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IMDbPro

Blue Thunder

  • 19831983
  • RR
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
22K
YOUR RATING
Blue Thunder (1983)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:31
2 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionCrimeDrama
The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
22K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Badham
  • Writers
    • Dan O'Bannon
    • Don Jakoby
    • Dean Riesner(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Roy Scheider
    • Warren Oates
    • Candy Clark
  • Director
    • John Badham
  • Writers
    • Dan O'Bannon
    • Don Jakoby
    • Dean Riesner(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Roy Scheider
    • Warren Oates
    • Candy Clark
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 105User reviews
    • 82Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 3 nominations total

    Videos2

    Blue Thunder
    Trailer 1:31
    Watch Blue Thunder
    Blue Thunder
    Trailer 3:07
    Watch Blue Thunder

    Photos142

    Roy Scheider in Blue Thunder (1983)
    Roy Scheider and Daniel Stern in Blue Thunder (1983)
    Malcolm McDowell in Blue Thunder (1983)
    Blue Thunder (1983)
    Blue Thunder (1983)
    Roy Scheider and Candy Clark in Blue Thunder (1983)
    Blue Thunder (1983)
    Blue Thunder (1983)
    Blue Thunder (1983)
    Blue Thunder (1983)
    Blue Thunder (1983)
    Roy Scheider and Warren Oates in Blue Thunder (1983)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Roy Scheider
    Roy Scheider
    • Murphy
    Warren Oates
    Warren Oates
    • Braddock
    Candy Clark
    Candy Clark
    • Kate
    Daniel Stern
    Daniel Stern
    • Lymangood
    Paul Roebling
    • Icelan
    David Sheiner
    David Sheiner
    • Fletcher
    Joe Santos
    Joe Santos
    • Montoya
    Malcolm McDowell
    Malcolm McDowell
    • Cochrane
    Ed Bernard
    • Sgt. Short
    Jason Bernard
    Jason Bernard
    • Mayor
    Mario Machado
    Mario Machado
    • Mario Machado
    James Murtaugh
    James Murtaugh
    • Alf Hewitt
    Pat McNamara
    Pat McNamara
    • Matusek
    Jack Murdock
    Jack Murdock
    • Kress
    Clifford A. Pellow
    • Allen
    • (as Clifford Pellow)
    Paul Lambert
    Paul Lambert
    • Holmes
    Phil Feldman
    • Col. Coe
    John Garber
    • Tough Mechanic
    • Director
      • John Badham
    • Writers
      • Dan O'Bannon
      • Don Jakoby
      • Dean Riesner(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      One reason Roy Scheider made this film was so that he would be unavailable to get cast as Chief Brody in Jaws 3-D (1983), though he also admitted in an interview that the "Jaws" producers knew better than to ask him to play Brody again.
    • Goofs
      Cochrane sabotages Murphy's Bell jet ranger by removing the cotter pin and loosening the nut on the throttle-control linkage bolt so it can slip out. Aviation bolts are always installed head-end up as a safety precaution to keep the bolt in place should the nut come off.
    • Quotes

      Jack Braddock: But there's a bright side to this, and a moral. I think morals are good for you, I love morals, and the moral of this story is: If you're walkin' on eggs, don't hop.

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits after the title is shown.
    • Alternate versions
      When "Blue Thunder" was first released on video in Sweden, the scene where Kate drives to the the TV station with the videotape, involved a crazy stunt when she drives into a narrow alley and meets a police car that comes the other way. To avoid a disaster, Kate flips her car on its side, hits its roof on a wall and flips back again. In later video versions, the stunt is gone. We only see the car when it enters the alley and then we see her driving on the freeway with a strange damage on the roof.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Blue Thunder/Return of the Jedi/Breathless/La Traviata (1983)
    • Soundtracks
      Theme From Blue Thunder (Murphy's Law)
      (uncredited)

      Written by Arthur B. Rubinstein

      Performed by Arthur B. Rubinstein, Cynthia Morrow, Brian Banks and Anthony Marinelli (as the Beepers)

      Produced by Evan Pace

      Associate Produced by Reno Romano

    User reviews105

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    An under-rated gem..
    I first saw Blue Thunder as a kid at the time of its release and enjoyed it purely as a slice of action/adventure typical of its time. I could name many films from the early 80s of a similar ilk, but this one stuck in my mind as a real favourite and it was only when I re-watched it recently that I understood why.

    Unlike other films in the genre, Blue Thunder always strikes me as having been thought about and crafted in a very careful way. In fact I didn't remember there being as little action as there is. Instead we are given far more character development than we might be accustomed to, thereby enhancing the final aerial drama because we do care about the people involved.

    Roy Scheider(who I must confess is my favourite actor of his era) gives a standout performance. His portrayal of Murphy with its wry humour & very human lapses shares more than a little with a certain Chief Brody, but the use of an aging rebel with little cause as the main character in a technological thriller is still refreshing now.

    Malcolm McDowell gives the sort of OTT villainous performance that only he can (why has no-one ever cast him as a Bond villain?) and special mention must go to Warren Oates as Scheider's long-suffering boss.

    The helicopter looks awesome with cool gadgets aplenty but it isn't the star here, Scheider is. Move over Top Gun, Airwolf, Wings of the Apache, et al; this is the number 1 fly-boy in town.
    helpful•59
    3
    • whizzkid74
    • Dec 15, 2001

    FAQ4

    • Why was Commissioner Diane McNealy assaulted?
    • What are the differences between the DVD Version and the VHS/Laserdisc Versions?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 13, 1983 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony Pictures (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Plavi grom
    • Filming locations
      • City of Los Angeles Piper Technical Center - 555 Ramirez Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA(Police helipad - Command Center)
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Rastar Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $22,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $42,313,354
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,258,149
      • May 15, 1983
    • Gross worldwide
      • $42,313,354
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

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