Thunderbirds Are Go

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DanTheMan 2 Without doubt, the single greatest showcase of model effects work ever put to the silver screen, Thunderbirds Are GO is so intrinsically linked to my early development and love of cinema that it's hard for me to disassociate it from Gerry Anderson's phenomenal contributions to the realm of science fiction. I must confess, this is hardly a great starting point for newcomers to Anderson's most beloved series; it drops you firmly off in the deep end without a lot of pity, expecting you to understand the ins and outs of the universe without any hesitation, a byproduct of being a theatrical extension of a TV show that was everywhere during its heyday. It's hard to believe they had an hour and a half of material to fit into a film, and harder still to believe they left quite a lot of footage on the cutting room floor! Yes, this film is essentially an episode of the show, extended and blown up to theatrical proportions, with International Rescue barely needed in the plot till the very end, it's one of the few aspects of the television production that didn't transition very well, given the amount of filler this film contains, including a Cliff Richard inspired dream sequence midway through the film that serves no real purpose. But for what it's worth, the film puts on screen the kind of action, effects and excitement that wouldn't become commonplace until after the Star Wars sci-fi boom of the 1970s. The technical presentation, like all of Anderson's productions, is flawlessly executed, and the model work is arguably the best you'll ever see, with impeccable detail and some of the most fanciful designs of futuristic societies, with set design that wouldn't be out of place in a Ken Adams-designed Bond film. David Lane, Derek Meddings, and their teams nailed the technical and design transitions over to filming for the cinema. Plenty of time was spent working out what would need to be done differently for this film compared to the series, with the puppetry, special effects, sets, lighting, camera work, and especially Barry Gray's timeless music, it's all out of this world. If there's anything that Thunderbirds Are GO does exceptionally well, it's fulfilling the promise of bringing Thunderbirds to the big screen, retaining the distinctive Supermarionation style while demonstrating the team's understanding that the requirements of cinema differ from those of television. Even if this film doesn't sit high in the upper echelon of some of the series' best episodes, the final result is something new and exciting, but still, without question, Thunderbirds. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/19/25 Full Review Louie W It has all the action that the tv series had but it also has quite a few problems. But it's most exciting moments are nothing short than brilliant overall if you are a fan of Gerry Andersons puppet show Thunderbirds I'd recommend it. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member The greatest 01 hour: and 32 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review delysid d i cant figure out if this is cool or not Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/19 Full Review Audience Member For those of us of a certain age, it is impossible not to enjoy this movie. True, there's not a great deal to the story but that is really missing the point. Everything about the genius of Gerry Anderson is encapsulated in the first 10 minutes of the film where we see the assembly of the Zero X spaceship before it sets off for a doomed mission to take man to the planet Mars. The imagination and inventiveness is still breathtaking and the fact that we still in the 21st century don't have such fantastic modes of transport is a constant source of disappointment for me. Of course it is not long before the International Rescue crew get embroiled, charged with providing security for the next mission. As usual, much of the action is handled by Virgil and Scott in Thunderbirds 1 and 2 but there's a sizeable chunk of action for Alan (including a bizarre hormone fuelled dream sequence involving Cliff Richard, the Shadows and Lady Penelope). Poor old Gordon and John get precious little to do. In fact, pretty much all Gordon has to do is shoot a line from T2 at a vital moment while as usual, John just has to listen to his space radio. Lady Penelope and Parker pop up from time to time in FAB1, probably the best car ever made and there's Tintin for that added bit of 1960s totty. Generations of kids grew up with Thunderbirds and it rightly seen as a children's classic and probably Gerry Anderson's best loved creation. Thunderbirds Are Go pretty successfully brings the winning formula to the big screen and makes for an entertaining, nostalgia-filled 90 minutes. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Campy Thunderbird nostalgia. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Thunderbirds Are Go

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