Alicia I love this movie so much

Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Mr-Fusion "Blue Thunder" . . . isn't this that movie where Roy Scheider uncovers a government conspiracy and then loops a wicked military chopper? You betcher sweet ass it is! And it's a shame the helicopter didn't talk. I mean, the comic potential of a reckless pilot and his snappy chopper is enough to salivate over. A more cynical person might find all of this silly, but not me. I was caught up in the whole thing; the car chases, the dofight through downtown L.A. It all works somehow, both as police procedural and conspiracy flick.Scheider lends a great presence to validate the whole thing, Malcolm McDowell is a real slime of the first order, but neither one of these guys has a thing on the real star of the movie: ol' Blue, herself. That is one menacing attack helicopter, loaded for bear and still sleek. I can only imagine what it was like back in the '80s to be a bystander on the ground watching them film this beast in the air.7/10

Woodyanders Scrappy and traumatized, yet still sharp and capable Vietnam veteran and ace helicopter pilot Frank Murphy (an excellent performance by Roy Scheider) is assigned to try out a new hi-tech helicopter called Blue Thunder. When Murphy discovers that said chopper is going to be as a weapon by a group of nefarious folks led by his sinister old-time nemesis Colonel F.E. Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell in splendidly smug, cocky, and utterly slimy form), he decides to go public with the information. Director John Badham, working from a totally preposterous, but witty and engrossing script by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jacoby, relates the captivating plot at a constant brisk pace, builds a good deal of tension, stages the action set pieces with real rip-roaring aplomb (the climactic cat and mouse helicopter showdown between Murphy and Cochrane completely smokes), and tops everything off with an amusing line in sharp sarcastic humor (favorite line: "When you're walkin' on eggs, don't hop"). This film further benefits from sturdy acting from a bang-up cast: Scheider effortlessly carries the picture with his natural charisma and makes for a totally likable hero (this movie earns extra points for not depicting a 'Nam vet as one of your standard crazed bloodthirsty psychos), Daniel Stern provides funny and engaging comic relief as Murphy's goofball partner Richard Lymangood, Candy Clark contributes an appealing turn as Murphy's sweet girlfriend Kate, and the always fantastic Warren Oates almost steals the whole show in one of his very last roles as Murphy's crusty no-nonsense superior Captain Jack Braddock. Veteran bad guy thespian Anthony James pops up in one of his standard nasty villain parts. Arthur B. Rubinstein's robust and rousing score hits the stirring spot. John A. Alonzo's slick widescreen cinematography gives the picture a nifty bright gleaming look; the nighttime sequences in particular are gorgeously shot and impressive. Moreover, we even have a still relevant and provocative central message about how advanced technology makes it easier for Big Brother to invade one's privacy and how said advanced technology isn't always designed with the general public's best interests in mind. Granted, this film isn't exactly credible (a protracted automobile chase sequence with Kate outracing a bunch of cop cars is simply ridiculous, but nevertheless quite thrilling and entertaining), but it's overall a highly enjoyable affair just the same.

