Cop Roy Scheider, whose idea of a good time is using a high-tech surveillance system to peer down girls dresses from 500 feet, is given the Blue Thunder, a super-duper police helicopter which baddie Malcolm McDowell, whose idea of a good time is throwing people out of helicopters from 500 feet, wants to use to blast the Los Angeles ghetto riots he has personally stirred up to test the machine monster. Scheider steals the thing, and swoops around evading all the hardware McDowell can chuck at him. The script self-destructs, but the performances including Daniel Stern as an expendable sidekick are fun, and John Badham stages some super stunts with the insectile title machine
Blue Thunder Review
Blue Thunder is a helicopter specially modified for police work, but is armed and designed to counter street insurgencies. It's makers want to show what it will do, but have to train a Los Angeles Police pilot Frank Murphy, to fly and use it in order to allow it to operate in the city.
Release Date:
01 Jan 1982
Running Time:
110 minutes
Certificate:
15
Original Title:
Blue Thunder
A poor script redeemed by some fine performances.
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