Product Details

• Actors: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes
• Directors: Tony Scott
• Writers: Tom Cruise, Robert Towne
• Producers: Don Simpson, Gerald R. Molen, Jerry Bruckheimer
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English, French
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: October 12, 1999
• Run Time: 107 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00001NI7L
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,973 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

With Days of Thunder, director Tony Scott tried to do for the Indy 500 what he did for the U.S. Air Force with Top Gun. But without Top Gun's go-go soundtrack and visual feats, Scott merely ends up with a Tom Cruise vehicle that's out of gas.

Cruise plays (what else?) a cocky, upstart stock-car racer who faces down ruthless racing opponents. Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Cary Elwes, and Randy Quaid do the laps around this movie's tiresome track with Cruise, while director Scott attempts to propel the action along with his trademark visceral, gritty but glamorous visual style.

Days of Thunder is notable, however, as a turning point in Cruise's then one-dimensional career. After this film--having tired even his most devoted fans by playing a bartender, an air force pilot, and a stock-car driver--Cruise was forced to take on real character parts. --Ethan Brown

From The New Yorker

This new Tom Cruise vehicle, directed by Tony Scott, is the latest example of the nearly demagogic brand of pop-culture uplift practiced by the producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. (They were also responsible for "Flashdance" and "Top Gun.") It's about winning, and nothing else. The setting this time is the stock-car racing circuit. The screenwriter, Robert Towne, seems to be trying to underplay the rah-rah elements of the material-to give competition some point other than pure ego gratification. And he supplies some nice dialogue: easy, natural-sounding macho banter among the drivers and their crews. But the movie has been stripped for speed: by the big race (the Daytona 500), all the ambiguities in the script have been removed, and there's nothing to interfere with Cruise's, and the producers', streak to the finish line. Like the previous Simpson-Bruckheimer pictures, it's designed-engineered, really-to give audiences an overdose of the thrill of victory; it wants us to jump out of our seats, pumping our fists in the air and roaring for the hero to pulverize his opponents. The racing sequences are very ordinary. Also with Robert Duvall, who gives a lively performance as the hero's mentor, and Michael Rooker, Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, and Cary Elwes.-T.R. (7/16/90) -Terrence Rafferty
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the editorial review, March 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Days of Thunder (DVD)

This is a great movie for any Nascar fan. Make sure you totally disregard the "editorial review"

"With Days of Thunder, director Tony Scott tried to do for the Indy 500 what he did for the U.S. Air Force with Top Gun."

Days of Thunder tried to do for the DAYTONA 500, what he did for the US NAVY in Top Gun, Anyone who can't get that right, should not be reviewing movies..

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SOUND, SOUND, SOUND, SOUND!!!!!!!!!, March 9, 2001

By 

"idealboi" (Florence, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Days of Thunder (DVD)

First of all... The movie is quite good, with great performances from Robert Duval, Tom Cruise, and Nicole Kidman. The film has great racing footage (with a few inconsistencies) and is all in all, a good movie... Now let's talk about the DVD... This is one of the best sounding DVD's that I've ever put in to my home theater! The sound in the 5.1 surround sound will absolutely have you looking around for the race car!!!!! As "Cole Trickle" first gets in the car at the vacant raceway, test driving "Rowdy Burns'" car, you will absolutely be beside yourself!! The sound is unreal! You will love this DVD just for the fact of showing off your home theater to friends! The picture has a few flaws, but nothing too noticable! (mainly aspect ratio) That's what gave it the 4 stars instead of 5. Buy this DVD for your theater... You won't be disappointed!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boxed up fun, January 15, 2000

By 

Lance Castellano (University Park, PA) - See all my reviews

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

Okay, let's talk about plausibility for a minute here. People who don't like this movie seem to talk about the fact that the plot is implausible. How many movies today have plausible plots? Are you telling me that I shouldn't like Aliens because the plot is unreal? Yes, this movie does not have Academny Award winning acting or a thick and deep plot, but it serves the purpose it was made for -- to be a thriller. It combines suspense, action, and fun, and although it's not the best in any of these, it combines them seamlessly into an extremely fun ride. Personally, I just don't want to watch an epic everyday, and if you're looking for a REAL fun ride -- this is THE movie.