Directed by: John Badham
Starring: Daniel Stern, Roy Scheider, Warren Oates, Candy Clark
Lymangood and Frank find out that Blue Thunder is meant to be used as a offensive crowd control device. Frank and Lymangood also find out that the death of Diane McNeely made have been plotted ahead of time, not just a randon act of violence. Lymangood steals the video tape that has the information on Diane's death, but is tracked and killed as a result. Frank learns that Lymangood hit the tape and has Kate get it and take it to KBLA-TV. Swat teams attack Frank but Frank shoots down the helicopter, and destroyes and F-16 fighter in teh process.The mayor stops the operation after two civilian targets are attacked. Colonel Cochrane attacks Frank in his helicopter, and during Frank's flashbacks, that Cochrane is the one who pushed the Vietcong Soldier out of the helicopter. Frank gets the best of Cochrane and destroys his helicopter killing him. Frank then lands the Blue Thunder in front of a train and gets out before the train hits the Blue Thunder and destroys it. As Frank walks away from the wreckage, a news broadcast is heard that Diane McNeely's murder investigation is opened up again, and an investiage of police officers and government officals begins.
Anthony
Continuity mistake: When Roy Scheider's partner is killed, he is run over by a car. After the car runs him over, his body rolls and you can see his arms swinging freely even though his hands were bound by the plastic ties. Later when you see his body, his hands are bound again. (01:10:30)
Frank Murphy: That's Cochrane, F.E., US Army.
Lymangood: Cochrane, F.E. What's the "F.E." stand for?
Frank Murphy: "Fuck Everybody."
Trivia: The registration number N77GH is visible on a gold placard on right surveillance camera' but only civilian aircraft are given November numbers. Military helicopters only have a series of numbers like on the tail. You aren't supposed to notice Blue Thunder's real "N" number, but it is there throughout the movie making it known it was truly a civilian helicopter.
Question: Near the end, Cochrane wants to kill Murphy. Why do it in the air? Even if Cochrane did wipe him out, the only way he would have to do that was to destroy the helicopter completely when he had the chance; instead, he injured Murphy and disabled the cannon somewhat, which is painful to watch and understandable, for fear of collatoral damage or simply because he did not want to blast it out of the sky and foot the bill. But the helicopter costs '$5 million', and even if Cochrane had the money, it would have been cheaper to take Murphy out on land instead of in public and in broad daylight.
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Chosen answer: Murphy has been deemed a threat to the public at large by the authorities, having "snapped" and stolen an armed helicopter. Cochrane is using that determination as cover to finally kill Murphy, whom he's long despised. Killing Murphy on the ground would be harder to get away with. He would not be responsible for paying for the helicopter anymore than the Air Force or the other police helicopter crews would be had they sucessfully knocked Blue Thunder down.
johnrosa