A vicious band of nuclear terrorists is threatening America's atomic weapons research. Truck jockey Charlie Morrison volunteers for a last-ditch, suicide scheme to lure them into a trap, baited with a vital shipment of bomb-grade plutonium. Soon, Charlie's high-balling it down a remote desert road with a small army of lethally equipped bandits zeroing in on him. Charlie's secret weapon? "Big Thunder", a 65-foot, 18-wheeled war wagon of merciless high-tech destruction!
Practical Effects
Real truck explosions, zero CGI, all glorious destruction.
Stunts
Forrest Tucker did his own driving at 70 years old. Legend.
Production
Custom 'Big Thunder' rig built for maximum absurdity.
Director
Gary Hudson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'Big Thunder' rig was a modified 1974 Mack RS700L with a custom fiberglass shell costing $150,000—nearly the entire film's budget.
Released during peak Reagan-era action cinema, it flopped theatrically but became a cable TV staple, feeding the 'trucker mythos' that Smokey and the Bandit started.
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