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Rolling Thunder

Play trailer Poster for Rolling Thunder R 1977 1h 39m Action Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A Vietnam veteran who returns home after years in a POW camp, Maj. Charles Rane (William Devane) is treated as a hero, but his family proves to be distant. When thugs invade his home to steal silver coins that Rane received for his service, they mangle his hand and leave him, his wife and son for dead. Rane survives and becomes obsessed with getting revenge. Aided by his loyal friend Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), Rane, now wielding a hook for a hand, sets out on his mission of vengeance.
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Rolling Thunder

Critics Reviews

View All (15) Critics Reviews
Gary Arnold Washington Post Flynn's crisp, laconic direction and evocative use of Southern Texas locations transorm Rolling Thunder, now at area theaters, into a more distinctive exploitation movie than it deserves to be. Dec 21, 2015 Full Review Nick Pinkerton Village Voice Performances are made crystalline through a sixth sense for camera placement and curt cutting from director John Flynn, whose 2007 passing was little noted, though his no-BS way of laying down a story is a rare commodity in any era. Aug 1, 2012 Full Review Variety Staff Variety In sum, it neither rolls nor thunders. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Basically an inferior version of Death Wish, with a thudding simplicity that makes the Charles Bronson hit look as complex as All the President’s Men by comparison. Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 23, 2024 Full Review Naila Scargill Trebuchet The film should be viewed by any pondering war and its psychological consequences. And, if not made clear enough already, the acting on offer is simply fantastic. Feb 28, 2019 Full Review Eric Melin Scene-Stealers.com The connection to an emotional truth is key to its success, because as the plot starts moving and the elements of the violent revenge flick start rearing their head, the movie feels grounded in Rane's reality. Rated: 3/4 Jul 22, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Matt F One of my favorite revenge movies. I saw it at an early age and was suprised to see James Best as a villain but he was really good as one as well as Luke Askew. Probably one of Tommy Lee Jones earliest movies. William Devane's character reliving the torture as a POW just added the fuel for the blowout ending. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/28/24 Full Review Mark W The ever dependable William Devane alone make this worth watching. 70s revenge thriller set against the backdrop of the fallout from the Vietnam war. Not action packed throughout but boy when it comes it packs a bloody punch. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/30/24 Full Review Jelisije J A slow standard revenge movie of a veteran returning home who cannot adjust to society and witnesses his family murder he then seeks revenge....well he also has a hook for a hand so its quite interesting watch. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/06/24 Full Review Scott M Fascinating story about a Vietnam veteran who has flashbacks about being tortured during the war and how it affects his family life. I enjoyed the story a lot. What I hated was the choice for leads. There was no chemistry between Devane and Haynes. I think they hated each other. The producers should have picked Tommy Lee Jones to play the lead and then found a young Signourney Weaver. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/21/24 Full Review AlphaSnail N Amazing concept, setup, and even climax of the movie but the acting is insanely wooden. William Devine and Tommy Lee Jones are great but almost every other actor is very stilted, especially the young lady who befriends the main character. The movie is worth the bad acting all for the scene where he hooks the guys hand, and the climactic shootout. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/20/24 Full Review Eric B I was 21 when the film was released. The film captures the time, the awkward reunions, the loss of innocence, the thin-ice we all walked on, when welcoming home the soldiers. The movie was of it’s time, but doesn’t hold up now. Direction was “OK” at best and casting missed in a few roles. The actor playing “Cliff” was really bad, and distracting. His whole arc mad little sense, and his scenes added nothing. Budget, no doubt, preventted hiring better actors. Plot was thin, but struck a chord then, only a couple years after fall of Saigon. Like Taxi Driver, it focused on returning soldiers wildly damaged from the war. But there were holes in the plot, a few things didn’t make sense, and it just poor storytelling. Shrader’s final draft, I get the feeling, is not what we see. Shrader wrote “Taxi Driver”, and this film is the same animal, but lacked the connective tissue that made TD a much richer story. If you want to get a feel for the time, watch it. But if you want to see a great film, pass. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/19/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Rolling Thunder

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Movie Info

Synopsis A Vietnam veteran who returns home after years in a POW camp, Maj. Charles Rane (William Devane) is treated as a hero, but his family proves to be distant. When thugs invade his home to steal silver coins that Rane received for his service, they mangle his hand and leave him, his wife and son for dead. Rane survives and becomes obsessed with getting revenge. Aided by his loyal friend Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), Rane, now wielding a hook for a hand, sets out on his mission of vengeance.
Director
John Flynn
Producer
Norman T. Herman
Screenwriter
Paul Schrader, Heywood Gould
Production Co
American International Pictures (AIP), TBC Filmproduktion, Lawrence Gordon Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Action, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 39m
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