Sadly Over-hyped

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Long forgotten and short running TV-series is based on John Badham's 'Blue Thunder' starring Roy Scheider. The title is the only thing common between film and TV-series. The series didn't take over where film ended, but it rather created alternate universe or storyline how the Blue Thunder helicopter will serve in the forces. Characters are different - super cool Murphy has been replaced by Chaney (James Farentino), who still has enough charm and coolness in him to carry the show. Also, compared to the film, the show is much more lighthearted - besides Chaney and captain Braddock, all the other characters are there for comic relief. Show also lost all the seriousness and message of the film, turning 'Blue Thunder' series typical '80s action show.And a typical action show 'Blue Thunder' is. If you're familiar (and grown up with) shows like 'The A-Team', 'Airwolf', 'Magnum P.I.', or any other that kind, 'Blue Thunder' can offer a nice juicy '80s nostalgia boost. Cheesy stories and ridiculous villains (mostly played by well known character actors from that time). Cheap effects and reused aerial shots from the film.

A shame that the TV series didn't follow the movie of the same name - namely being more adult.By being more family friendly, it effectively watered down the show.It's still watchable, but the scripts haven't aged well.And 'Rolling Thunder' as ground support didn't really gel. Just really a big van with a 4x4 that rolled out the back..............which wasn't even bulletproof, unlike Blue Thunder itself.As I say, a shame as the subject matter (an urban police enforcement chopper) could have been far better - as it is, it'll always play second fiddle to Airwolf.

I remember watching a few episodes of this TV series when it first came out, and liking what I saw. So when I found out that the entire eleven episodes of the series had been released on DVD, I rented the entire set to see if the show would still hold up. And the answer is, for the most part, no. With the exception of a pre-fame Dana Carvey, who manages to show off his comic skills and charm, the cast gives pretty forgettable performances, most likely because the scripts don't give their parts multi-dimension. The other parts of the scripts also fail to interest, with bland, simplistic stories. The Blue Thunder Helicopter does look cool, and there is some impressive aerial photography as well as choreography. But it seems that the expense to do so resulted in some shabby cost-cutting elsewhere, with obvious stock footage and footage repeated - sometimes in the same show! And while the helicopter looks cool, its movements and abilities come across as sluggish - unlike Airwolf, from a different helicopter show broadcast around the same time. In fact, you'd be better off watching "Airwolf" than watching the "Blue Thunder" TV series.

This show ran September 1983 - February 1984 on Friday nights at 9:00 on ABC. I was in 10th grade at the time. My sister hooked me into watching it, because she saw the movie in the theaters that summer and thought the copter was cool.While the copter was cool and while James Farentino tried to add some classiness to the show, it was beleaguered by melodramatic, corny writing. With other action shows like the "A-Team," "Magnum P.I.," and "Airwolf" to compete with, it didn't have a chance. It was canceled after 13 shows--with no announcements or last-minute advertising. One day you had the show, the next two weeks it was the Winter Olympics, and then it was replaced--can't even remember which show replaced it.However, it did have one good thing going for it--this is where I first discovered the comedic charms of Dana Carvey. While the writing was trite, he did the best with the material he had.