Blue Thunder was a great film when I was 13 but unlike most it's still a great film now. It's set in 1980 Los Angeles and Frank Murphy (Roy Schneider) is selected to flight test a new 'Anti Riot' helicopter prototype (Project THOR: Tactical Helicopter Offensive Response or Nicknamed Blue Thunder by the development team). As often is the way, the leaders of this project have a more sinister underlying plan for this piece of hardware revolving around possible terrorist action during the up and coming Olympic Games. The only thing that dates this film is the computer effects used during one of the fight/flight scenes. The Action contained within it (for an early eighties film) is first class. The main plot line is waaaaay ahead of it's time, the flight scenes are superb, the dialogue is compelling but above all believable with none of the clunk of the Blue Thunder T.V show, or the later offering (unrelated by studio) of Airwolf. The casting is excellent, Roy Schneider plays Frank Murphy brilliantly, Malcolm McDowell is really good as the annoying military test pilot but the show is stolen by Warren Oats as Frank Murphy's C.O Captain Jack Braddock. "If you notice that I don't have an ass when I get out of this chair it's because the Mayor has chewed it off". This film is also one of the first, I believe, to call reference to P.T.S.D, as suffered by countless Vietnam war veterans. I can highly recommend this film to you, if you are a fan of espionage, hardware or just plain suspense films you will really enjoy it.

This is a typical 80's action movie. Actors only open their mouths to move the story line along combined with a fairly contrived/predictable storyline. So why do I still enjoy it? it is simply that the film makers manage to do the basics well. The storyline is sound and probably even more relevant now, 30 years on, than it was when it was first made. The acting line up is excellent, with Roy Schneider, Malcom McDowell, Warren Oates and Daniel Stern. The film is well made with a good script, crisp editing and good cinematography.But above all, I love the helicopter battle at the end.Plus I always love Malcom McDowell as a bad guy.A simple synopsis for a simple, well structured and fun 80's movie. It doesn't challenge, it doesn't make you think too much but it delivers a fun experience. It's so 1980's!

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.

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?