Blue Thunder (1983)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

"Blue Thunder" is about as perfect as a B-grade thriller can get. It has all the right clichés: the tortured Vietnam vet, the inexperienced sidekick, the grumpy boss, the slimy and smart villain. And, of course, there's the "MacGuffin", an old Alfred Hitchcock term for a particular object in a movie that everyone pursues. In this case, the MacGuffin is a prototype helicopter, presumably being loaned to the LAPD to head off potential terrorist (movements) during the Olympic Games.Technically, the film is quite good overall. Especially in the chase scenes, one gets the feeling that Badham and his crew spent hundreds of hours in the air to get the quality and quantity of footage necessary to pull this movie off. The editing, however, leaves something to be desired at times, particularly the ADR, which on numerous occasions does not appear to match the actors' mouth movements. Otherwise, however, the film is masterful, especially considering the technology used to edit it at the time.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

I was 18 when Blue Thunder came out in 1983...and 30 years later, I still enjoy this film.Granted, some of the story is over-the-top and unrealistic. But that is what you would expect for such a film - even if a remake were made today.Roy Scheider turned out to be perfectly cast as the lead role. Malcolm McDowell was also perfect as the arrogant "foil" / former Vietnam foe of Roy Scheider. Warren Oates (who died before filming was completed) was a riot as Scheider's boss. And Daniel Stern was also very enjoyable as Scheider's newbie "Observer".Naturally, the high-tech 'copter was the main reason people watched the movie, and it doesn't disappoint. The soundtrack enhances the film's entertainment experience...especially during suspense and action sequences. Unlike too many films today, where the soundtrack is always played (and often drowns out the dialog), I truly find the music adds to the overall enjoyment, and have even ordered the Blue Thunder soundtrack CD.The reason I give this film only a 6 / 10 rating is some of the overly ridiculous action scenes involving the helicopter vs. Air Force fighter jets. The copter wouldn't stand a chance against heat-seeking air-to-air missiles...let alone be able to shoot the wing off of an F-16 at a great distance with a Gatling Gun.

When I first watched this film back in the eighties I thought it was great but wasn't sure how it would stand the test of time; thankfully I needn't have been worried as it is just as good now. Roy Scheider stars as Frank Murphy, a helicopter pilot with the Los Angeles Police Department. One day while on his first flight with his new observer, Officer Lymangood, he witnesses the murder of a woman who just happens to be part of a task force dealing with urban violence; his superiors say that it was an attempted rape but he is convinced that there is more to it than that. Soon he and his partner find themselves assigned to test a new armed helicopter; the eponymous Blue Thunder. This brings Murphy into conflict with army test pilot Colonel Cochrane; a man who tried to have him court marshalled when he was serving in Vietnam. As the story progresses it becomes clear that Cochrane and several others were involved in the earlier murder and if Frank wants to survive he will have to get the evidence into the public domain without being shot out of the sky by police helicopters, F-16s or Cochrane's own armed helicopter.'Blue Thunder' is still a lot of fun almost thirty years after it first came out; the flying sequences are spectacular; I'm sure if it had been made today it would have been done with CGI but here it is obvious that real helicopters are chasing each other under bridges and through the canyons of downtown Los Angeles! The acting was good throughout; Scheider was excellent as Murphy, Malcolm McDowell was delightfully over the top as the villain Cochrane and Candy Clarke was great as Murphy's estranged wife Kate. While this is primarily an action drama there are some comic moments such as when the helicopters guns jam during a demonstration of its pinpoint accuracy causing it to destroy all the 'good guy' targets along with the bad and Lymangood trying to learn what his 'JAFO' nickname means.

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.