Probably hardly anyone has even heard of this movie, and that's all right, because the only people who would care about it are truckers and hot rodders. As far as the plot goes, let's just say there's a secret government operation here, subject to terrorists and internal corruption. Forrest Tucker was a man many people today are not familiar with, but he had a lot of roles and was a common name. And then we have John Shepherd, who is not a familiar name but is worth checking out. His character drag races a Chevy pickup, apparently one of the fastest in existence, and it seems the girls flock to him two at a time. There's also a scene with the "Cotton-eyed Joe." Anyway, Forrest and John are trucking plutonium in a high-tech customized semi with the Chevy on board, just in case they need it. The Kenworth conventional tractor has a 8V-92 Detroit, apparently the best powerplant for this mission. Now for the best part of this whole movie: Where White Line Fever gives you a truck tractor jumping through the air, Thunder Run gives you a whole semi!! Later they have to abandon the rig and use the Chevy to escape from a 12V-71 Detroit-equipped Kenworth cabover which gets wrecked. Anyway, they get like $250,000 for the run, and John asks Forrest what they're going to spend it on, and, like a real man, Forrest says "On anything we damn well please!"
12 Reviews
I feel the Thunder in my Heart, and I just can't Control it!
Coventry16 January 2010
This is very straightforward and rudimentary action-cheese from the 1980's, no more and no less. First, we have 45 minutes of obligatory character introductions, depiction of clichés and mood-setting tableaux. Then, we have a good 45 minutes of crowd-pleasing action sequences that include explosions, ramming, 18-wheel truck stunts and impressive accidents. That's how simple movies can be, and it's great! Charlie Morrison was a Korean War veteran and furthermore notorious heavy truck driver, but that was a long time ago. Now he, his beloved wife Maggie and daredevil grandson Chris unsuccessfully try to exploit a mine in Nevada. Charlie receives a visit from his former army buddy turned government agent George, who hires him to transport a chest of plutonium to Arizona in a specially armored truck named "Thunder" and earn $250.000. During his trip Charlie has to be wary of well-organized terrorists with special tricks and gimmicks up their sleeves (like Volkswagen Beetles with rocket launchers on the roof), but he gets help from his grandson and his nerd friends. At first, I assumed "Thunder Run" would be a delightful and joyous "hillbilly" movie! There are bar sequences where the band plays songs like "Cotton Eye Joe" and "Bullsh*t". The elderly townsfolk dance in the bar while the younger generation are out in the streets organizing illegal street races. Furthermore there's the weird romance between a blond babe (with a really fine bottom) and the world's biggest nerd and the Chevy pick-up with gas injection which predates the similar "The Fast and the Furious" with approximately fifteen years. Later, there's the typical pimping of the truck with explosive gadgets (immensely popularized by "The A-Team") and the introduction of ultra-evil villains. You can clearly tell these guys are pure evil because they either have icky scars in their faces or non-Americans! The finale contains some wondrous action highlights including 65ft long Thunder jumping over a moving train and an exhilarating showdown between trucks. "Thunder Run" is fantastic, monumental 80's guff!
Cool B-action movie
Haplo-424 February 1999
This must be one of the most enjoyable B-action movies I have seen. I first saw it in 1986 when it was new on video in Sweden and I have never manage to forget it - even if that was 13 years and a lot of other movies ago. The plot is easy - just 100% action all the time with as little focusing on the actors as possible. The movie is about a truck-driver who has agreed to transport plutonium to some outback testing ground, and there are many badguys who want to get their hands on that plutonium. To aid him in the transport he has a very well equipped truck and a lot of fuel. The actors do perform an okay job and the movie really isn't any worse than the other more costly productions. So I must say that watching it is one and a half hour acceptably well spent.
This movie was filmed in my home-town...
