Days of Thunder (1990)
Average Rating: 4.7/10
Reviews Counted: 43
Fresh: 17 | Rotten: 26
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 5.3/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 4
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 120,368
My Rating
Movie Info
The Top Gun team of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott, and superstar Tom Cruise reunite for this excursion into stock-car racing that incorporates the vroom and rumble of deafening car engines with a rehash of the same elements that worked so effectively in Cruise's Top Gun, The Color of Money, and Cocktail. Cruise plays stock-car driver Cole Trickle, a young fireball on the Southern stock-car circuit who has loads of talent but no conception of how to channel that
Jun 27, 1990 Wide
May 25, 1999
Paramount Home Video
Watch It Now
Cast
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Tom Cruise
Cole Trickle -
Robert Duvall
Harry Hogge -
Nicole Kidman
Dr. Claire Lewicki -
Randy Quaid
Tim Daland -
Michael Rooker
Rowdy Burns -
Cary Elwes
Russ Wheeler -
Fred Dalton Thompson
Big John -
John C. Reilly
Buck Bretherton -
J.C. Quinn
Waddell -
Don Simpson
Aldo Benedetti -
Peter Appel
Tire Carrier Cole's Cre... -
Stephen Michael Ayers
Jack Man Cole's Crew -
Michael Burgess
Young Doctor -
Tania Coleridge
Russ Wheeler's Girlfrie... -
Barbara Garrick
Lauren Daland -
John Griesemer
Len Dortort -
Margo Martindale
Donna -
Jerry Molen
Dr. Wilhaire -
Nick Searcy
Highway Patrol Officer -
Mike Slattery
Front Tire Changer Cole... -
Caroline Williams
Jennie Burns -
Donna Wilson
Darlene -
Chris Ellis
Harlan Hoogerhyde -
Leilani Sarelle
Female Highway Patrol O... -
Jim Grimshaw
Hardee's Pit Crew Chief -
Cindi Vicino
Nurse -
James Martin Jr.
Field Doctor -
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All Critics (43) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (29) | DVD (15)
Days of Thunder zigzags between exploiting Cruise's likable grin and charming vulnerability and portraying him as an emotional loser. It's an uncertain and unsatisfying mix.
There are plenty of soulless movies around. What's special about Days of Thunder is that it works overtime trying to convince you it's not one of them.
In 1990 the people who brought you Top Gun -- Tom Cruise, director Tony Scott, and producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer -- figured out a way to take more of your money, and it involved stock-car racing.
A flashy, pre-packaged racing picture featuring stock cars and stock situations.
Top CriticIt's one thing to market a film solely on the strength of its star. It's quite another to go ahead and make the film that way.
Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer have raised formula films to a science.
Trashy, formulatic thriller actioner, directed by Tony Scott, who had earlier helmed the 1986 Top Gun, which catapulted Tom Cruise to stardom.
Days of Thunder retains a few moments of startling competency, though overall it's an inconsistent feature film -- not always providing the thunder, though the Cruise is well taken care of.
A sad example of Hollywood at its weakest and a reminder that even today's pabulum, spoon-fed as it is in multiplexes, is rarely as bad as the early roaring 1990s.
Incredibly uneven yet basically entertaining...
The makers of this one thankfully didn't set out to make anything new for Blu-ray, so the only extra is the movie trailer, which is at least provided in high definition.
The story is predictably pedestrian, the conflict laughable and the dialogue too lifeless to be laughable, but closer to that than convincing or compelling.
When it's on the racetrack, it's thrills abound as the big sound and fast-moving cars make for sensory overload. However, when the action fades and it's time to give the characters some meat.
An unofficial "sideways sequel" to Top Gun...except with national treasure Robert Duvall in the role of crusty mentor.
...in high-def the movie passes 107 minutes harmlessly enough. (Blu-ray Edition)
If you liked Top Gun, you stand a good chance of liking Days of Thunder.
A film in desperate need of a pit stop.
For die-hard Cruise fans and car mechanics only.
No one really expects an action movie to resonate with profound meaning, but the shallowness of Days of Thunder is extraordinary even by genre standards.
The film's whole narrative structure begins to disintegrate on the second viewing, if it hasn't already done so on the first.
Completely preposterous (I had no clue that Nascar allowed essentially bumper car antics), but nevertheless entertaining.
Audience Reviews for Days of Thunder
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Jack Man Cole's Crew: Sugar...Sugar. [asking Cole Trickle for sugar for coffee through ajar door]
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- Harry Hogge: You stay out of that car. If you get back in that car, you'll die. You hear?
- Cole Trickle: I'm not getting back in my car, I'm getting in Rowdy's.
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Very good movie! I enjoyed it from beginning to the end. Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall did an excellent screen combo. I think the supporting cast was good also. Very nice ending full of adrenaline!
Days of Thunder revolved around a talented, hot-shot auto racing rookie, (# 46 and 51) Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise), who, after trying his hand in the American open wheel ranks, seeks to win on the NASCAR circuit. His mechanic mentor, Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall), acts as his crew chief. He also develops a romantic relationship with Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman), a young brain surgeon who tries to tame him. Lo and behold, just when he thought it was safe and easy to get back into a race car and drive, an arrogant and dangerous newcomer by the name of Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes) doesn't make it easy on him as he picks on him because he knows he can get away with it since not only did he substitute drive Trickle's Pink Superflo car while Cole was in the hospital, but now he is teammates with him under the selfish, bullheaded car owner Tim Daland (Randy Quaid) as the new superstar Nascar was looking for with Rowdy Burns out.