Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Woodyanders 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.

lightninboy 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!"

darkangel2003 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.

Haplo-4 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.