Directed by: John Badham
Starring: Daniel Stern, Roy Scheider, Warren Oates, Candy Clark
Character mistake: When Murphy shoots down an F-16, the guy says "we just lost a M-16."
Character mistake: Following Lymangood's death, police dispatch radios a BOLO on Murphy, identifying his vehicle as a 1979 Trans Am. However Murphy drives a Turbo Trans Am, only available in 1980 and 1981. Dispatch should have all of his data available.
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