denis888 John Milius has proved everybody here that he could do a real master work of art. This is a very good mini series and it is done without false jingoism, without bombastic pathos, without silly pretense, but with a gusto, with real zeal, with real impeccable taste and vigor. John fervently studied the sources and here we see a real candid picture of a very tragic start of Americano-Spanish war of 1898. The casting is so superb that even Mr. Maxwell with his unbeatable Gettysburg would have been jealous. I was very happy to see three of Gettysburg stars here, even four - Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, Buck Taylor and a cameo of Patrick Gorman. And then, here are also such luminaries as Gary Busey, Chris Noth in his arguably best role and great late Brian Keith as President McKinley. Tom Berenger as Colonel Theodore Roovelt shines all the movie through - he is loud, clumsy, arrogant, funny, sluggish, but also smart, clever, brave, audacious and unmitigated. He is very good in military roles and here Tom proved it again, Sam Elliott is another great asset, his deep resonant voice and cold look make the film very decent. Brad Johnson as Henry Nash is another great victory here, he is cowardly at first, but clever and brave later then. The excellent music, soft humor, deep sympathy to common soldiers, spellbinding scenery, marvelous battle scenes all make this movie a real gem and a real must see for all History fans, like me. I am still under deepest impression. Great job!

thomas-jensen1 I did enjoy the movie a great deal and was able to look past some of the historical errors, (hard for a military historian). One major point is the inclusion of Fredrick Funston in the film. Funston is truly a character worth a film of his own, small town Kansa boy (Iola, Ks) makes good. While he did fight in Cuba it was prior to the Spanish American War. He was recovering from wounds in the US at the time of the war. He did raise a volunteer regiment, the 20th Kansas that later saw action in the Philippines where Funston and Privates Trembly and White of the 20th Kansas all received the Medal of Honor. Funston was later a key player in the great San Fransico earthquake and on the Mexican border prior to WW I. He was slated to command all American forces in WWI when he died suddenly in 1916 in San Antonio. The command then went to Pershing.

BillyGL88 Wish this great film had made it to the Big Screen! Absolutely the best film ever made on Teddy Rosevelt.Great for the whole family in my opinion!It not only documents his life... it also presents his great ideals and character as very 'Presidential' and to be desired. The same cannot be said of all our Presidents.The depiction of the battle for San Quan Hill was one of the best war documentaries I've ever seen.An all-star cast helps make this a classic movie.I will get this movie for my collection for sure.I will recommend it to all our family and friends.-BGLewis of Spring Hill, FL

carflo I think Teddy would have approved. Sometimes modern movies present the past through modern beliefs and sensibilities. In fact, more often than not directors present the past in this manner. Rough Riders is an honest movie that lets the past speak for itself with no apologies. Teddy Roosevelt and his rather diverse band of recruits believed that they were going to Cuba to save the Cuban people from an evil and exploitive Spanish colonial government. Tom Berenger completely buries himself in the character of Teddy Roosevelt without the parody that often accompanies the part. He is surrounded by a cast of excellent actors from Gary Busey as General Joe Wheeler to George Hamilton as William Randolph Hurst. Sam Elliot, Francesco Quinn, and Brad Johnson are fictional characters used to represent the range of ordinary men who followed Roosevelt. Chris Noth, Holt McCallany, and James Parke are the wealthy scions of the Wadsworth, Fish and Tiffany families. I especially liked Nick Chinlund as Frederick Remington and Adam Storke as Stephen Crane. Except for Hurst and Wheeler, these men went into the war dreaming of honor and adventure. They saw themselves as heroes going off to save the Cuban people. They were men who quoted Shakespeare's Henry V "we happy few" and believed it implicitly. The director, John Milius, and his cast of fine actors do honor to themselves and their professions by allowing these naive young men to speak for themselves and their world.