Spidey_848721 February 2002
Bullhead City, Arizona. It was great to see Hollywood coming to town. I'll admit this movie is bad but some of the people I went to high school with are in it. Dennis Deal, the General, was our high school basketball coach. The bar scene, where the two guys get in an argument over a girl (isn't that always the case?), those guys are brothers and the bartender that breaks it up is their father. Funny, eh? Anyway, I said it's bad and it is but I get a big kick out of watching it. I can point out all the places they go in the movie. The final destination is really Davis Dam on the Colorado River. Anyway, watch this movie, laugh at how bad it is and, if you're from the 'Head, it'll mean that much more to you.
Arguably the worst film of ALL TIME...
jeimages14 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The only reason I remember this movie is because it was (and still is) the biggest waste of time and money ever spent. I was 17 and my friend was 18. We were the age when action movies were our thing to enjoy most (ok 2nd most). We walked out feeling so insulted, we wanted our money back, but the time could never be regained.
The editing is what killed this movie. As the truck gets attacked by more and more vehicles with rocket launchers attached the movie completely insults the intelligence of the audience by having these rogue bad guys in 4x4 VW Bugs shooting rockets at the truck. Please, rockets at a truck known to be carrying plutonium? What's worse is the these VW's manage to get 15-18 shots off of a 4 rocket launcher. You would see on VW with 4 rockets fire 2 of them, cut around the truck with the last one attached, come back a second later with two rockets attached, fire another, then go in front of the truck and now it's back to a full set of 4 rockets.
We toughed it out hoping for a big finish that never happened. It looks like they just ran out of money and stopped.
Just ridiculous.
The editing is what killed this movie. As the truck gets attacked by more and more vehicles with rocket launchers attached the movie completely insults the intelligence of the audience by having these rogue bad guys in 4x4 VW Bugs shooting rockets at the truck. Please, rockets at a truck known to be carrying plutonium? What's worse is the these VW's manage to get 15-18 shots off of a 4 rocket launcher. You would see on VW with 4 rockets fire 2 of them, cut around the truck with the last one attached, come back a second later with two rockets attached, fire another, then go in front of the truck and now it's back to a full set of 4 rockets.
We toughed it out hoping for a big finish that never happened. It looks like they just ran out of money and stopped.
Just ridiculous.
We are completely out of Molotov's, baby.....
FlashCallahan25 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Charlie, a Korean War veteran, is paid to drive a truck which is transporting plutonium from Nevada to Arizona.
But there are a bunch of terrorists who want to steal the truck, and all of its contents....
Thunder run is the cinematic equivalent of one of those £2.99 spectrum games you used to get from the chemist when you got your pocket money.
It does exactly what it says on the tin, hardly any build up, straight forward plot, and bad guys that seemingly get progressively harder as the film reaches its climax.
It's completely silly, the first twenty or so minutes are absolute nothing more than bonding between grandfather and grandson, but as soon as they get in the truck, it's mindblowingly brilliant in an 'only in the eighties' way.
We get girls on bikes cooked to death, guys in dune buggies with missiles attached, and the actual truck filled with pound shop gadgets such as barrels filled with explosives, flame throwers, and a ram at the front.
And then it finishes.
It's not brilliant, but if you want something to entertain in a way that Cannon films did, you'll find something to entertain here.
But there are a bunch of terrorists who want to steal the truck, and all of its contents....
Thunder run is the cinematic equivalent of one of those £2.99 spectrum games you used to get from the chemist when you got your pocket money.
It does exactly what it says on the tin, hardly any build up, straight forward plot, and bad guys that seemingly get progressively harder as the film reaches its climax.
It's completely silly, the first twenty or so minutes are absolute nothing more than bonding between grandfather and grandson, but as soon as they get in the truck, it's mindblowingly brilliant in an 'only in the eighties' way.
We get girls on bikes cooked to death, guys in dune buggies with missiles attached, and the actual truck filled with pound shop gadgets such as barrels filled with explosives, flame throwers, and a ram at the front.
And then it finishes.
It's not brilliant, but if you want something to entertain in a way that Cannon films did, you'll find something to entertain here.
