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Rough Riders |  | Director: John Milius
Actors: Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, Gary Busey, Brad Johnson, Illeana Douglas
Studio: Turner Home Ent
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $4.75
as of 11/28/2009 00:51 CST details
You Save: $15.23 (76%)
New (36) Used (18) from $3.20
Seller: willdvds
Rating:  107 reviews
Sales Rank: 7774
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 240 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: DT7580D
UPC: 053939758023
EAN: 0053939758023
ASIN: B000EOTUSA
Theatrical Release Date: July 20, 1997
Release Date: May 30, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In 1898 the US government led by Theodore Roosevelt (Tom Berenger) back when he was still a young ambitious Naval Secretary intervenes on the side of the Cuban rebels in their struggle against Spanish rule. Always ready for action Roosevelt leaves the confines of the sidelines and forms a volunteer cavalry regiment which later became infamously known as the "Rough Riders." Roosevelt's regiment brings together volunteers from all corners of the nation to fight against a far superior adversary in one of the most rousing victories in American history.Running Time: 183 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/MISC. UPC: 053939758023 Manufacturer No: T7580
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 107
 A splendid little miniseries about that splendid little war November 14, 2009
Chrijeff (Scranton, PA)
Anyone who's ever seen Wind and Lion or Conan the Barbarian knows that John Milius is one of the best action directors currently at work in Hollywood, and in this DVd he shows that he's just as good at it when he's making a movie for the small screen. It's chiefly the story of G Troop of the First US Volunteers (the official designation of the Rough Riders), the men who served in it and commanded it, and how the war affected them--everyone from Teddy Roosevelt (Tom Berenger) (then fresh off his stint as New York City's Police Commissioner--see my reviews of Lawrence Alexander's Teddy mysteries, beginning with The Big Stick (A Theodore Roosevelt Mystery)), to New York society boy Hamilton Fish (Holt McCallany) and his friend, polo champion Craig Wadsworth (Chris Noth), to Mexican landowner's son Rafael Castillo (Francesco Quinn) and Indian Bob (Bob Primeaux), a young Sioux who wears otterskin braid-wraps and a hawk's feather and paints his face before going into action, to ex-stagecoach robber Henry Nash (Brad Johnson), who, after fleeing once, discovers unexpectedly just how much courage and unit spirit he really has. Also present are ex-lawman Bucky O'Neill (Sam Elliott in one of his best roles), Teddy's direct superior Col. Leonard Wood (Dale Dye), a young "Black Jack" Pershing (Marshall R. Teague) commanding a unit of black soldiers, and the still-flamboyant former Confederate general "Fighting Joe" Wheeler (Gary Busey almost unrecognizable in gray hair and handlebar mustachios), plus such media types as artist Frederic Remington (Nick Chinlund) (watch for him calmly painting in the midst of a bombardment), alcoholic and drug abuser Stephen Crane (Adam Storke) (who's already known as the author of The Red Badge of Courage), and newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst (George Hamilton). Indeed, it's the excellent cast as much as anything that makes the movie succeed: Berenger particularly has Teddy down to a T--which stands for Teeth--and Elliott as O'Neill is as calm and casual as anyone reading the Wikipedia account of his death would expect. There's also, of course, plenty of action, especially as the Riders begin their charge up San Juan Hill (and if you don't feel like cheering when they do it, no matter whether you agreed with the war or not, your patriotism, or at least your respect for human courage and resolution, needs a boost). Elmer Bernstein's splendid theme, and a score by his son Peter, add to the aura of the film, which is dedicated to Brian Keith, making his next-to-last appearance in a full-length film, as Pres. William McKinley (who, ironically, was to furnish veteran Teddy with a stepping stone to the Presidency upon his assassination several years later); interestingly, Keith played a Presidential Teddy in Milius's "The Wind and the Lion" 22 years earlier. UPI's Vernon Scott called this "Perhaps the best war movie ever made." I haven't watched enough of the genre to be sure about that, but it's certainly worthy of a look on its own merits, and should serve as a good conversation-starter with your kids regarding themes like heroism, duty, courage, and the role of the media in political decisions.
 Rough Ride with Milius October 10, 2009
J. Duska (Buffalo, New York)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I will now issue my disclaimer: TR has never been one of my favorite presidents, he isn't even in my second tier. Nonetheless, like him or not, he's a captivating historical figure, and so I thought, based on the user ratings here, this would be a good bet.
Ouch. Ten bucks wasted.
I don't think I've seen another John Milius-directed movie, and if this is any indication, if I never see another one as as long as I live it'll be twenty minutes too soon.
