The DVD Dissection: Days of Thunder (Blu-Ray)

Posted by Chad Webb on 01.07.2009

"Rubbin is racing!" Did this Blu-Ray DVD rub me the right way or the wrong way?

Tom Cruise: Cole Trickle
Robert Duvall: Harry Hogge
Nicole Kidman: Dr. Claire Lewicki
Randy Quaid: Tim Daland
Cary Elwes: Russ Wheeler
Michael Rooker; Rowdy Burns
John C. Reilly: Buck Bretherton
Directed By: Tony Scott
Written By: Robert Towne
Theatrical Release Date: June 27, 1990
DVD Release Date: December 30, 2008
Running Time: 107 minutes







Rated PG-13

Rated R for some strong sexual content, nudity and language.

The Film

This article was written assuming that the reader is familiar with the entire film. However, if you have not seen it, this is your spoiler warning. I would advise those people to stop reading after the 5th paragraph, and then return once you've seen the whole thing.

Days of Thunder has one of the coolest entrances by a main character I have ever seen. After Harry Hogge has been persuaded to examine Tim Daland's new driver, the track is rented for the day, and a favor is called in to Rowdy Burns' team. They will be using his car for a test run. Little is known of this new driver, but Burns' crew chief unearths that he was a championship Formula 1 driver, and that he is from California. When Burns finishes his practice laps, he gets right to the point and asks, "Who is this driver?" Cue Cole Trickle, who rounds the corner on his motorcycle, and instead of parking in a regular space, he pulls right up to the track sporting the leather jacket and shades. It is a Hollywood style introduction, but it is presented with so much confidence, one forgives the cheesiness.

Most racing films have their problems. Ones that focus on NASCAR drivers are no different. Days of Thunder was met with mediocre reviews upon its release. The main accusation was simple and direct: "Top Gun on wheels." True, in many ways, the premise and layout are extremely similar to Tom Cruise's previous hit, Top Gun. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is similar to Forrest Gump, and Gladiator is similar to Braveheart. Just because two movies possess nearly analogous plots does not mean one is bad by comparison. Cole Trickle and Maverick might be one in the same, but the fact is, a filmmaker can do things on a racetrack that he cannot in a jet. NASCAR opens a door to an intriguing world of people, and Days of Thunder explores that. Now that we have this criticism out of the way, let's move on.

The story follows Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise), a hot young racecar driver that loses his ride in the Formula 1 circuit, and enters the world of NASCAR. Car salesman Tim Daland (Randy Quaid) is the man who approaches him, and as Cole's crew chief, Tim hires the veteran in the position, Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall). Cole's hot temper and lack of knowledge in this type of racing causes friction with other drivers, specifically star Rowdy Burns. During his rookie season Cole meets Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman) due to an injury. The two fall in love, but Cole's top priority is getting back on the racetrack, and winning the important Daytona 500.

By the start of the 1990's, Tom Cruise was already an established superstar. After two serious prestige efforts with Rain Man and Born on the Fourth of July, which garnered him his first Oscar nomination, he was ready for a break, so he tackled a more relaxed project. The role of Cole Trickle did not require much research, although he did receive a hefty speeding ticket in preparation, but nonetheless, Cruise slips into the role of a fiery tempered racecar driver with ease. Cruise integrates natural charisma, looks, and talent to convince the audience that this West coast man could be believable. Having a star stock car driver know nothing about the mechanics of automobiles made Trickle's personality and Cruise's performance electrifying.

Days of Thunder is saturated with picture perfect casting. Robert Duvall plays Harry Hogge, the veteran crew chief who is also a farmer. No one can argue that Duvall looks and sounds as if he were involved in racing his whole life. Harry is a smart and caring Southern man, and Duvall expresses that wonderfully. Randy Quaid is car owner Tim Daland, the man who assumes the business side of the team. Quaid is given many of the memorable moments and lines. He is a joy to watch and laugh at, or laugh with for that matter. My friends and I commonly quote him with this gem: "We looked like a moneky fu**ing a football out there!" or the priceless reaction of "He's destroyed both my cars!" John C. Reilly reveals his natural abilities in a minor part as Buck Bretherton.

Cole's fellow drivers disappear into the roles so authentically it is scary, and they are rarely given any credit. Michael Rooker is Rowdy Burns, Cole's first rival. After Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and smaller roles in material like Mississippi Burning, Rooker switches gears and plays a Winston Cup champion. His accent and stubborn demeanor are ideal for the character, and Rooker remains terrific when he and Cole become friends. Cary Elwes first appears as a substitute for Cole, named Russ Wheeler. Eventually he gains a sponsor with Tim Daland and has the Hardees car, you know, back when they still made good food. Elwes was hot off The Princess Bride and Glory, so this was a change of pace, but he is quite comfortable as the rookie prick. And who can forget Fred Dalton Thompson’s fabulous speech to the Rowdy and Cole? He’s known only as Big John, but who cares.

Nicole Kidman owes a lot to this movie. Had she not won over Tom Cruise to the point of marriage, who knows what would be different? Regardless, she is an extremely talented lady, and her chemistry with Cruise made this sappy romance angle tolerable compared to others. I am also of the opinion that Kidman was most attractive for this film. The long curly red hair suited her well.

