User Reviews

"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.

This film has an action-packed ending featuring an incredible (for it's time) police helicopter. However, to get to the end, one must plod through the remainder of the film and that is kinda slow. The film could be a great one but wound up only pretty decent. Roy Scheider as the star was an excellent choice and he did a great job in the film. Malcolm McDowell plays the antagonist well and the two play well off each other. However, the story bogs down a bit for nearly half the movie right in the middle. Once it picks back up, though, hold on to your seat! The ending is in the WOW! category. So watch the beginning, then take a nap in the middle to rest up for the end. 6 out of 10 from me.

Officers Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider) and Richard Lymangood (Daniel Stern) get grounded for hovering near a home in Encino to spy on a nude woman. Well, that's what you get for using taxpayer dollars for being peeping toms.

No worry, there's a new program that Murphy has been chosen for so it looks like he won't stay grounded. The city of L.A. is looking to employ the use of a tactical helicopter nicknamed Blue Thunder. This thing looks like it belongs in the Vietnam war or worse. How they could justify using it in a domestic situation is beyond me. But, it's L.A. in the 1980's so whatever.

Murphy catches on that the use of the Blue Thunder is not on the up-and-up and then he becomes a target.

Action-wise and story-wise the movie was good. It was conspiratorial but I like a good conspiracy movie. Some of the decisions were totally unbelievable but it's a movie. I can't believe that a mayor would OK dispatching two F-16's to shoot down a helicopter over a densely-populated city. That had to be one of the most reckless actions by a mayor in cinematic history. Even more reckless than opening Amity beach after a shark attack.

**Hopefully someone got that reference.**

It was no wonder that both missiles fired missed their target and blew up a couple of buildings. I wonder how many people died in that errant attack? You think that mayor got re-elected?

But really, why would they have tried to down the helicopter in the first place? You're asking for serious damage and/or casualties. He's in a helicopter. A helicopter that requires fuel. Escort him and wait it out, once he's down arrest him.

I understood Cochrane's motives (played by Malcolm McDowell) for wanting to shoot down Murphy, he had to cover his butt, but the rest of the LAPD... come on. Or maybe the goal of the movie was to paint the city of L.A. as stupid, reckless, and inept.

Take away the foolish decisions and I actually liked the movie. A super charged helicopter as a vehicle and a weapon was a nice touch however improbable it was to use in an urban environment.

Blue Thunder

'Blue Thunder' is from a time when the world was obsessed with super high tech vehicles. In the 80's we had films and TV shows about super helicopters, cars and planes. Hell! We even had a TV show about a super advanced motorcycle! Street hawk anyone?

'Blue Thunder' is elevated not just by rotor blades but by some rather impressive film making and fine performances. Particularly from lead star Roy Scheider who was just coming off the success of Jaws and its inferior sequel. He once again plays the reluctant action hero with the charismatic swagger only the way he can. 'Blue Thunder' tells the story of ace Police chopper pilot Frank Murphy (Scheider) and a super advanced attack helicopter. When Frank and his partner JAFO played by a young Daniel Stern uncover sinister implications for the new vehicle all action breaks loose in a film that is better than it has any right to be. As aforementioned this movie is good due to some fantastic production values. There's a rousing score by Arthur B Rubinstein that lifts the onscreen action and the aerial dogfights are stellar. There's no CGI here! Just plain old stunt work and practical effects. Director John Badham gives the audience good perspective by putting us in the helicopter seat right beside Murphy. The climatic battle is rather spectacular for a movie of its time. Every scene looks authentic. I would imagine if this movie was made today the choppers would be computer generated and they would lose a little soul. Real helicopters were flown around real buildings in a real city. Because of this the film is all the more exciting and gives a sense of realism. Much like 'Top Gun' which followed some three years later.

'Blue Thunder' transfers on to Blu-ray and Digital media rather splendidly. Picture quality is sharp with minimal grain. I don't imagine mega money was spent on this films restoration but it still manages to look impressive. Some nighttime shots look a little muddy and muddled but for the most part this film has a crisp detailed image. Particularly during daytime scenes. Sound quality is decent too. I watched this film again with a Dolby Digital Plus mix and was mildly impressed. Surround sound effects are abundant. The opening scene sounds rather good but some rear effects sounded overly processed and fake as the film went on. LFE was marginally impactful but still commendable for a film of its age. Everything about this movie is better than it should be, it's aged rather well. If we compare to 'Top Gun' as mentioned, 'Blue Thunder' looks the fresher of the two in terms of image quality. I have no doubt that the Tom Cruise action vehicle will get a full blown restoration on 4K Blu-ray when its sequel arrives in theatres next year. But for now it is 'Blue Thunder' that looks the crisper of the two.

