Days of Thunder

Name: Days of Thunder
Genre: Action, Drama, Sport, Romance
Released: June 27, 1990
Duration: 107 min
Rating: 60
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise

1990

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Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 78 Ratings

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5.6

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5.6	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 78 Ratings

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Days Of Thunder

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: June 27, 1990 | PG-13

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise

Summary: From the engine roar and fever pitch of professional stock car racing, Days of Thunder explodes with racing action. Race driver Cole Trickle, whose talent and ambition are surpassed only by his burning need to win. Discovered by businessman Tim Daland, Cole is teamed with legendary crew chief and car-builder Harry Hogge to race for theFrom the engine roar and fever pitch of professional stock car racing, Days of Thunder explodes with racing action. Race driver Cole Trickle, whose talent and ambition are surpassed only by his burning need to win. Discovered by businessman Tim Daland, Cole is teamed with legendary crew chief and car-builder Harry Hogge to race for the Winston Cup at the Daytona 500. A fiery crash nearly ends Cole's career and he must turn to a beautiful doctor to regain his nerve and the true courage needed to race, to win and to live.… Expand

Director: Tony Scott

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Sport, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 107 min

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Critic Reviews

Desson Howe

Thunder is exactly what it promises to be: Not Much -- but at dizzying speed, stripped down and free of wind-resistant subtlety. There's a certain integrity to that. A certain deafening integrity. Read full review

Roger Ebert

And Cruise is so efficiently packaged in this product that he plays the same role as a saint in a Mexican village's holy day procession: It's not what he does that makes him so special; it's the way he manifests everybody's faith in him. Read full review

Janet Maslin

Tony Scottmdoes his utmost to pump up the audience's adrenaline at all times, which means that the film's big moments - the races, the crashes, the news that someone needs brain surgery - don't seem that different from the small ones. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

The film, though sleek and easy to sit through, replaces genuine dramatic involvement with a superficial, rock & roll empathy-it's as though we were watching Cruise's character and playing air guitar to his emotions. There are plenty of soulless movies around. What's special about Days of Thunder is that it works overtime trying to convince you it's not one of them. Read full review

Peter Travers

Screenwriter Robert Towne has certainly not challenged his gifts -- the script is loaded with stock cars and stock characters -- but he does deliver what's necessary: a workable setup for exciting NASCAR racing footage shot on sixteen Winston Cup tracks from Daytona to Watkins Glen. Read full review

Mike Clark

This cliche primer is a bit more than bearable - even when it's literally and figuratively off the track. It's no Cocktail, but it's no Dom Perignon, either. [27 Jun 1990, p.1D]

Sheila Benson

You can leave Days of Thunder feeling positively chafed. That clanking noise, however, comes from Robert Towne's tinny story and its malnourished characters. [27 Jun 1990, p.1]

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User Reviews

EriM.

Jun 7, 2007

If you're a NASCAR fan it may just be the best movie you've ever seen.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

evokings

Jul 5, 2017

I enjoyed watching this movie, it felt like top gun on wheels, the lighting in some of the scenes was vary well orchestrated in this movie, especially in the garage scenes love to see the shadows and effects of the light through the fans, the music from Hans Zimmer is pretty well done asI enjoyed watching this movie, it felt like top gun on wheels, the lighting in some of the scenes was vary well orchestrated in this movie, especially in the garage scenes love to see the shadows and effects of the light through the fans, the music from Hans Zimmer is pretty well done as well, there is some flaws with the movie, but the acting from tom cruise, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, is pretty solid, I thought Nicole Kidmans accent was not fooling anyone, but honestly the movie was fairly entertaining to watch the story was well put together.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Spangle

Sep 26, 2015

The long-awaited sequel to Top Gun has apparently already been made; it is titled "Days of Thunder". Essentially, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell has become Cole Trickle and a NASCAR driver. That is honestly the only difference between the two films. As such, this one is incredibly enjoyable. TheThe long-awaited sequel to Top Gun has apparently already been made; it is titled "Days of Thunder". Essentially, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell has become Cole Trickle and a NASCAR driver. That is honestly the only difference between the two films. As such, this one is incredibly enjoyable. The racing scenes are intense and very well done. The characters, much like Top Gun, are enjoyable and though quite generic, they are pretty well put together. But, sure, the similarities to Top Gun do hurt it because they did just take the same plotlines and re-do them, but since Top Gun is absolutely hysterical and over-the-top enjoyable, so is Days of Thunder. Plus, even as a non-NASCAR fan, I truly believe it was a great portrayal of racing and racers. For that, Days of Thunder is nowhere near as bad as many say it is, rather it is a very good popcorn flick that entertains in spades.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Deanomite

