Green Dragon

I honestly do not understand why this movie is getting the kind of reviews it is getting.

The acting was brilliant in all fields, I found the little boy who play Minh's character amazing, especially for that age.

Very touched by the stories of every individual just because they where in a camp away from all the war doesn't mean the war is not there(including Swayze's and Whitaker's charterers of course). I found that the story to bring out a different part of the Vietnam war that is constantly looked over, well every war for that matter.

Strictly a movie that is about people life story. I keep seeing reviews how they felt it was an "Anti-American" film because of a few scenes... Honestly the movie about the emotions of the people who is not in their home country that is being torn up from their own people, and their only way out is to live in a camp that is completely foreign. Try to comprehend that.

This is a very good movie and it is worth a watch.

'Green Dragon' is a low cost but well made movie. It is about going through the hardship of life. There is hope no matter how dissapointing our life is. Anybody who felt their life worthless should watch this film.

The songs and music are very good also.

8/10

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.

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.

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.