Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Blue Thunder’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

There are some motion pictures that we in essence watch in passing during our childhood, and despite the aloof nature in which we viewed them, they manage to stick with us for years to come. These are the kinds of films you sit down and watch intently when they pop up on cable or your preferred streaming service because we are trying desperately to remember when we saw the flick and whether or not we liked it. 

Sometimes we are treated to some fond memories of days gone by when this happens, and sometimes we are reminded that our tastes when we were younger were downright awful. But regardless of whether the second time round for these movies is good or bad, it's still fun to enjoy that feeling of nostalgia, and recently I re-discovered a film from my own youth on cable the other day, Blue Thunder.

Released in 1983, this is a motion picture that in a way perhaps spawned America's brief love affair with helicopter stories, since Airwolf arrived on the scene a year later as well and well...it's no surprise that this film brought forth a certain level of fascination with some of its ideas, but more on that moment. Starring screen legend Roy Scheider, this is a film that takes us into the world of police officers that just so happen to fly helicopters and introduces us into a terrifying world of intrigue and espionage when Roy's character, Frank Murphy, is asked to pilot an experimental chopper known as Blue Thunder. It doesn't take Frank long to uncover what the suspicious and outright rude Colonel Cochrane (played by Malcolm McDowell) has planned for the helicopter and the long and the short of it is that it's up to Frank to save the day.

There's not much else to discuss plot wise, because that's really all there is to it and well, upon viewing this film once again...I have to say I enjoyed it, the action is still top notch to say least, since the movie is filled to the brim with thrilling helicopter chase scenes, in fact that's basically the third act, one gigantic helicopter and explosion filled fiesta. But what I found slightly off putting, was the excessive amount of fury this film made a point to exhibit since just about every single character interaction in this story is brimming with disdain and anger and in a way, you're just sitting there waiting for someone to pull out a gun and shoot the other guy... or gal rather than get on with the story.

But, I think I can overlook that bravado for one simple reason, this is a movie that surprised me by staying relevant to the times. Because the whole point of the Blue Thunder program was conspiracy to say the least, with an agenda from the good Colonel to reshape the world as his band of baddies see fit, removing their enemies from power with this incredible piece of technology; and considering its ability to breach privacy with powerful microphones and systems that can spy on anyone, it's fitting for our current era of privacy concerns and thoughts upon conspiracy. Either way, this is just a fun little film through and through, one designed to entertain but one that allows for you to think and if you haven't seen it and are in the mood for a high-octane action flick, then this one is worth seeing, and for those of us who remember the movie fondly... one worth adding to the collection.

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