The Ride

This is a compelling story about some of the larger questions of life......childhood cancer, failure, love, life after death, spiritual questions..........and so on. Biehn brings the angst of his character to life. It is quite departure from what I am used to seeing him do, e.g. the military man. He still plays a tough guy, but in this case he is brought to his knees by the heart, mind and suffering of a boy. The movie is steeped in cowboy culture, which I very much liked. What is more utterly and uniquely American than the spectacle of rodeo. If you like rodeo you will like this movie. Admittedly, the movie is somewhat formulaic.....but not all formulas are bad. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought the message powerful, poignant and ultimately uplifting without whitewashing the real pain of this world. There is a cameo appearance by Franklin Graham who speaks plainly about Jesus. I highly recommend this film

One of those movies that make you think a little about our fragile life is and how we take it for granted. A movie the whole family can enjoy. I have shared this movie with friends family and co-workers and others have went and bought since seeing it. Hope you watch and enjoy just like we all have.

I agree most Christian movies barely get a B rating. This one was very well written and I enjoyed watching it. Rethink what???( last comment). This was a simple message about running from God and finally realizing through the love of others that God will never give up on you.

It was sincere and better than a lot of "entertainment" I see out there. The performances were believable even if they weren't polished. I liked how not everyone was a Christian in the movie. The girl was not a believer but appreciated the love that was present at the ranch. The dying boy might not have been the best actor but he did a pretty good job.

Lighten up. This film was probably targeted toward a younger crowd and it sent the Gospel message loud and clear. Not everything has to be an Oscar performance! Let's not be so cynical. Above being all things to all men God commands us to love one another.

I like watching a movie that doesn't resort to foul language to get it's point across.

The Ride is a very different kind of film that was never designed to break box office figures but rather convey a message. With strong religious themes throughout, the film is very much down to interpretation. As an atheist, I was angered at how Danny (Brock Pierce) appeared to be forcing Smokey (Michael Biehn) in to religion. This is how I saw it but it is entirely possible that Danny was simply trying to open Smokey's mind. Smokey's inevitable conversion to Christianity, whilst infuriating to me, was handled very well by Biehn.

Where the film flourishes is in the opposing sides to Smokey's character. On one hand he is a selfish drunk but also he is compassionate and cares deeply for Danny and Linette. Whilst not always reacting the best way to situations, Smokey knows what's right and eventually comes through. The relationship between Smokey and Danny is also very touching. Whilst not agreeing with Danny's behaviour, he displays great courage and a purely platonic love for the entire world. The bonds between the characters are visibly, very strong and you can't help but feel great empathy all the way through the film.

The main reason to watch this film is Michael Biehn. Whilst he should be in much better films than this, Biehn takes his role very seriously and gives one of his strongest performances in a very long time. Biehn walks a fine line between arrogance and charisma as he did in K2 and it is very convincing that he makes friends and enemies in equal measure. It is a very demanding role as Smokey Banks is a very complex character and Biehn as always exceeds all requirements.

Religion is still very much a taboo subject and whilst I myself am not Christian, I admire the film maker's courage in showing his beliefs. The major axe I have to grind with this film is the culture it portrays. I hate bull rodeos as they are immensely cruel and the whole cowboy way of life theme becomes a tad tiresome. The 'hicksville' ranch that Banks is staying at is so stereotyped that you can picture George W. Bush being extremely happy there.

The Ride is fantastic once you look through the cheesy themes as it touches the emotions with great power. It is the inner core of the film that remains in the mind after watching, making The Ride well worth watching.

At the beginning, I had no expectations. When I identified it as a religious film, my expectations came in low. I found the film to be quite enjoyable, however ... even though I was predicting events before they were shown. This is definitely a film the entire family can watch together, and those are rare today. Performances aren't Academy Award material, but they fit the film quite well. Enjoy.