Blue Thunder (1983)

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

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Dan O'Bannon, Don Jakoby

Stars:

Roy Scheider, Warren Oates, Candy Clark

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roy Scheider	...	Officer Frank Murphy
Warren Oates	...	Capt. Jack Braddock
Candy Clark	...	Kate
Daniel Stern	...	Officer Richard Lymangood
Paul Roebling	...	Icelan
David Sheiner	...	Fletcher
Joe Santos	...	Montoya
Malcolm McDowell	...	Col. F.E. Cochrane
Ed Bernard	...	Sgt. Short
Jason Bernard	...	Mayor
Mario Machado	...	Mario Machado
James Murtaugh	...	Alf Hewitt
Pat McNamara	...	Matusek
Jack Murdock	...	Kress
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Allen (as Clifford Pellow)

Storyline

Blue Thunder is a specially modified helicopter. It is for police work, but is armed and designed to counter street insurgencies. Its makers want to show what it will do, but have to train Los Angeles Police pilot Frank Murphy to fly and use it in order to allow it to operate in the city. Murphy and the project pilot have differences going back to Vietnam. The conflict between them continues to heat up as Murphy begins to suspect that Blue Thunder is more than has been disclosed.

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Plot Keywords:

automatic gunfire | helicopter | pilot | police helicopter | surveillance | 

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Taglines:

Flying the most lethal weapon ever made... The Blue Thunder Special. At his fingertips, an infrared camera that can see right through your bedroom walls. A microphone that can record your most intimate conversations. And a 20mm electric cannon with six barrels that can turn your neighborhood into a raging inferno. But he's not headed for a war-torn country. He'll be cruising the skies of America. And only one man can stop him from using it on you.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Relámpago azul

Filming Locations:

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Plant, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,258,149, 15 May 1983

Gross USA:

$42,313,354

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$42,313,354

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Rastar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the beginning of the movie, when Murphy and Lymangood first take off (after Murphy asks "all set"), the camera is shooting up at the belly of the police JetRanger. Look closely at the registration number beneath the door. It reads "N2044C". This is the exact aircraft that would became "Santini Air" (the red-white-blue American Flag chopper) about 2 years later in Airwolf (1984).

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Goofs

When Murphy and Lymangood watch the woman's breasts during their night flight, the camera image is steady through several shots despite that fact the helicopter is clearly circling around.

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Quotes

Frank Murphy: [trying to force the helicopter into doing a full flip] Come on, you tub of shit!

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Crazy Credits

"For Warren Oates, with love for all the joy you gave us."

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Alternate Versions

A voyeurism sequence has Murphy and Lymangood hovering near a window to spy on a limber girl doing a nude workout. The TV version has an alternate sequence with the same girl working out in bikini underwear and doing different moves.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Anjelica Huston and Billy Martin/George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic (1986)

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Soundtracks

Theme From Blue Thunder (Dance Version)
(uncredited)
Written by Arthur B. Rubinstein
Performed by Arthur B. Rubinstein, Cynthia Morrow, Brian Banks and Anthony Marinelli (as the Beepers)
Produced by Anthony Marinelli & Brian Banks
Arranged by Reno Romano, Anthony Marinelli, Brian Banks & Evan Pace

User Reviews

Great Action

Always liked this one. Well written and acted, with excellent aerial action sequences. It's a shame this was Warren Oate's last role - he was magnificent. Other reviewers made a valid point about this film presaging the use of military hardware against civilians. We already use airplanes to catch speeders on the ground - doesn't the aviation fuel cost more than the amount of revenue taken in through summonses?