'Blue Thunder' is a forgotten gem from the early 80's and a movie worth watching for the late great Roy Scheider. If you happen to like helicopters then it's a double win.

Directed by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, Dracula, Stakeout) and written by Dan O'Bannon (Alien, Dark Star, Return of the Living Dead, Lifeforce) and Don Jakoby (The Philadelphia Experiment, Death Wish 3, Double Team), Blue Thunder stands between the conspiracy thrillers of the 70s and the big budget action films of the 80s.

O'Bannon and Jakoby began lived together in a Hollywood apartment where low-flying police helicopters kept them awake all night. Their original take was even more political with the police state controlling the population of Los Angeles through high-tech surveillance and military-level weapons. They also got extensive script help from Captain Bob Woods, then-chief of the LAPD Air Support Division.

What emerged was a movie with a totally awesome helicopter -- I owned the toy as a kid -- designed by Mickey Michaels. They're a combination of Aérospatiale SA-341G Gazelles and Apache military helicopters with alterations that made them so heavy that they could barely fly much less pull off the moves in the battle at the close of the film.

Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider, who made this so he wouldn't have to be in Jaws 3D) is a Vietnam War vet with PTSD who flies a helicopter for the Metropolitan Police Department -- you know, the LAPD -- along with observer Richard Lymangood (Daniel Stern). Together, they help police forces on the ground in Los Angeles. They're invited to check out -- and even pilot -- a special helicopter known as Blue Thunder that can help protect the city during the Olympics.

It all seems too good to be true and Murphy figures that it's a conspiracy to lead to more police militarization and illegally spying on civilians. He learns that the copter is part of T. H. O. R. Tactical Helicopter Offensive Response) and is being used to kill any politician that is standing in its way. It will eventually be piloted by U. S. Army Colonel F. E. Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell, who hated flying and looks incredibly upset during the fight at the end), the same man who gave Murphy all those bad memories from the war.

When Murphy and Lymnangood film evidence of this conspiracy, the pilot takes Blue Thunder and the observer is murdered by hitmen. Murphy gets the videotape to his girlfriend Kate (Candy Clark, who is awesome in this) and escorts her via the super copter to a TV station while more hitmen are in pursuit, as well as more copters, F-14s and Cochrane come after him.

This was one of the last films Warren Oates made and do I even have to tell you how incredible he is in it?

Somehow, a movie about the dangers of the LAPD getting these machines led to a series where they did and it was sold as a good thing and the dark movie that inspired the movie gets forgotten. James Farentino flew Blue Thunder along with Dana Carvey with Dick Butkus and Bubba Smith working as the ground crew. It lasted eleven episodes. However, another show about a futuristic helicopter, Airwolf, lasted 79 episodes.

"The hardware, weaponry and surveillance systems depicted in this film are real and in use in the United States today."

Just imagine what's out there 39 years later.

Not bad at all. BLUE THUNDER is a pretty rousing entertainment. Roy Scheider is a cop assigned to man a new fangled, high tech surveillance copter only to find out more than he should and soon nasty Malcolm McDowell is on tail. It's empty-headed action with a lot of great aerial work. Scheider is his typically steel jawed self and McDowell is great fun. The director John Badham may not be the most imaginative but he knows how to keep the pace of a film going (see Saturday NIGHT FEVER). He also has a keen eye for casting...in addition to Scheider and McDowell, the supporting cast is populated with a bunch of always interesting actors: Warren Oates, Daniel Stern, Joe Santos. The great Candy Clark is well used as Scheider's resourceful girlfriend.

**SPOILERS** Said to be the ultimate weapon against crime or a terrorist attack on America the Blue Thunder combat helicopter is to be tested over the skies of Los Angeles against common street criminals. With LAPD copter pilots Murphy and Lymangood,Roy Scheider & Daniel Stern, as it's crew.

Very early in the movie both officers Murphy & Lymangood realize that the newest weapon against crime, the Blue Thunder, is actually going to be used against the average law abiding American citizen instead. Those behind using the Blue Thunder are planing to create terrorist violence and then use it to keep the innocent public under control.