Jan 18, 2020

I heard Tarantino loves this, he introduced me to Switchblade Sisters so i always give an audience. The director made Top Gun with Cruise a few years before. Ebert wrote a hilarious review including a template for Tom Cruise, including the wise older woman and an arena to grow in, awesome.I heard Tarantino loves this, he introduced me to Switchblade Sisters so i always give an audience. The director made Top Gun with Cruise a few years before. Ebert wrote a hilarious review including a template for Tom Cruise, including the wise older woman and an arena to grow in, awesome. This movie had more corn than a large with extra butter. I could not make 20 minutes it was just too much.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Tyranian

Mar 17, 2020

A half-decent Top Gun rehash about boofheads and the dumbest sport going around.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Jan 2, 2017

Faire un film sur le Nascar (le naze-car) c'est déjà partir avec un handicap lourd, car qu'est-ce que le Nascar sinon qu'une bande de bourrins qui tournent en rond comme des cons sur des "circuits" dessinés par des enfants en maternelle ?

Cela dit, loin de l'idée d'arrondir les angles,Faire un film sur le Nascar (le naze-car) c'est déjà partir avec un handicap lourd, car qu'est-ce que le Nascar sinon qu'une bande de bourrins qui tournent en rond comme des cons sur des "circuits" dessinés par des enfants en maternelle ?

Cela dit, loin de l'idée d'arrondir les angles, Jours de tonnerre en rajoute des couches bien épaisses dans la caricature (involontaire ?...) du sport des beaufs amerlocains et en fait un Topgun avec des bagnoles et bien sûr le même petit con, très à l'aise dans son rôle de petit con, le petit Tom Croûte !

Insupportable fanfaron et en même temps un vrai cave qui ne sait même pas ce que sous-virage ou survirage veulent dire (sic ! je n'invente rien) tandis que les courses sont (heureusement poour une fois) réduites à ce qui en fait l'intérêt (?) à savoir les carambolages des débiles dans de grands panaches de fumée (Topgun, tu vois ?).

En fait, seuls Michael Rooker et Robert Duvall sortent leur épingle de ce jeu de dupes, les seuls à avoir compris la bouffonnerie non assumée du film, les seuls à l'exploiter assez subtilement à l'insu des scénaristes et du réalisateur lui-même, Tony Scott, qui délivre tout de même une mise en scène assez dynamique pour nous maintenir éveillés.

Ce qui n'empêche pas naturellement le passage obligé à la guimauve obligatoire, l'amourette pathétique entre Crouze et Kidman, parce qu'il fallait bien une présence féminine dans ce monde de beaufs... sans mentionner la période de "doute" après l'accident, le passage de témoin du "pilaute" vétéran au jeune con, puis le doute du jeune con -le héros pardon !- qui retrouve ensuite son "héroïsme" tandis qu'il met pied dedans en criant "hihaaa" et fonce à travers le rideau de fumée du crash.

Et la musique dans tout ce fourbis, mes aïeux ! de la bouillie des années 80 signée Hans Zimmer ! je dis : meeerde.

On a donc quelques crashs et quelques répliques comme "la poussette..." et "je le fous dans le mur direct". Involontairement ou pas, le film a raté sa vocation de comédie satirique, seule voie de sortie négociable pour se rétamer dans le premier degré au ras du bitume.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

amheretojudge

Nov 5, 2018

a big chunk of mess..

Days of Thunder Scott's race track leads to nothing but a brutal accident that is occurred because of the driver itself. It had a linear lane to follow and yet it still somehow managed to go off the track for the most part of the feature. It is a misconceived act.a big chunk of mess..

Days of Thunder

Scott's race track leads to nothing but a brutal accident that is occurred because of the driver itself. It had a linear lane to follow and yet it still somehow managed to go off the track for the most part of the feature. It is a misconceived act. This is a big chunk of mess. And it's not that it couldn't have been repaired, it's just that the storyline itself was dull enough to rot out the emotions, it never had the chance. Despite of being an exhilarating and nail biting sport, the feature isn't cinematic at all. The chills and thrills that you hope that you are about to receive, even that too is in shortage.

It is eerily shot with confused amateur cheesy camera work that looks like a cheap television movie that wasn't funded properly. As far as narration is concerned, it is poorly crafted and loosely constructed for it to stand on any whatsoever ground. On terms of performance, the actors aren't given that much room and the ones that are given, aren't sensible enough for them to be convincing. Cruise that as usual loves to be on the driver's seat, this time feels weak since he isn't focused on his own track. The supporting cast like Kidman, Duvall and Rooker, too fails miserably on holding on to their characters.

Daft editing and Towne's benign and questionable screenplay works like anchor and undermines the somewhat decent, even though familiar, concept. Scott's execution also deserve to be put on stand in here, his fatal attempts of delivering a highly pitched dramatic concept seems obvious since he fails to shot even a normal conversation, it is inedible and uncomfortable. Days Of Thunder is long, hard and hectic days, these are the days that not only audience wishes it to go away, but by the end, makers and actors too are on the same boat.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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