The reviews lean towards qualified approval of Blue Thunder, with praise clustering around the helicopter action rather than the writing. Critics repeatedly single out the flying footage, practical effects and stunt work as reasons to stay with an implausible story, while the performances earn credit for keeping it entertaining. Slant Magazine offers the most enthusiastic reading, finding a subversive political agenda beneath the action and singling out Warren Oates for praise.
The main divide is over how much the script’s weaknesses matter. Variety finds enough momentum in the streamlined storytelling to overlook thin character psychology; other reviews flag weak plotting and predictability as more substantial limitations. The scores range from enthusiastic to negative, though most sit in the mixed band. The New Yorker supplies the clearest negative dissent, but the available material does not establish its specific objections; two further reviews also lack accessible verdicts.