The shocking truth comes out with the rape and mugging murder, that was a cover for an assassination, of the head of the L.A task force on urban violence commissioner Diane McNeely, Robin Braxton. Diane was about to release her findings that would expose those in the local city state and federal government of their real reasons in incorporating the Blue Thunder in all the big city police departments. It was found out by the McNeely commission that these high in government officials are secretly planning to stir up trouble in the ghettos and barrios of the city of L.A. If successful it would be an excuse for a major takeover of the country in instigating violence and chaos and then repealing the rights of Americans in the name of national security, sounds familiar? Those behind the Blue Thunder are planning to suspend the US Constitution and Bill of Rights and create a police state and fascist dictatorship.

Knowing that their marked men the two LAPD helicopter pilots tape a conversation of these secret government-types that includes Murphy's former partner and co-pilot in Vietnam Col. Cochrane, Malcolm McDowell. This leads to Lymangoods' murder when he's first kidnapped and then after escaping his captors is run down and killed on the streets of L.A.

Getting the news to where the incriminating tape was hidden,from the murdered Lymangood's telephone answering machine, Murphy hijacks the Blue Thunder and has his plucky girlfriend Kate, Candy Clark,retrieve it in order to bring it to a local L.A TV news station to be broadcast to the world. It's now a race against time as those in power planning to take over the government are themselves in a panic of being exposed by the tape. They do all that they can, using the L.A police and even the USAF, to shoot down and kill Murphy and Kate before they can make the secret takeover public. With everything that they do failing miserably to stop Murphy and his Blue Thunder helicopter the anti-freedom conspirators bring in their big gun Col. Cochrane to finally get the job done.

Spectacular and breath taking aerial acrobatics high over the city of L.A has maverick cop Murphy evade and then shoot down a number police helicopters as well as a fully armed USAF F16 jet fighter. With all this action and excitement it almost overshadow the films basic story about crime and corruption in high places in government. The dog fight between Murphy and Cochrane is about as good as any air to air combat shoot him ups thats been in movies with much faster fighter jets as the two have it out blowing up almost half of the city. Playing an airborne cat and mouse game with Cochrane Murphy outmaneuvers him, doing a complete circle in the air, and then getting on his tail blows Cochrane to pieces before he sets the Blue Thunder down on a railroad track having it demolished by an oncoming locomotive. With that demolishing the hopes and dreams of those who wanted to use it, as an excuse for crowd control, in their planned takeover of the United States.

P.S "Blue Thunder" was also 54 year old actor Warren Oates, who played Murphy and Lymangoods boss Capt. Jack Braddock, last movie.

One of the famous action director John Badham's lesser films, "Blue Thunder" is the story of a hi-tech helicopter and the dark conspiracy behind it.

The real let down of this film is the plot, which is not only poorly developed but very vague. There are far too many holes and pieces missing in the storyline. Characterisation is also poor, with many seemingly pivotal roles either dreadfully under worked or ignored entirely. The cast too, are largely uninspired.

Only one thing holds this movie up, and that's the action, which is reasonably impressive. Otherwise, all this is, is a bad excuse for a chopper action flick.

Friday, February 12, 1993 - T.V.

I like Roy Scheider a lot. He boxed in the Golden Gloves, and who could not admire that nose? He's the protagonist here, a Vietnam vet who patrols Los Angeles in eponymous Super Duper helicopter that is designed to awe the audience. It's armored, it has a 20 mm. Gatling gun that automatically follows the gaze of the pilot, immune to radar, equipped with infra-red detectors, and it has a "whisper mode" in which the whop whop generated by the whirling rotors is dimmed by the sound man. It is supposed to be the ne plus ultra of military helicopters. And maybe in was in 1983. It's nothing new today. Except I suppose no current helicopters have a "whisper mode" because no sound man is present.

The problem is that any experienced viewer, anyone who has tapped into one or two examples of the James Bond franchise, isn't going to feel awe as much as boredom.

The helicopter is already obsolescent and the plot isn't anything new either. Roy Scheider is good; Malcolm McDowell is bad. Scheider, the pilot, has a radar officer next to him, a young "Gee Whiz" kind of guy who is cheerful, helpful, moral, and hasn't been around much. You know he's dead meat ten seconds after he appears.

The musical score pounds on our tympani. So does the dialog. "Okay, boys, this time we play Follow the Leader!" Scheider makes the kind of wisecracks under stress that can be found in an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie, even as his helicopter whirls in circles and heads for the deck.

Lots of action scenes. The helicopter demolishes a cardboard test town. Cars chase a car. Helicopter chases a car. Helicopter chases helicopter. Car chases bound and gagged man waddling down the street. Exploding fireballs all over the place. Kids will love it.

The final shoot out takes place at about a thousand feet over and between Los Angeles' glass office buildings. One is flown by the good guy and the other is flown by the villain. Guess who wins.