Blue Thunder (1983)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Dan O'Bannon (written by) &
Don Jakoby (written by)

Release Date:

13 May 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He's Out There...

Plot:

The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Helicopter | Police Helicopter | Los Angeles Storm Drain | Observation

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Roy Scheider	...	Officer Frank Murphy
Warren Oates	...	Capt. Jack Braddock
Candy Clark	...	Kate
Daniel Stern	...	Officer Richard Lymangood
Paul Roebling	...	Icelan
David Sheiner	...	Fletcher
Joe Santos	...	Montoya
Malcolm McDowell	...	Col. F.E. Cochrane
Ed Bernard	...	Sgt. Short
Jason Bernard	...	Mayor
Mario Machado	...	Himself
James Murtaugh	...	Alf Hewitt
Pat McNamara	...	Matusek
Jack Murdock	...	Kress
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Allen (as Clifford Pellow)

Also Known As:

Blue Thunder the Movie (UK) (video box title)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #26781) | West Germany:12 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Lancaster, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The helicopter used to portray Blue Thunder was a French-made Gazelle helicopter with bolt-on parts to change its appearance. Most notably the chin cannon assembly was too heavy, necessitating a weight attached to the tail to keep the nose from dipping forward in flight.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the demonstration flight, in-cockpit shots show a bare-handed pilot operating the controls, switching back to a gloved actor on landing.

Quotes:

Lymangood: This sucker will do everything but cook your breakfast!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Eegah! (#6.6)" (1993)

An under-rated gem..

I first saw Blue Thunder as a kid at the time of its release and enjoyed it purely as a slice of action/adventure typical of its time. I could name many films from the early 80s of a similar ilk, but this one stuck in my mind as a real favourite and it was only when I re-watched it recently that I understood why.

Unlike other films in the genre, Blue Thunder always strikes me as having been thought about and crafted in a very careful way. In fact I didn't remember there being as little action as there is. Instead we are given far more character development than we might be accustomed to, thereby enhancing the final aerial drama because we do care about the people involved.

Roy Scheider(who I must confess is my favourite actor of his era) gives a standout performance. His portrayal of Murphy with its wry humour & very human lapses shares more than a little with a certain Chief Brody, but the use of an aging rebel with little cause as the main character in a technological thriller is still refreshing now.

Malcolm McDowell gives the sort of OTT villainous performance that only he can (why has no-one ever cast him as a Bond villain?) and special mention must go to Warren Oates as Scheider's long-suffering boss.

The helicopter looks awesome with cool gadgets aplenty but it isn't the star here, Scheider is. Move over Top Gun, Airwolf, Wings of the Apache, et al; this is the number 1 fly-boy in town.