{"id":33511,"date":"2026-05-05T22:58:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T05:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=33511"},"modified":"2026-05-05T22:58:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T05:58:15","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-4k-ultra-hd-review-blue-thunder-1983","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=33511","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past! 4K Ultra HD Review: BLUE THUNDER (1983)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d 4K Ultra HD disc from Arrow Video\nis now available for purchase.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As a little kid, this reviewer went to the movies a lot,\nusually with one or both of my parents. And, in the early 1980s, we also had a\nVCR, which meant we rented a lot of titles. Blue Thunder <\/em>was one of\nthose pictures that I saw with my dad. Then, for some reason, we saw it again\non tape. And then, I saw it again and again at the homes of friends whose\nparents had also rented it, as well as on cable TV. As such, I\u2019ll always have a\ncertain nostalgia for this title and other movies of the era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some haven\u2019t aged well, Blue Thunder<\/em> still\nstands as an excellent action picture with jaw-dropping aerial stunts, and a\ndeeper meaning well ahead of its time. Action films from this period often\nfeatured muscly tough guys brandishing their own justice from the barrel of a\ngun. This picture gives its comparatively normal-looking lead character a piece\nof high-grade military equipment with all sorts of bells and whistles, and then\nquestions whether or not this kind of power in the hands of any individual is a\ngood idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrow Video has now produced an excellent \u201cLimited Edition\u201d\n4K Ultra HD presentation of the movie, with upgraded image quality and a number\nof wonderful extras. It\u2019s clear from the new presentation and analysis from\nthose remembering the movie that it still is every bit as dynamic as it was\nmore than forty years ago, and still contains relevant themes in today\u2019s world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider) is Los Angeles Police Department\nair serviceman breaking in new trainee Richard Lymangood (Daniel Stern). On his\nfirst night, the rookie explains that he\u2019s excited to join the division and get\naway from violence on the streets, but Murphy quickly shows him that their job\nis quite dangerous. Adding even more stress is the fact that Murphy also\nsuffers from PTSD from his time as a pilot in Vietnam. While on the job, they\nwitness the death of a councilwoman fighting for the rights of underfunded\nneighborhoods. Her death is blamed on random street crime, and the pair are\nsoon taken to a showing of a new military combat aircraft. They are told that\nthe chopper is designed to quell possible terrorist attacks during the upcoming\nOlympic Games. Murphy isn\u2019t so sure, especially when he learns that ex-SAS and\nnow US Army Colonel F.E. Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell) is involved. The\nprotagonist previously witnessed shocking, sociopathic behavior from the man\nwhile on duty in Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When LAPD Captain Jack Braddock (Warren Oates) assigns\nMurphy and Lymangood test pilot duties with the helicopter, they immediately\nuse it to uncover shocking truths about the project. The chopper has incredible\nsurveillance abilities and is also designed to be used to quell civil unrest\nwith its arsenal. The heroes end up recording a conversation with Cochrane and\ngovernment officials in which they reveal themselves to be the ones who set up\nthe murder of the congresswoman, as well as their real plans for the machinery.\nMurphy and Lymangood record the conversation and the villains set out to kill\nthem both. Murphy steals the chopper and asks for the help of estranged\ngirlfriend Kate (Candy Clark) in getting their damning evidence to the public\nbefore they are murdered. This leads to a lengthy and thrilling chase in the\nskies through downtown Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Early scenes in the film are fairly typical from an early\n80s action picture, with dashes of humor as Lymangood is taught the ropes and\nthe pair take down various robbers and criminals. But, once the war helicopter\nis introduced, the story really kicks into high gear. The plot may be\nrelatively simple and it doesn\u2019t take all that long for Murphy to find himself\nunder threat, but this also means that viewers are treated to a number of\nmemorable chases. These occur not only in the air, but on the ground as well\nwhen Kate (who tries to help by picking up the evidence and getting it to a\nnews station) has to race around the streets while being pursued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The action is expertly handled, brilliantly edited and is\ngenuinely pulse-pounding. Of course, it also helps that much of what you\u2019re\nseeing is real\u2026 or, at least, the stunts are real. Helicopters really do swoop\ndown and between buildings, as well as under the Los Angeles viaduct, and it\nall looks remarkably dangerous. Not only that, but the cast are really in the\ncockpit for much of it, lending a real sense of authenticity to the action.\nScheider carries an everyman persona to his role and is easy to relate to. A\nyoung Daniel Stern is extremely likable, and McDowell makes a memorable\nimpression as the arrogant villain, who delivers his catchphrase, \u201cCatch ya\nlater!\u201d with aplomb (this is the line that every youngster in the 80s would\nrepeat when another kid mentioned this movie).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was a visual stunner back in the day, and this 4K upgrade\nis no exception. There are a few darker scenes involving conversations between\ncharacters that have light, natural grain, but the footage with the chopper\nlooks incredible here. It\u2019s clear and crisp, so you can see every detail out of\nthe cockpit window during the daylight chase scenes. Even at night, there are\nmoments that wow. Of course, this includes what occurs to the helicopter at the\nend of the picture, a spectacular sight that is repeated from several angles.