First things first: I am a lifelong fan of the original TV series and the two movies it spawned. I watched it religiously while I was growing up, and still enjoy it today, despite now being almost as old as the series itself. The fact that a live-action motion picture has been made, almost 40 years after the series premiered, is a testament to just how beloved the Thunderbirds series still is after all this time - or of course, that Hollywood is still very much in the habit of plundering old TV series for inspiration...
Expecting a faithful carbon copy of the TV series? Forget it. Times have changed. Different decade - different century. This is Thunderbirds for now - younger heroes, sleeker ships. Who said this is a kid's film? This is for anyone with a sense of wonder and fun. After some hugely negative reviews, I was nervous. The lack of involvement by series co-creator Gerry Anderson - through no fault of his own - is lamentable, which left me wondering how the format would stand up after four decades. I ended up very pleasantly surprised. Jonathan Frakes' movie is colourful, humorous, fun and exciting; all the best qualities of the series. The animated opening sequence captures the tone perfectly, while setting the scene for those unfamiliar with the characters and format. And, thankfully, playing over it is the late Barry Gray's totally unforgettable Thunderbirds theme, reworked by score composer Hans Zimmer. By the end of the opening credits, I had relaxed. And what followed I thoroughly enjoyed.
Visually, the film is a treat. The CGI effects are seamless - there is colour everywhere. The production design is superb, the retro-futuristic look of Tracy Island is perfect. And this being Thunderbirds, the most important question is how those fantastic vehicles have been adapted for today. The updated designs are all great, even if Thunderbird 2 appears a little too wide. It's just a pity they're not on screen a bit more often, but the balance has changed for today's audiences. Then, the vehicles were the stars, to hide the limitations of the puppet medium; now, they serve the characters. FAB 1, Lady Penelope's gadget-packed car, is now a Ford. It's a pity BMW had to be such spoilsports in denying the use of the Rolls Royce brand, but their loss is Ford's gain, and they certainly make use of it - too much, in fact. This for me is the biggest criticism of the film, as times Ford's product placement is so blatant it borders on the absurd.
The casting is fine. Bill Paxton is a strong, earnest Jeff; seeing him declare "Thunderbirds Are Go!" during the film without a hint of irony was welcome. Sir Ben Kingsley was clearly having fun as the Hood, and Anthony Edwards, despite some initial misgivings at his casting, came across well as a quieter, more studious Brains. Brady Corbet convinces as the adolescent Alan Tracy, deftly handling the frustrated wish-fulfillment of his youth, to the sense of responsibility of his impending adulthood and membership of International Rescue. The other four Tracy brothers do not fare as well - not as victims of poor acting, but by the limitations of screen time. Messrs Shrapnel, Winchester, Torgersen and Colenso do fine with the few lines each they are given, but the characters come across as too similar, and are not referred to often enough by name on screen. But the jewels in the casting crown are, of course, Sophia Myles as Lady Penelope and Ron Cook as Parker. They are both absolutely wonderful, Myles bringing a sexy, knowing edge to Penelope's very British pink elegance, Cook the perfect Cockney foil. Their scenes are simply faultless. Special mention should go to Fermat, a character created specifically for the film. The idea of Brains having a son is quite amusing, and Soren Fulton and Edwards interact very well.
Which brings us to the script, and the biggest fault with it. The almost incessant gags at the expense of their stuttering, sadly mar the scenes featuring Brains and Fermat, whether together or separately. In the TV series, it was merely a mannerism for International Rescue's inventor, and was never made fun of - here, it is lampooned horribly, which soon became tiresome and is totally unnecessary. The one exception is a scene where the Hood makes demands, and the expression that crosses Sir Ben Kingsley's face as Brains tries to refuse - struggling with what we think might be a certain word (beginning with "F") - is a joy to behold. Despite some trite dialogue and a few cheesy lines, the script serves the basic plot of the film perfectly adequately. Spy Kids? I wouldn't know. The purists might scoff, but have they forgotten that Alan plays a much larger part than his brothers in both the 1960s movies, "Thunderbirds Are Go!" and "Thunderbird 6"? And they might say there are not enough rescues in the 2004 version - actually more civilians are saved here than in both those films combined. This is Alan's journey, as he gets his wish to become a fully-fledged member of the family business. He is younger than in the series, as are many of the other characters - but if we are talking about a possible Thunderbirds movie franchise, we don't want the actors to get too old too quickly.
