

This film had terrible acting. I'm sorry to have to relay this, but it was on par with a hastily made lower budget TV program, featuring extras. It took me three separate attempts to finish this movie. There were some Viet Kieu (foreign Vietnamese) actors, but I'm not sure there was a single Viet word spoken in this movie. Besides Dien Bien Phu, or Saigon, etc, lol.

If you're not up to speed on post war Vietnam following the fall of Saigon, or issues US soldiers faced back home after this terribly unpopular and foolish war, you might find this film worth your time. If you are somewhat informed, then you may find this film exceptionally cheesy and factually anemic. I'd have given it a lower score, but out of respect for the filmmakers, and their efforts to portray various perspectives, I'm not doing that. In all candor, it was a real let down.

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.