Classic Cannon cheese from the 1980's.
halhorn20 April 2004
The low budget, the synthesized soundtrack, the emphasis on action scenes over script...it has to be a Cannon studios action film from the 1980's!
Forrest Tucker was one of the key action stars for Republic Studios in the 1950's. In many ways, Republic was the Cannon of its day. Like Cannon, it specialized in low budget action films, occasionally luring a big star from other studios (John Wayne, for example) and eventually overextending itself with pricey flops (i.e. "Jubilee Trail" and "Fair Wind to Java") and going bankrupt. Almost 30 years after leaving Republic to do a series of films for the British Hammer studio, Tucker's theatrical swan song would be his lone action effort of the 1980's.
"Thunder Run" is hurt by its low budget and inexperienced director (Hudson was doing his first feature), but many action sequences deliver the goods; terrorists chase Tucker through the desert, Road Warrior-style, in VW beetles equipped with heat-seeking missiles; Tucker jumps over a moving train in his 18-wheeler; "space age plastic" and some well-placed Molotov cocktails are among Tucker's defense mechanisms; and the chief terrorist is played by Dharma's TV dad (with a scar on his face, so we'll know he's the bad guy).
MGM/UA has been slowly, but surely releasing Cannon's 1980's output on DVD, but this classic slice of cheese has yet to be released. Hurry up, MGM/UA! This one is not to be missed!
A fun chase movie and a fitting farewell for veteran action icon Tucker (Cannon would do the same for another long-time action icon, Lee Marvin, in THE DELTA FORCE the same year). 7/10
Forrest Tucker was one of the key action stars for Republic Studios in the 1950's. In many ways, Republic was the Cannon of its day. Like Cannon, it specialized in low budget action films, occasionally luring a big star from other studios (John Wayne, for example) and eventually overextending itself with pricey flops (i.e. "Jubilee Trail" and "Fair Wind to Java") and going bankrupt. Almost 30 years after leaving Republic to do a series of films for the British Hammer studio, Tucker's theatrical swan song would be his lone action effort of the 1980's.
"Thunder Run" is hurt by its low budget and inexperienced director (Hudson was doing his first feature), but many action sequences deliver the goods; terrorists chase Tucker through the desert, Road Warrior-style, in VW beetles equipped with heat-seeking missiles; Tucker jumps over a moving train in his 18-wheeler; "space age plastic" and some well-placed Molotov cocktails are among Tucker's defense mechanisms; and the chief terrorist is played by Dharma's TV dad (with a scar on his face, so we'll know he's the bad guy).
MGM/UA has been slowly, but surely releasing Cannon's 1980's output on DVD, but this classic slice of cheese has yet to be released. Hurry up, MGM/UA! This one is not to be missed!
A fun chase movie and a fitting farewell for veteran action icon Tucker (Cannon would do the same for another long-time action icon, Lee Marvin, in THE DELTA FORCE the same year). 7/10
Best Trucking movie EVER!
onelonedolphin-383891 October 2019
Ultimate 80's b-movie
winter-fire20 September 2018
This film is like a cross between wages of fear, mad max with some lasers thrown in for no reason, just because its the 80's and er...LASERS....The objective given to our main protagonist doesn't make sense in some ways BUT THAT DOES NOT MATTER IN ANY WAY as this is 90 mins of sheer enjoyment...Throw in some more 80's staples like the computer whizz kid and you have pure GOLD....
An enjoyably silly car chase action romp
Woodyanders18 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Few studios could rival Cannon back in the 80's when it came to cranking out slickly mounted give the audience what they've paid to see action/adventure potboilers. Sure, their films were usually pretty empty-headed and utterly lacking in originality, but they delivered the goods just the same in an admirably precise and economical manner.