So, will there be a sequel? I hope so. Some more peril, certainly more destruction, and a bit more screen time for certain characters and vehicles would be very welcome. But as it stands how else can I put it? - Thunderbirds are GO! 8/10.
Expecting a faithful carbon copy of the TV series? Forget it. Times have changed. Different decade - different century. This is Thunderbirds for now - younger heroes, sleeker ships. Who said this is a kid's film? This is for anyone with a sense of wonder and fun. After some hugely negative reviews, I was nervous. The lack of involvement by series co-creator Gerry Anderson - through no fault of his own - is lamentable, which left me wondering how the format would stand up after four decades. I ended up very pleasantly surprised. Jonathan Frakes' movie is colourful, humorous, fun and exciting; all the best qualities of the series. The animated opening sequence captures the tone perfectly, while setting the scene for those unfamiliar with the characters and format. And, thankfully, playing over it is the late Barry Gray's totally unforgettable Thunderbirds theme, reworked by score composer Hans Zimmer. By the end of the opening credits, I had relaxed. And what followed I thoroughly enjoyed.
Visually, the film is a treat. The CGI effects are seamless - there is colour everywhere. The production design is superb, the retro-futuristic look of Tracy Island is perfect. And this being Thunderbirds, the most important question is how those fantastic vehicles have been adapted for today. The updated designs are all great, even if Thunderbird 2 appears a little too wide. It's just a pity they're not on screen a bit more often, but the balance has changed for today's audiences. Then, the vehicles were the stars, to hide the limitations of the puppet medium; now, they serve the characters. FAB 1, Lady Penelope's gadget-packed car, is now a Ford. It's a pity BMW had to be such spoilsports in denying the use of the Rolls Royce brand, but their loss is Ford's gain, and they certainly make use of it - too much, in fact. This for me is the biggest criticism of the film, as times Ford's product placement is so blatant it borders on the absurd.
The casting is fine. Bill Paxton is a strong, earnest Jeff; seeing him declare "Thunderbirds Are Go!" during the film without a hint of irony was welcome. Sir Ben Kingsley was clearly having fun as the Hood, and Anthony Edwards, despite some initial misgivings at his casting, came across well as a quieter, more studious Brains. Brady Corbet convinces as the adolescent Alan Tracy, deftly handling the frustrated wish-fulfillment of his youth, to the sense of responsibility of his impending adulthood and membership of International Rescue. The other four Tracy brothers do not fare as well - not as victims of poor acting, but by the limitations of screen time. Messrs Shrapnel, Winchester, Torgersen and Colenso do fine with the few lines each they are given, but the characters come across as too similar, and are not referred to often enough by name on screen. But the jewels in the casting crown are, of course, Sophia Myles as Lady Penelope and Ron Cook as Parker. They are both absolutely wonderful, Myles bringing a sexy, knowing edge to Penelope's very British pink elegance, Cook the perfect Cockney foil. Their scenes are simply faultless. Special mention should go to Fermat, a character created specifically for the film. The idea of Brains having a son is quite amusing, and Soren Fulton and Edwards interact very well.
Which brings us to the script, and the biggest fault with it. The almost incessant gags at the expense of their stuttering, sadly mar the scenes featuring Brains and Fermat, whether together or separately. In the TV series, it was merely a mannerism for International Rescue's inventor, and was never made fun of - here, it is lampooned horribly, which soon became tiresome and is totally unnecessary. The one exception is a scene where the Hood makes demands, and the expression that crosses Sir Ben Kingsley's face as Brains tries to refuse - struggling with what we think might be a certain word (beginning with "F") - is a joy to behold. Despite some trite dialogue and a few cheesy lines, the script serves the basic plot of the film perfectly adequately. Spy Kids? I wouldn't know. The purists might scoff, but have they forgotten that Alan plays a much larger part than his brothers in both the 1960s movies, "Thunderbirds Are Go!" and "Thunderbird 6"? And they might say there are not enough rescues in the 2004 version - actually more civilians are saved here than in both those films combined. This is Alan's journey, as he gets his wish to become a fully-fledged member of the family business. He is younger than in the series, as are many of the other characters - but if we are talking about a possible Thunderbirds movie franchise, we don't want the actors to get too old too quickly.
So, will there be a sequel? I hope so. Some more peril, certainly more destruction, and a bit more screen time for certain characters and vehicles would be very welcome. But as it stands how else can I put it? - Thunderbirds are GO! 8/10.