Blue Thunder

Name: Blue Thunder
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: May 13, 1983
Duration: 109 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Candy Clark, Daniel Stern, David Sheiner, Ed Bernard, Jason Bernard

1983

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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Blue Thunder

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia TriStar Film | Release Date: May 13, 1983 | R

Starring: Candy Clark, Daniel Stern, David Sheiner, Ed Bernard, Jason Bernard, Joe Santos, Malcolm McDowell, Paul Roebling, Roy Scheider, Warren Oates

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

Director: John Badham

Genre(s): Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 109 min

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Critic Reviews

Gene Siskel

John Badham's exciting thriller about an L.A. detective (Roy Scheider) who battles against the government creeps who have created a monstrous helicopter to be used for 1984-style crowd control. Great action in a David-versus-Goliath story. [22 July 1983, p.10]

Vincent Canby

The action sequences are what the film is all about, and these are remarkably well done, including a climactic, largely bloodless shootout among helicopters and jet fighters over Los Angeles. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Expertly executed action flick that starts out fast and winds up faster. We've seen it all before, but the execution here supersedes the concept. Read full review

Matthew Fraser

Instead of connecting the film's action with Murphy's personal crisis, director John Badham (Saturday Night Fever) gives us several aerial dogfights which seem to be drawn out only for the sake of giving the audience a bigger bang for its buck. The pacing and camerawork are gripping, to be sure, but in the end Blue Thunder achieves only the excitement of a good action movie. [14 May 1983]

Time Out London Staff (Not Credited)

The opposition of good and evil is devoid of any subtle shading, so just sit back and enjoy the spectacular dogfight over downtown Los Angeles. Read full review

Empire William Thomas

The script self-destructs, but the performances — including Daniel Stern as an expendable sidekick — are fun, and John Badham stages some super stunts with the insectile title machine. Read full review

Bill Cosford

When the action founders on cliches and implausibilities, there are only the characters to fall back on. And this time, they're papier-mache. [13 May 1983, p.C2]

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User Reviews

Lambo442

Jan 18, 2019

If you're interested in watching police attack choppers and fighter jets engaging each other in downtown LA, as well as using state of the art technology to zoom in on hooker's breasts, then you should enjoy Blue Thunder, this absolute gem of an 80's movie, which pits Rob Scheider againstIf you're interested in watching police attack choppers and fighter jets engaging each other in downtown LA, as well as using state of the art technology to zoom in on hooker's breasts, then you should enjoy Blue Thunder, this absolute gem of an 80's movie, which pits Rob Scheider against Malcom McDowell in one of the most epic, action packed and thrilling cop movies you'll ever see. Among the worse off in this film are the poor bystanders, who have to endure missiles tearing through the sides of their office blocks as these cops try to kill each other, along with smashed up choppers and jets falling on them from above. It's pure machoness and testosterone, just men, in power, duking it out in the skies with big war machines whilst they have Nam flashbacks and try and hold their sh!t together.… Expand

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