Rolling Thunder

John Flynn's crisp, laconic direction and evocative use of Southern Texas locations - the San Antonio area, with particularly effective, sinister excursions to border towns like Del Rio - transorm Rolling Thunder into a more distinctive exploitation movie than it deserves to be. [29 Oct 1977, p.B7]

The A.V. ClubTom Breihan

Rolling Thunder is a bloody, nasty, complicated action movie for a bloody, nasty, complicated moment in American history. Read full review

CineVueLee Cassanell

If you can forgive the cardboard villains and suspicious editing, there is plenty here to hold your interest. Read full review

Washington PostArt Harris

Rolling Thunder certainly has enough to recommend it to Walking Tall fans with strong stomachs. But moviegoers yearning for a sensitive attempt to graft the nation's most recent scar tissue onto the screen will have to wait. [04 Nov 1977, p.11]

The New York TimesVincent Canby

The movie has some good things, but in the way it has been directed by John Flynn it moves so easily and sort of foolishly toward its violent climax that all the tension within Charlie has long since escaped the film. Read full review

VarietyStaff (Not Credited)

Excellent cast performs well, but not well enough and Paul Schrader's story is strong, but not strong enough. In sum, it neither rolls nor thunders. Read full review