Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise) is a talented driver who joins the NASCAR circuit at the behest of a small-town car dealer named Tim Daland (Randy Quaid). Daland doesn't have the money to get top-shelf equipment or talent, but manages to pull together a group of rookie drivers and an experienced crew chief, Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall). The team manages to win a few races and it doesn't take long for Cole to start up a few rivalries. During one race, Cole begins to swap paint with veteran driving "Rowdy" Burns (Micheal Rooker), leading to a near-fatal crash. Enter Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman), who is given the task of taming Cole and getting him in shape for a return.
I guess my love of bad 80's action movies (or, guy movies in general) is a lot like J.R. Nip or Cyn's attraction to bad B-list horror flicks. Neither are the best examples of their respective genres, but at the same time, they are still fun movies to watch. Of course, doing so requires you to turn off your brain, or at least the logic centers of your brain, but if you can manage it, you'll enjoy what you're watching. The action sequences are top-notch, especially in HD, and you're guaranteed at least one or two one-liners to randomly shoot between friends (provided, of course, they've seen the movie).
About the only thing I didn't like about the movie is Nicole Kidman's role as a neurosurgeon, which is as logic-defying as Tara Reid's stint as a archaeologist in Alone in the Dark.
The lack of extras is also a bit of a disappointment. The HD transfer is really good, but that alone doesn't make up for the heftier price. I wouldn't expect many people to want to come back and add commentary to the film, but something - anything - would have been welcome. At the very least, I would have enjoyed a "professional" commentary track similar to the one featured in the Blu-ray version of Top Gun. Though it isn't explicitly stated anywhere, a few of the plot points and goings on during the movie are loosely based on actually events pulled from NASCAR. It would have been fun to hear real drivers (some of which are in the movie) comment in a "Reel vs. Real" fashion.
Days of Thunder should only be considered as a Blu-ray purchase if you're trying to fill out a collection of Tom Cruise HD movies or really like the movie. The plot is passable and the action is satisfying, but the lack of extras doesn't justify the price.