"Thunder Run" is a solid example of Cannon's winning formula: it's simple, basic and to the point. Forrest Tucker in his final film role affably portrays Charlie Morrison, a crusty crackerjack gear-gammer and Korean war veteran who's hired by crafty government agent John Ireland to haul a load of plutonium freight across a long, lonely stretch of Nevada desert backroads. Naturally, there's one immense hitch: a lethal band of nuclear terrorists led by a sensationally slimy Alan Rachins want to steal the plutonium, so Morrison, assisted by his loving grandson Chris (likable John Shepherd), stacks the odds more in his favor by building himself an almighty, heavily armored, tank-like 65-foot 18-wheeler supertruck called "Big Thunder." Gary Hudson's vigorous direction ensures that this tightly efficient B-picture chase thriller storms along in a pleasingly straightforward and single-minded manner akin to Morrison's truck: we've got a ceaseless rapid-fire pace, gritty, here's-dirt-in-your-eye ground level camera-work by Harvey Genkins, amusingly dopey adolescent sex hi-jinks (a klutzy stringbean electronics whiz kid dweeb does just what you think with a gorgeously slinky blonde babe), an incessantly pounding score by Jay Levy, frequent bright yellow explosions, a terrifically trashy hard rock soundtrack, engaging characters (Jill Whitlow of "Night of the Creeps" fame is especially endearing as Chris' sweet girlfriend), a few lovably cheesy gimmicks (would you believe outrageously garish, camouflage-painted Volkswagons equipped with rocker launchers?), and, most importantly, more wild, careening, knock-you-out-of-your-seat frantic and exciting piston-pumping car chase action than you can shake a tire iron at. Okay, as far as creativity is concerned this puppy's admittedly low on gas, but it still rattles along with a certain rousing streamlined momentum nonetheless.
"Thunder Run" is a solid example of Cannon's winning formula: it's simple, basic and to the point. Forrest Tucker in his final film role affably portrays Charlie Morrison, a crusty crackerjack gear-gammer and Korean war veteran who's hired by crafty government agent John Ireland to haul a load of plutonium freight across a long, lonely stretch of Nevada desert backroads. Naturally, there's one immense hitch: a lethal band of nuclear terrorists led by a sensationally slimy Alan Rachins want to steal the plutonium, so Morrison, assisted by his loving grandson Chris (likable John Shepherd), stacks the odds more in his favor by building himself an almighty, heavily armored, tank-like 65-foot 18-wheeler supertruck called "Big Thunder." Gary Hudson's vigorous direction ensures that this tightly efficient B-picture chase thriller storms along in a pleasingly straightforward and single-minded manner akin to Morrison's truck: we've got a ceaseless rapid-fire pace, gritty, here's-dirt-in-your-eye ground level camera-work by Harvey Genkins, amusingly dopey adolescent sex hi-jinks (a klutzy stringbean electronics whiz kid dweeb does just what you think with a gorgeously slinky blonde babe), an incessantly pounding score by Jay Levy, frequent bright yellow explosions, a terrifically trashy hard rock soundtrack, engaging characters (Jill Whitlow of "Night of the Creeps" fame is especially endearing as Chris' sweet girlfriend), a few lovably cheesy gimmicks (would you believe outrageously garish, camouflage-painted Volkswagons equipped with rocker launchers?), and, most importantly, more wild, careening, knock-you-out-of-your-seat frantic and exciting piston-pumping car chase action than you can shake a tire iron at. Okay, as far as creativity is concerned this puppy's admittedly low on gas, but it still rattles along with a certain rousing streamlined momentum nonetheless.
Cool 80'S film
darkangel20038 August 2003
I've seen this film about 20 times, I used to love it as a kid I even wrote an essay on it, the truck was cool especially the gadgets.
I saw it a couple of months ago and It wasn't that good, oh well at least I have my memories.
I saw it a couple of months ago and It wasn't that good, oh well at least I have my memories.
A film that works
gavintabineruk23 November 2002
I would describe this film as being a 'Road' film, because that is basically what it is. It has all the usual moments but is not overridden with action at all, in fact it has a bit of a story behind it aswell, which is suprising. This film is very Mad Max like in the truck scenes. I enjoyed this film, but it is the kind of thing that you could only watch a few times before you went mad!!!!!!!!
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