Blue Thunder (1983) Columbia/Action RT: 109 minutes Rated R (language, strong violence, nudity, implied sex, wild driving) Director: John Badham Screenplay: Dan O’Bannon and Don Jakoby Music: Arthur B. Rubinstein Cinematography: John A. Alonzo Release date: May 13, 1983 (US) Cast: Roy Scheider, Warren Oates, Candy Clark, Malcolm McDowell, Daniel Stern, Paul Roebling, David Sheiner, Joe Santos, Ed Bernard, Jason Bernard, Mario Machado, James Murtaugh, Pat McNamara, Jack Murdock, Clifford Pellow, Anthony James, Robin Brantos. Box Office: $42.3M (US)
Rating: *** ½
I know, Blue Thunder is cinematic junk. It’s implausible and ridiculous. So what? I have a ball every time I watch it. I find it difficult- nay, impossible- to dislike a movie that features a political conspiracy, a disturbed Vietnam vet as hero, an awesome helicopter with unbelievable capabilities and loads of mayhem and destruction in a major city. Directed by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever), Blue Thunder roars as much as it soars.
Officer Frank Murphy (Scheider, Jaws) is an LAPD air support division pilot who suffers from PTSD, the result of witnessing the horrific murder of an enemy combatant by one of his fellow soldiers during the war. Along with his new partner, rookie observer Lymangood (Stern, Breaking Away), they fly off into the night looking for crime on the streets below. An indiscretion on their part causes them grief from their commanding officer Capt. Braddock (Oates, Stripes) after they’re late in responding to the report of a rape-in-progress. The victim, a city councilwoman, later dies due to her injuries. Murphy and Lymangood get grounded indefinitely.
Based on his experience in ‘Nam, Murphy is selected to test-pilot a super-advanced helicopter called “Blue Thunder”. It can see and hear everything that goes on around it. It has infrared scanners and powerful microphones that pick up the slightest sound. It’s armed to the teeth and can fly undetected (stealth mode). A built-in VCR records everything it sees and hears. Its official function is police surveillance and large-scale crowd control in case of civil disobedience.
An old wartime nemesis of Murphy’s, cocky US Army Colonel Cochrane (McDowell, A Clockwork Orange), is involved in the program. It’s clear the two men still loathe one another. During the helicopter’s maiden flight, Murphy decides to follow Cochrane to a secret meeting with government officials where the real purpose of Blue Thunder is revealed. Murphy and Lymangood record it. Cochrane spots BT hovering outside the window. It becomes a race as Murphy tries to reveal to the world what BT is really for before the conspirators have him killed.
Blue Thunder kicks into full gear once Murphy steals BT and leads the LAPD and Army on a wild air chase in which buildings are destroyed by heat-seeking missiles and civilians on the ground below run for cover. Meanwhile, Murphy’s girlfriend Kate (Clark, American Graffiti) races wildly through the streets to get the tape to a local TV station. It’s crazy!
Blue Thunder is easily one of the most enjoyable action flicks from the 80s. Blue Thunder is like something from a comic book. In fact, whole the movie plays like a violent comic book with its truly sinister villains and the damaged hero trying to do the right life at the risk of his own life. It helps that Badham has a more-than-able cast at his disposal. Scheider, a likable actor, has an Everyman quality that makes him ideally cast as a basically good cop of questionable sanity. He uses the timer on his digital watch to test his sanity because it’s theorized that a truly insane person loses track of time, unable to tell the difference between five and twenty-five seconds. McDowell, who excels at playing villains, turns in a performance that’s pure gold. He’s more than sufficiently despicable as Cochrane, an irritating sort who really has it out for Murphy.
The late Oates, in one of his final roles (he died in ’82), is great as the irritable police captain who’s had enough of Murphy’s maverick ways. He gets off one the movie’s best lines when he tells Lymangood, “You’re supposed to be stupid, son. Don’t abuse the privilege.” Clark does fine work as single mom girlfriend ready to end it with Murphy because he’s never around. Stern turns in a star-making performance as the partner everybody calls “JAFO” (Just Another F***ing Observer). I realize praising the performances in a silly summer movie like Blue Thunder seems pointless, but with a cast this strong, a few words need to be said. Besides, it looks like they’re all having a blast!
Some think that Badham is a hack filmmaker and I can see where they’re coming from based on lame movies like Bird on a Wire and The Hard Way. May I remind you, however, that he directed a fair number of winners as well like Saturday Night Fever, Whose Life Is It Anyway, WarGames, Short Circuit, Stakeout and Point of No Return? He doesn’t specialize in arthouse fare and that’s fine. We need entertaining popcorn movies too. He directs Blue Thunder with style, flair and speed. It’s exciting, thrilling and, at times, funny. The action scenes- in particular, the air fights- are well orchestrated. There’s a great chase along the L.A. River, the site of many a classic movie scene- e.g. the drag race in Grease. The effects are completely convincing. On a technical level, Blue Thunder is A-1 stuff! So what if the plot doesn’t bear close scrutiny?
The thing about Blue Thunder is that it never takes itself too seriously. Yes, it contains some harsh violence. The hit-and-run death of a character is especially hard. There are also comparatively lighter moments like when a Chinese BBQ joint gets hit with a missile and barbequed chickens rain down on the street. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Blue Thunder makes a decent first R for young audiences. Young boys, around 9 or 10, love this kind of stuff. Best of all, it’s not an all-out assault on the senses. Neither Michael Bay nor Jerry Bruckheimer is involved. It’s straightforward action moviemaking. It’s great dumb fun.
