Blue Thunder

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Blue Thunder

R,

1983,

1h 49m,

Action/

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

79%

28 Reviews

Tomatometer

53%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Frank Murphy is a courageous and honorable Los Angeles police officer who is chosen to test run Blue Thunder, a high-tech experimental attack helicopter. While flying Blue Thunder, Murphy and his partner discover that the government intends to use the helicopter for corrupt crowd control and surveillance.

Budd Wilkins

Slant Magazine

May 6, 2026

It’s that rare beast: a rollicking action film with a subversive political agenda.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

May 31, 2026

3/4

One of its decade’s more durable techno-thrillers.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

May 8, 2026

4/5

John Badham's perpetually timely thriller boasts a match made in heaven of practical effects and miniature photography, building to one of the best action finales of the 1980s.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

May 5, 2026

3/5

It has excellent production value, a fine performance from the great Roy Scheider, and the action sequences do provide some thrills, but in the end, you'll probably find yourself wishing that there was a little more to its plot.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Jun 3, 2025

6/10

It is very much a film of its time, with Badham’s depiction of the sleek Blue Thunder helicopter foreshadowing – but not quite matching – the sort of glossy and over-produced military actions of Tony Scott and Michael Bay.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Feb 21, 2021

4/5

…a cool action film with location work that’s all the more striking in today’s green-screen world. Sure, it’s flawed as a political diatribe, but in terms of kinetic urban action in the air, it’s a perfect vehicle for the grizzled charm of Roy Scheider…

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Feb 21, 2018

Worth revisiting; the themes of police corruption and the inherent dangers of militarizing law enforcement have only grown more topical in the last quarter century. The film proved particularly prescient in the nineties, when the Rodney King assault video and the Rampart Division scandal revealed the massive institutional corruption and brutality that permeated the LAPD during and after Daryl Gates' tenure as Chief of Police.

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Hagrid L

Aug 5, 2017

This is exiting scene movie but never a great one. The theme is surreal and unrealistic sine the 1st scene. Suffice to say in technical aspects it is much ahead of time.

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Harry S

Jan 23, 2017

Roy Scheider uses just enough aggression to make his character work.

Leia L

Jul 4, 2009

With a strong performance by Roy Scheider (along with a decent supporting cast), great action and stunts, a solid plot with conspiracy and deception at its heart along with a decent score make this a solidly entertaining action film from the early 80s. Sadly this is often overlooked but doesn't deserve to be ignored.

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Han M

Jan 10, 2007

This is a film that somehow eluded me back in my youth, though for whatever reason I recall watching the short-lived television version as well as Airwolf, with a similarly souped-up chopper. Roy Schieder and Malcolm McDowell square off as rivals in the skies over L.A. and it's all pretty convincing and fun, I have to say. Definitely something I'm happy to have finally gotten around to crossing off the To-Watch Pile. Rental!

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John Badham

Director

Roy Scheider

Officer Frank Murphy

Malcolm McDowell

Col. F.E. Cochrane

Candy Clark

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Warren Oates

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Daniel Stern

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Synopsis

Frank Murphy is a courageous and honorable Los Angeles police officer who is chosen to test run Blue Thunder, a high-tech experimental attack helicopter. While flying Blue Thunder, Murphy and his partner discover that the government intends to use the helicopter for corrupt crowd control and surveillance.

Director: John Badham
Producer: Gordon Carroll
Screenwriter: Dan O'Bannon, Don Jakoby
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Rastar Pictures, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 13, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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