It seems Milius sees history as a cartoon. He had poor Tom Berenger stumbling and barging through sets like a Milton Berle skit, knocking over every extra and piece of furniture he could between points A and B, presumably so we'd know what a focused and energetic guy Teddy was -- "See, he doesn't even realize he's doing it -- tables and people are too small for TR's notice! What a muscular manly man! Doesn't know his own strength! They don't make 'em like THAT any more!" I'm fairly sure they never made 'em like that at all.
And then there was Gary Busey, evidently on some kind of artistic quest to become Foghorn Leghorn: "Quit doodlin' aroun' wi' that theah yankee an' git on over here. It's a joke -- I say, a joke, son! Doodle! Yankee! Yankee Doodle! Ya got a hole in yer glove boy, I keep pitchin' 'em, you keep missin' 'em! LISTEN to me when I'm talkin' to ya boy! Now where 'n tarnation is that SEE-gar I was a-smokin'?!"
The always unintelligible Sam Eliot surpassed himself. He reminded me of Boomhauer from King of the Hill, only without all the energy.
I know Stephen Crane was present at the battle and wrote about it, but we didn't need him spouting purple prose -- again, presumably because Milius wasn't sure we'd "get it". When Crane, describing the battle to a companion, said, "The flag is up on the hill, flapping in the breeze, like freedom", I was glad I had a bucket nearby. Maybe I know nothing about freedom, but I have never known it to flap, breeze or no. Really, we'd just watched the 'Riders charging through a hail of fire and we got it. We didn't need bad poetry to drive it home for us. We got it. We got it.
The action scenes were all right -- competent, but nothing extraordinary. That was about all there was here that was worth seeing, and that's what kept me from bombing this one, though it probably deserves it.
 Good movie except for Tom Berenger's overacting September 6, 2009
MeridianX (Bucks County, PA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This movie was a great re-telling of the story that defines why the name "Rough Riders" did not disappear from history. For a "war" movie there was good character development and I really felt a lot loser to the characters. The story itself is a triumph of the determination of men to rise to the occasion. Very fun to watch if you are a military buff since the treatment of the equipment and battle scenes are very well done. My biggest disappointment was the treatment of Teddy Roosevelt. The film makes him look like a caricature or cartoon character. Instead of a fun-loving, jolly, but determined figure they portrayed him as an obnoxious goof ball who, compared to everyone else in the battle, did not belong on the battlefield. This was enhance by Tom Berenger's awful overacting. I guess John Milius wanted to portray TR as a spoiled rich boy who never grew up. Then upon being placed in the heat of battle TR suddenly transforms into greatness before the eyes of the audience. Either way since the ending is exciting you leave feeling good about the movie but it missed greatness by the portrayal of one of the key players in the story.
Great Movie about TR and his Rough Riders! August 10, 2009
Chris (Biloxi, MS United States)
One of my favorite historical characters is Theodore Roosevelt. 'Rough Riders' is a really great film in depicting the famous battle and the the very famous man who rode from San Juan Hill into the White House. Tom Berenger does a really great job as Roosevelt. I especially like his opening scene where he crashes the party, so to speak. Berenger really brings Roosevelt's lust for life well to the screen. Roosevelt is a historical figure I wish I could have met. Gary Busey makes a very good Fighting Joe Wheeler even though he doesn't have the full beard and the shortness the real Wheeler had. He does well though in the craziness department. Also, Sam Elliott is his usual reliable self.
Also I like the profusion of historical characters that are brought to life: the newspapermen Edward Marshall and the famous Stephen Crane among them. It's too bad that the other newspaperman Richard Harding Davis was cut out of the story but the actors bring the other two to life. I have always enjoyed Crane's narration of the battle and the line 'Any American would give an arm to see this' gets me every time. I also like Brad Johnson as the bad man turned good Henry Nash and I'm always moved by his decision to help his comrades at the Battle of San Juan Hill.
Milius depicts the decision to go to war as really being a result of the yellow journalism of the time by people like Hearst. The Spanish American war was really one of those adventures that the United States likes to get involved in that shows that it has a military and is not afraid to use it and as a warning to other countries that we will fight at the drop of a hat and usually will drop it ourselves. The film doesn't dwell on these issues but it is there in the background- the beginning of the American century.
Highly recommended!
 Great Movie! July 27, 2009
Richard Byers (Astoria, OR United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've had the tape of this movie for a few years and finally decided to purchase the DVD version - it's that good! Characterizations are all solid and Tom Berenger does a great job of bringing T.R. to larger-than-life. Gary Busey is a hoot as ex-Confederate "Fighting Joe" Wheeler, although he doesn't resemble the real Wheeler in any way. By the way, disregard Amazon's notation that this 2-part miniseries is 240 min. It's only 184 min (3hrs plus commercials for TV). Enjoy!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 107
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