Thunderbirds

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Thunderbirds

PG

Released Jul 30, 2004

1h 27m

Kids & Family

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

18%

Tomatometer

103 Reviews

37%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Former astronaut Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) runs International Rescue, a top-secret heroic organization, from his headquarters on Tracy Island. The island also houses the futuristic vehicles created by Ray "Brains" Hackenbacker (Anthony Edwards). But while Jeff is on a mission in space, his nemesis, The Hood (Ben Kingsley), invades Tracy Island. The Hood plots to use the island's technology for evil, and only Jeff's son, Alan (Brady Corbet), can stop him.

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Critics Consensus

Live-action cartoon for kids.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Fans of the Spy Kids series will enjoy it.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 29, 2010

Full Review

Joshua Katzman

Chicago Reader

There's enough special effects razzle-dazzle to distract the average ten-year-old, but the script by William Osborne and Michael McCullers is stilted and humorless -- a little camp might have helped.

May 18, 2008

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Derek Adams

Time Out

What impenetrable, overwrought codswallop this one's turned out to be.

Feb 9, 2006

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Paul Dale

The List

It's too convoluted and camp for kids and too boring for adults.

Rated: 1/5

Apr 22, 2019

Full Review

Mark Steyn

The Spectator

If they'd taken the spirit of the Penny-Parker scenes and run with it, they might have had a movie. Instead, Tim Bevan and co. took Gerry Anderson's wonderful self-contained universe and cut the strings in every sense.

Jan 25, 2018

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

There's just nothing redeeming about this movie...

Apr 29, 2009

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Kieran F

10/10 pls watch this movie it’s so good, acting is brilliant, music is great and the fight scenes are sooooooooooo realistic, fav bit is definitely the dialogue, lines like: Alan Tracy - ‘So, do you still think that science can explain everything?’ Fermat - ‘Not girls.’ really got me, fav movie I watch it all the time 🤘🤘 (p.s Jeff Tracy can ‘thunderise’ my pu**y any day of the week 😉)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/31/25

Full Review

D3Z 1

Jonathan Frakes' take on the Thunderbirds unfortunately did not soar as the beloved puppet show created by Gerry Anderson which features the rescue family team and their vehicles needed more than just strings reattached. Despite having the likes of Bill Paxton, Ben Kingsley and Sophia Myles who is probably the only decent casting as Lady Penelope, the other aspects were rather poorly done whether this was from a plot that did not have anything interesting, poorly choreographed fight sequences or even characters that failed to shine from start to end.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Awesome in just 1 hour and 27 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $6,800,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/25

Full Review

Arturo R

TRUE CINEMA!!! My man over cooked with this, and the score by Hans Zimmer is a certified banger, and the end credits song Thunderbirds Are Go by Busted is sensational.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/07/24

Full Review

Emily P

Absolutely love this film, even 20 years after it's release, I still watch this and love it to this day it always makes me laugh and takes me back to being a child.. it definitely gets too much hate..

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/06/24

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Kieron A

Brilliant film. It receives far too much hate for what it is, a classic 00s kids film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/11/24

Full Review

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Jonathan Frakes

Director

Bill Paxton

Jeff Tracy

Anthony Edwards

Brains

Sophia Myles

Lady Penelope

Ben Kingsley

The Hood

Brady Corbet

Alan Tracy

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Synopsis

Former astronaut Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) runs International Rescue, a top-secret heroic organization, from his headquarters on Tracy Island. The island also houses the futuristic vehicles created by Ray "Brains" Hackenbacker (Anthony Edwards). But while Jeff is on a mission in space, his nemesis, The Hood (Ben Kingsley), invades Tracy Island. The Hood plots to use the island's technology for evil, and only Jeff's son, Alan (Brady Corbet), can stop him.

Director: Jonathan Frakes
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Mark Huffam
Screenwriter: Michael McCullers, William Osborne, Peter Hewitt
Distributor: Universal Pictures, Universal Studios Inc.
Production Co: Tracy Films Ltd, Working Title Films
Rating: PG (Language|Intense Action Sequences)
Genre: Kids & Family, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 30, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.8M
Runtime: 1h 27m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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