Days of Thunder was the sixth collaboration between famed producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. One always knew when one of their offerings was commencing as the memorable logo with the lightning on the road greeted viewers prior to the feature. They had been named the producers of the year in 1985 and 1988. The fact is, almost everything they touched was a success. They knew what audiences craved, and the duo released entertaining cinema every time. Not all were good, but at least they were semi-entertaining. Days of Thunder occurred in the middle of their run together, at the peak of their powers.

Another complaint I hear a great deal regarding Days of Thunder emanates from NASCAR fans who were disappointed with how the racing was presented. “That’s not realistic” they usually say. Ok, for a moment, imagine if the racing was as authentic as possible. The fancy camera angles inside and in front of the cars as if we are right on the track with them, would have to disappear. The racing sequences would be longer, more drawn out, and we would not see nearly as many crashes. Basically, Director Tony Scott and his army of editors sped up the process. This is a fast-paced, quick, and heart stopping action picture. No, the bumping and crashing does not look like this in an actual race, but high school football players don’t play like the kids in Varsity Blues either. The point is this is a movie. Just like all those who require historical accuracy, if you want realistic races, turn on a NASCAR race.

Days of Thunder takes liberties like any movie would, but this was a vehicle for Tom Cruise after all (pun intended). I would argue though that the intention was to nail the atmosphere and personalities of NASCAR, and to spice up the racing with a dose of Hollywood. It is worth mentioning that many of the scenes and characters in Days of Thunder were based on actual events and people. Take for instance the scene where Cole slams into Russ Wheeler after he played dirty to win the race. That did happen between Bill Elliot and Dale Earnhardt. We need to be honest. This type of racing is not interesting to many people (I consider myself a casual follower if anything), so instead of satisfying just the fans, the aim was to entertain everyone, and I feel that mission was accomplished.

Tony Scott was on the rise by 1990. He had just finished Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop II, so he had some big name stars on his side. At this juncture of his career, Scott’s direction was still somewhat restrained. He was just a plain and simple proficient action filmmaker who knew how to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. His obsession with visual trickery had yet to affect his abilities. This is not meant to be a masterpiece. Days of Thunder was popcorn enjoyment for the summer, and who better than Tony Scott to stand at the helm?

What truly elevates Days of Thunder from just another measly attempt for Tom Cruise to boost his career and popularity is not his performance, nor the direction, or even the plot. The score included by Hans Zimmer is amazing. It is energetic, lasting, and just plain inspirational. Zimmer had surfaced around the mid-80’s, but this was the first time the ears understood what he could offer the moviegoing experience. His music could make the viewer feel for the characters and the situation better than anyone thought plausible. Zimmer is one of the great composers, and this is some of his finest work.

My questions is, how come no one addresses a legitimate flaw of Days of Thunder? For example, the wheelchair racing sequence is absurd and lame, but rarely is that cited. The ending is equally as ridiculous, but we are all rooting for Cole so passionately that we let it slide when he passes 40 some cars in under a minute, on two separate occasions. He makes it look easy, but of course it is not that easy. Is Days of Thunder a spotless film? No, but it is escapist entertainment at its best, and I can still watch it and have a blast.

The Video

Because this is a NASCAR based plot, Days of Thunder exposes a wide variety of bright colors and sunny days to accentuate the High Definition Blu-Ray has to offer. Ward Russell’s cinematography grabs some spectacular visuals of the racetracks, the racing, and the beauty of the vehicles. This is the type of film that Blu-Ray should advertise because the camera work makes use of the atmosphere adeptly. The images are very strong, the colors do not bleed, and the grain is minimal. This is not quite top-notch, or the best in which Blu-Ray could have altered the transfer, but it is certainly superior the standard picture quality. This is presented in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

The Audio

The sound department is pretty incredible as the speakers love to flaunt the cars rushing around the corners and knocking into each other. This is one area where no criticisms can be made. All the characters are totally lucid and understandable, and the action never drowns out their dialogue. This includes tracks in Dolby TrueHD Audio English, Dolby Digital Audio French, and Dolby Digital Audio Spanish, as well as subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The Packaging

Days of Thunder, the Blu-Ray edition, is distributed in a typical slimline blue case with a firmware update notice on the inside. The artwork on the cover and the menu screen is the same it has been for years.

The Extras

Theatrical Trailer (2:25) – This is your basic trailer, but this is the only extra.

I find it disappointing that Blu-Ray is trying to convince the public to convert standard libraries when they are offering nothing new on older films. A colorful action film like this would benefit with some new extras to compliment the improved audio and video.

The Film: 8.5/10.0
The Video: 9.0/10.0
The Audio: 8.5/10.0
The Packaging: 7.5/10.0
The Extras: 1.0/10.0

The 411: I love Days of Thunder. I grew up watching it, and surprisingly, it has not shown near as much age or flaws as other childhood favorites have. I admit the film has flaws, but the main two are not well thought out if you ask me. Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, and many others deliver outstanding performances, very underrated ones, in a highly entertaining racing film. This new Blu-Ray release is hardly worth upgrading for. Yes, I have given it an average rating, but that is mainly because I enjoy the flick. The technical specifications have been spruced up, but not in an eye-opening, blow you away, sort of fashion. The lack of new bonus features, the same old artwork, and the standard Blu-Ray price tag should tell you to stick with the version you already own. If you do not own this yet, I would wait until this goes on sale.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]