Blue Thunder

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This article is about the movie. For the monster truck see Blue Thunder (truck).

Blue Thunder is a 1983 feature film that features a high-tech helicopter of the same name. The movie was directed by John Badham and stars Roy Scheider. A spinoff television series of the same name lasted eleven episodes in 1984.

Contents

1 Plot synopsis
2 Main cast of characters
3 Trivia
4 Other appearances
5 See also
6 External links

Plot synopsis

The film revolves around Frank Murphy, a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) helicopter pilot and troubled Vietnam War veteran. Amid a family crisis, he is selected to pilot the world's most advanced helicopter, nicknamed "Blue Thunder" which is essentially a military combat helicopter modified for police use. With powerful armament, stealth technology that allows it to fly virtually undetected, and other accoutrements (such as infrared scanners and powerful microphones and cameras), Blue Thunder is a formidable tool in the war on crime that the LAPD readily accepts.

When the death of Councilwoman Diane McNeely turns out to be more than just a random killing, Murphy suspects that his old nemesis from the war, Colonel F.E. Cochrane, is hiding something and that the designers of the helicopter have something sinister in mind with the project.

Main cast of characters

Roy Scheider - Frank Murphy
Malcolm McDowell - Colonel Cochrane
Warren Oates - Captain Jack Braddock
Candy Clark - Kate
Daniel Stern - Officer Richard Lymangood

Trivia

The type of helicopter used for Blue Thunder was a French-made Aérospatiale Gazelle — modified with bolt-on parts and an Apache-style canopy. These alterations made the helicopter so heavy that various tricks had to be employed to make it look fast and agile in the film. For instance, the 360° loop maneuver at the end of the film was carried out by a radio controlled model.
One of Warren Oates' last films before his death. He died of a heart attack after making this film. This film is dedicated to him.
The two F-16 Fighting Falcons were actually scale models.
A caption at the beginning of the Blue Thunder movie states that all the high tech equipment features of the helicopter are real and actually used by the military at the time.
The television series cast included James Farentino, Dana Carvey, and former professional football players Bubba Smith and Dick Butkus.
The bolt-on cockpit of the original helicopter is currently in deplorable shape on a backlot of MGM studios in Florida. It can [be seen] on the backlot tour from the tram.

Other appearances

Thunder Blade (alternatively titled Blue Thunder) is a SEGA video game that is based loosely on the movie.
Blue Thunder a game for the Action Max, using footage from the movie.
Blue Thunder can be seen as cockpit close up sets for the approaching Russian helicopters out over the ice in Firefox, starring Clint Eastwood.
In the game players flying in the Hunter helicopter can play vigilante mini-game called "Brown Thunder" (since it is a brown helicopter). This is yet another 1980s reference in the game (which is set in 1986).
In the 2005 Doctor Who episode 'Dalek', Blue Thunder appears in stock footage as 'Bad Wolf 1', the villain's helicopter.

External links

[A Blue Thunder website]