\nSony Pictures provided a 4K restoration from the original camera negative for\nthis release. It is also presented in Dolby Vision, and the picture looks\nconsistently excellent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bonuses old and new are also a blast. The first extra is\na 2006 commentary track featuring director John Badham (Saturday Night\nFever, WarGames, Short Circuit, Stakeout, Bird on a Wire, The Hard Way<\/em>),\nalong with his editor and the motion control effects supervisor (who added the\npair of jet fighters that arrive to take down the helicopter). Badham is an\nexcellent speaker and always give great insight into his work on every track that\nI have ever heard him speak on. He notes all the difficulties in shooting the\npicture (including how to light an airborne black chopper at night), as well as\ncasting the roles and relaying great stories from the set. One of the funniest\ninvolves a production hiccup involving McDowell, which the actor also goes into\non another feature. They both have slightly different versions of what\noccurred, but both stories are entertaining to listen to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There is also a lengthy three-part documentary on the\nproduction that was made in 2006 and includes interviews with many cast and\ncrew members. Additionally, you\u2019ll get an archival featurette on how the title\nhelicopter was created, as well as a promotional featurette for the movie. An\nextended scene is also included that involves more of the car chase through an\nalley, and a theatrical trailer and image gallery are included too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for new material, there are wonderful interviews here.\nBadham appears to talk about shooting the picture and getting footage with the\nactors in the choppers. Scheider actually ended up learning how to fly and did\na bit of piloting in a few shots. One person who did not was Malcolm McDowell.\nBadham recalls that the actor was excited to do the film and easy to work with,\nbut with one stipulation. McDowell didn\u2019t want to fly and expected his scenes\nto be shot against a green screen. The director remembers that, after seeing\nScheider and Stern going up and down into the helicopters, he felt obligated to\ndo so as well, but was sick as a result.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another is with Candy Clark, who talks about how much fun\nshe had making the picture. She notes that her role was great, and that the\ncharacter was anything but a passive love interest of the protagonist. The\nactress was also allowed to do a lot of her own stunt driving, and described\njust how much fun it was to hurtle through streets and over bumps in a drive-in\nmovie theater (while director Badham was being bounced around in the seat next\nto her). She also notes that the themes in this picture are still relevant\ntoday, also noting that Los Angeles will soon be hosting the Olympics once\nagain, and that much of what is being depicted feels pertinent again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The discussion with Malcom McDowell is great, as he gives\nhis side of the story. McDowell agrees and notes that he is terrified of\nhelicopters. Two friends of his had died in a crash a few years earlier after\nhitting power lines. He knew that with all of the dangerous flying and only one\nengine in the aircraft, if anything went wrong, it would be the end for himself\nand the pilot. After learning that all the other cast members had gone up and\nwatching incredible footage of them in the air, Badham explained to him that he\nwould have to go up and do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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McDowell reports that the first time they shot, it was\ndreadful and he ended up being sick after landing. The actor later received a\ncall from an acquaintance who was one of the Sony Pictures studio heads. This\nindividual told him that they had seen the rushes and that, instead of\nappearing threatening, he looked petrified the entire time. So, McDowell had to\ngo up again and reshoot his reaction shots so that the editors would have\nsomething to cut to. His description of the unusual situation is very relatable\nand the story is enjoyable to listen to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that wasn\u2019t enough, you\u2019ll also get a booklet with new\nwriting on the picture, in addition to a reversible sleeve for the disc with\noriginal and newly commissioned artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the end, Blue Thunder<\/em> holds up remarkably well.\nIt\u2019s a tense and exciting picture with a great cast and a strong message that\nstill plays well today. Arrow Video has done another fantastic job presenting\nthe movie in 4K Ultra HD with incredible aerial photography that not only wows,\nbut will likely never be topped (as it would all be done with CGI now). I would\nargue this underrated picture is a must own for anyone who appreciates action\ncinema from the 1980s. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d 4K Ultra HD disc from Arrow Video is now available for purchase. As a little kid, this reviewer went to the movies a lot, usually with one or both of my parents. And, in the early 1980s, we also had a VCR, which meant we rented a lot of titles. Blue Thunder […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":33513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[115,302,697,1836,2933,2936,3197,3198,3199,3200,3201,3827,5151,9026,10817,12427,12969,17395,18709],"class_list":["post-33511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-115","tag-4k-ultra-hd-review","tag-action","tag-arrow-video","tag-blasts-from-the-past-2","tag-blasts-from-the-past-4k-ultra-hd-review","tag-blue-thunder","tag-blue-thunder-4k-review","tag-blue-thunder-4k-ultra-hd-review","tag-blue-thunder-film-review","tag-blue-thunder-review","tag-candy-clark","tag-daniel-stern","tag-helicopter","tag-john-badham","tag-limited-edition","tag-malcolm-mcdowell","tag-roy-scheider","tag-sony-pictures"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33511\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}