Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment – 109 mins – 1983 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.40: 1 – TrueHD 5.1 audio

Obviously during the summer of 1983 there was only one film dominating the box office, and that was Return of the Jedi. But there was another film that rode the wave, and to some it has become a guilty pleasure, and other people like me proudly brag that they love it. Blue Thunder was labeled as a ‘techno-thriller,’ and at the time this flying death machine was the most awesome thing in the sky. Well here we are twenty-six years later, and though there have been attempts to cash in on the super helicopter concept, Blue Thunder still reigns supreme in my book. For those of you who loved it as much as I do, or anyone who just likes to watch films from the 80’s, Blue Thunder is finally available on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. For those of you who believe that a helicopter can’t be looped, you will soon believe.

THE MOVIE

Set in Los Angeles during the gritty 80’s, Blue Thunder stars Roy Scheider (from Jaws), as Frank Murphy, an LAPD helicopter pilot who patrols the skies of the city looking for trouble down below. He is reluctantly teamed with a newbie officer, Rich Lymangood (Daniel Stern), who is more of a thrill seeker, who he has to keep in line. Being that the city will host the upcoming Olympics, Murphy and his new partner have been assigned to project Blue Thunder, which is a high-tech military helicopter with weapons and silent stealth capabilities that would be needed if to fight potential threats to the city of angels. The copter is prototype that Murphy must test before the project can be green lit and more Blue Thunders can be produced. One of the men involved in the project is a pilot who flew missions with Murphy in Viet Nam, Col. Cochrane, (played with awesome villainy by Malcolm McDowell). These two men despise each other, and it plays well on screen.

Murphy takes to the skies to break in the new toy, but when his suspicions about the players involved get the best of him, he uses some of the helicopter’s tools, such as the ability to hear and see through walls right outside of a skyscraper, to learn that a major conspiracy has unfolded involving the death of a politician, and the real reason for the use of the super copter. Having this information recorded makes Murphy a prime target, and Cochrane quickly twists the knife by framing Murphy for murder, giving him no other choice but to steal their precious thunder and use it to prove himself innocent and stop the true criminals.

Directed by John Badham, who also directed such technology gone wrong films as War Games and Short Circuit, Blue Thunder’s plot is extremely formulaic, but Scheider and McDowell have fun with it and steal the show as they are pitted against each other. McDowell’s “Catch you later” phrase is still one of the best lines in movies, because we’ve all encountered an A-hole like him, who we would love to make eat their words. But come on, the real reason to watch Blue Thunder is for the climatic helicopter battle between Murphy and Cochrane, that still kicks ass twenty-five years later and no CGI effects were used. Just seeing the copters swerve in an out of actual Los Angeles locations with a wave of Gatling gun bullets, destruction, and explosions in their paths still deliver a rush.

To its credit, the film doesn’t feel as dated as you think it would be, mainly due to the fact that most of the helicopter action sequences are real, and mostly all of the locations in the film are still used today in films, such as the motorcycle/tanker truck chase from Terminator 2, that features the same dam as an action backdrop. I’m really not one for remakes, but Blue Thunder is a film I’d actually be interested in seeing with a new coat of paint. This Blu-ray is definitely for fans of the film first, but there are some new eyes out there that may really appreciate it. “Catch ya later.”

VIDEO

You wouldn’t think so, but Blue Thunder actually looks great on Blu-ray, even better than most films that have been released less than two years ago. Presented in full 1080p in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the image is sharp as a razor, showing every line on Roy Scheider’s face, and every detail of the menacing Blue Thunder helicopter. The shot when the copter is first introduced emerging from the shadows of the horizon still looks as fantastic as it did from my childhood memory with that cool orange glow. Darks stand strong, and yes there is grain in spots, such as the night flight sequences, but it doesn’t take away from the care that went into the transfer. And being that the finale helicopter battle takes place in daylight, the image quality pops out at you. Not bad for a twenty six year old flick.

AUDIO

A film like Blue Thunder is packed with gunfire, explosions, and of course swooping helicopters, so this blu-ray delivers a very good Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 mix. This one will really give year speakers a workout and takes full advantage of directing the sound to both rear and front speakers, especially during the flight sequences to give the sensation that a helicopter is circling around you. Dialogue has also been nicely mastered even when placed over heavy action scenes, and the music score by Arthur Rubinstein jumps out at you.

EXTRAS

The bonus features included are a treat, because normally old catalog titles will only come with a trailer if you’re lucky, but here everything from the DVD has been completely ported over.

Director John Badham, editor Frank Morris, and effects supervisor Hoyt Yeatman, sit down for an audio commentary track. This is not the most exciting commentary you’ll hear, but you’ll get a few interesting stories.

Ride with the Angels: Making Blue Thunder is a really good documentary that runs forty-five minutes, and goes into every aspect of the movie from the origin of the script into the production and release. It includes interviews with the director, cast, and crew who all reminiscent about how the film was made. For fans of Blue Thunder this alone is worth purchasing this Blu-ray.

Building Blue Thunder is an eight minute look at how the helicopter was designed, using an existing aircraft’s body and building it up to make it look more menacing.

Also included is the original promotional featurette from 1983, which is basically one gigantic commercial, but nostalgic. And there’s also there’s the film’s original trailer.

BOTTOM LINE

Blue Thunder is for fans only, especially those who loved 80’s action movies. For a film a quarter of a century old, this Blu-ray looks and sounds better than most of the new stuff out there, which is a nice surprise. Also, the Making Blue Thunder documentary is definitely a must see. Blu-ray and Blue Thunder seem to have been made for each other, so if you like this movie, this is the only way to experience it. “Catch ya later.”

SCORES: (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.5