Product Details

• Actors: Marcus Aurelius, Catherine Bell, Michael Cavanaugh, Michael Dudikoff, Frederic Forrest
• Directors: Rick Jacobson
• Writers: William C. Martell
• Producers: Andrew Stevens, Ashok Amritraj, Jerry P. Jacobs, Roger Corman
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: New Concorde
• DVD Release Date: January 21, 2003
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000077VQN
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,315 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Black Thunder" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

A top secret stealth fighter is stolen. Only one man, Navy Test Pilot Vince Connors can recover the plane and bring it back in one piece. Battling terrorists, and flying with deadly nerve gas, he has to evade his mentor, now the enemy's top pilot. Format: Color, DVD, NTSC. Language: English. Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.). Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1. Number of discs: 1. Rated: R (Restricted). Studio: New Concorde. DVD Release Date: January 21, 2003. Run Time: 85 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of Dudikoff's best, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Thunder [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Black Thunder" is one of Michael Dudikoff's best films. This is what action films should be: just straight, all-out action without a lot of doppy romantic scenes and excessive language. The film rockets along at the speed of the top secret jet Dudikoff is trying to recover, and the film's over before you know it. If you're a fan of "military-pilot-trying-to-recover-stolen-top-secret-prototype-fighter-jet," then don't miss "Black Thunder."

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Norton's Villain Flies High!, January 26, 2003

By 

W. Gantt (Birmingham, Alabama United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black Thunder (DVD)

When Michael Dudikoff's hero in "Black Thunder" asks Richard Norton's turncoat why he's in the middle of a hijack and ransom
scheme for a zealously guarded fighter jet, Norton simply replies, "Getting rich." Versatile actor Norton delivers the line so craftily, and so convincingly, that no audience of "Black
Thunder" will ever second-guess this bad guy's motivation. As
Dudikoff's prey, Norton delivers a portrayal of the treasonous "Ratcher" (great baddie name)that lifts this plane chase movie off terra firma and out of the "formulaic action picture" category. Top marks for this fast paced movie with thanks to actor Richard Norton!

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointing, August 17, 2011

By 

Kent B. (Hobbiton, the Shire.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black Thunder (DVD)

If you go into this film with low expectations and just roll with it, it has enjoyable moments, it was just OK for us but its still hard to find much to justify calling it any good.

Dudikoff was the acting high point, the rest of the acting and directing is mediocre to poor. If you're a Catherine Bell fan, don't expect to see her much, Amazon and the Internet Movie Data Base list her as a star of this film but her role is so tiny and brief it's at best a not worth mentioning bit part.

This film tries to be serious but did not seem to have enough budget or talent to pull it off. More aircraft errors than Top Gun but without the character strengths, good music or flair it had. This films music was repetitive and often mismatched. Often ridiculous, implausible chase and fight scenes, reminded me of the goofy A-Team TV series stuff but without the A-Teams deliberate silly attitude about itself. The stealth special effect was OK but not that good for a 1998 film. The brief nudity served no purpose to further the plot, characters or development of the film in any way and just seemed to be another one of the films vein attempts to fill all the plot holes and blank spaces the writing, directing and production quality left behind.

Not a long film at 85 minutes but the repeated scenes of the cockpits low tech graphics, pilots repetitively and unnecessarily turning dials with the other such meaningless scene lingering made to much of the films run time wasted space and made it seem slowed paced despite the action scenes relatively good pace.

Wonder how many of the positive reviews were from folks involved in making or trying to sell this film.