Paul Andrews Blue Thunder is set in Los Angeles where Officer Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider) works as a helicopter pilot, while out one night flying the police chopper he witnesses a shoot-out between some thugs & a politician named Diane McNeely (Robin Braxton) in which McNeely is shot & killed. Put down to an attempted rape Murphy isn't so sure, the US military draft Murphy into an experimental programme called THOR in which they have developed a hi-tech assault helicopter to police the skies & take appropriate force if necessary to prevent crime. While on surveillance Murphy collects evidence that implicates several high ranking military official's in a plot to cause trouble in Los Angeles so the helicopter nicknamed Blue Thunder could be used & it's worth & the monetary investment proved. No-one will believe Murphy so he steals Blue Thunder & uses it against it's creators to prevent a massacre...Directed by John Badham this semi futuristic action thriller is watchable enough in it's own right but while Blue Thunder is a good film it's not a great one in my opinion. The script can't quite decide if it wants to be a political thriller or a straight up lads action film & sort of lies somewhere between the two with ever really completely satisfying on either count. The thriller & standard Government conspiracy plot is too broad & besides having a few guy's in nice suits talk in sinister tones there's virtually no depth to that angle at all, the idea that they plan to ignite trouble through racial tension in Los Angeles so they can demonstrate how good their hi-tech helicopter is does seem to stretch credibility somewhat, why didn't the military just create Blue Thunder for like, you know, military purposes where it would have been perfectly suited? They risk exposing themselves far too often & seem far too open about their plans for my liking too. The action scenes are pretty good, the last half an hour in particular are full of helicopter chases, car chases & explosions but the thriller side of things bog the film down too much & it takes a while to get to the good stuff, at over 100 minutes long Blue Thunder the helicopter isn't even seen for the first half an hour for instance. There's a nice little moment as Murphy spies on a naked woman doing aerobics in the helicopter which raises issues about privacy & the jurisdiction the police have but it's a throwaway scene of little consequence overall. The rest of the plot elements are fairly standard action film clichés, there's the troubled maverick hero, the main villain who has a personal connection to the hero, the annoyed boss of said hero who shouts & swears a lot & not to mention the rookie mismatched partner.The Blue Thunder helicopter does look quite cool with it's sleek lines & gun & missile turrets, the actual helicopter used was a French made Gazelle with various bolt on parts. The action scenes are pretty good with helicopter chases including going under some bridges, a car chase & some explosions during the final thirty odd minutes. There's surprisingly very little violence with a tiny body count compared to most Hollywood action films, there's really is no on screen violence at all although there's a fair amount of profanity & some nudity. Apparently the first draft of the script was about a police helicopter pilot going mad & terrorising Los Angeles using his chopper, the studio men didn't like it though & made the main character a hero & Blue Thunder was born.This has good production values & is well made, the majority of the action scenes are real with a few model shots & a bit of rear projection & it still looks better than most modern CGI effect heavy films. The acting is good from a decent cast, Roy Scheider never really made it big as a star but he's good here, Malcolm McDowell is wasted although Warren Oates in his last film is great as the bad tempered police Captain.Blue Thunder is a decent enough action thriller that doesn't quite deliver in either regard but it's alright for what it is, the action scenes are good & the helicopter looks cool so 80's action fans should like it. Followed by the Blue Thunder (1984) TV series which ran for eleven episodes & surely this influenced the makers of Airwolf?

Scarecrow-88 "Blue Thunder" is certainly my kind of movie as it achieves in casting actors I enjoy watching and has a military helicopter with state of the art weaponry and exceptional flying capability. When you such names as Roy Scheider, Warren Oates(aka God), Daniel Stern, Candy Clark(who I have never liked more than in this movie), and Malcolm McDowell, I'd be hard pressed to imagine how it could go wrong. Blue Thunder is a new form of police duty. Scheider plays a former helo-pilot during Nam who has the grueling task of warding off past demons which return to cause unneeded stress as he's in the air with co-pilot Stern hunting down street scum. Scheider is to pilot along with Stern the Blue Thunder much to the chagrin of McDowell who knows him from Nam. We later learn of a nasty little incident between the two which explains the obvious tension both share whenever they are near each other. McDowell is government now and contributes to a specific event, regarding the shooting of a political figure out to help the lower rung of society by one of the very kinds of criminal low lives she was vocal in her community at protecting. How McDowell is involved and how Scheider is out to shake him(and those others who are participants in this covert incident)is the meat of the film's storyline which accompanies the helicopter action that is the bread and butter of "Blue Thunder". Candy Clark is Scheider's girlfriend who is dragged into the developing plot concerning a conversation on a recorded tape and how she will be needed to deliver it to a news organization in order to see those involved are brought to justice. Stern is the affable partner of Scheider who suffers a tragic fate in order to lend a hand in taking down those who are responsible for a murder cover up. Oates is Scheider's disgruntled boss who has trouble defending him during moments of reckless behavior(Stern uses the photographic equipment to peep in on a naked woman doing aerobics! Scheider stealing the Blue Thunder in order to see that the tape is turned into the proper people). Oates, even in such menial roles which service the plot as a barking police captain, manages to steal all his scenes! Lord knows, Oates' captain has plenty to complain about when his pilots cause such disturbances as using the helicopter for other means besides police work! Candy Clark's driving in this movie is of supreme comedy relief as she evades certain harm repeatedly, particularly at the end when being chased by police out to arrest her. But, I wanted action in the air, and there are plenty of helicopter chases, even if such instances are preposterous when pondering them realistically(would even as good a pilot as Scheider really be able to outsmart heat seeking missiles fired at him from military jets?!). McDowell is, as always, perfectly loathsome, as a hot shot helicopter pilot whose superiority complex and treatment of Scheider make him such a wonderfully hissable villain. Badham keeps this movie humming along despite a long running time, staging some impressive action sequences along the way. Scheider, always quite the charmer, is appealing in the lead hero role. Regarded as unable to carry a movie, I always thought Scheider did so effortlessly. Scheider and Oates, you guys may be gone, but will never be forgotten.