Thunderbirds Are Go

I'm such a hard marker I'm annoying and I just gave this a 10. I actually cannot see any valid reason to give it less. Actually, maybe Grandma should bring it down a couple of points, but I'll stick to a 10 even with her. I grew up on the original (yes I'm that old) and was totally hooked as a kid. I'm still hooked (on the original) and force the re-runs on every child in the family as an important part of their basic education. The movie was a nice idea but the less said about that the better. *Because* of the movie, I had low expectations of this latest. Watched the first episode ... after 5 mins I was feeling disappointed. Modern language, no strings attached, blah blah. By 15 mins I was thinking "Damn if I don't think I might like this." By the end of the second episode it's all over ... I'm sold. This series is outstanding and I can't wait for each new ep. Sure the language is 'modernised' .. remember that they have to be all things to all people with this series; children of today won't sit through the dialogue that accompanied the original version, delivered by cgi characters. The balance they've achieved is stunning. The 'remake' eps (e.g. Fireflash) are just as exciting, maybe more so, as the originals. And as much as I might try to get kids to love the originals as much as I do, they .... don't. Times have changed. The kids do love this new series; they love the scripting, they love the action, they love the speed at which it moves, they love the fact that they don't really understand a lot of what just happened. They just love it. And so do I.

Real effort made with this series but first episode just too frantic- script just trying too hard!

Could have been really good but let down by very poor music score that is plain dull- see the original series to see how it's done.

In episode one someone forgot to put a bit of suspense and build up in. Hopefully better scripts to come but the dramatic "disaster" music and triumphant IR theme lost to a score that seems to have escaped from Disney's Frozen.

Models are a world apart from the sometimes flaky original series - but the attention to detail that inspired a generation of aero and space engineers was not there in this new series.

Maybe this attempt will inspire a new movie with live action - and erase the memory of the last catastrophe

I don't have a problem with Brains being Indian, in fact I think its quite funny and about time - it's the fact that it doesn't really redeem the reboot at all.

Charmless is a word I'd use to describe it - the characters are like robots, or dare I say it, "puppets", and the craft are no longer the "characters" they were in the original.

On the point of dramatic tension, if nothing else, Anderson was a great editor - that's how he started out, as an editor - and it's what gives the original series a sense of pace & excitement which is totally absent from the reboot.

Let me start off saying that they've done a good job reviving the Thunderbirds series. Like many others I started off skeptic, especially because of the CGI. But let me tell you, it looks great. Apart from certain movements from the characters (the puppets from the originals moved awkwardly as well, so perhaps it's intentional) , they've done an amazing job.

The cinematography looks great.

Certain (re)design choices look good and are well thought out. They give a realistic feel to the world. Such as the ships and the suits. However, other designs were left out, such as the caps for the Thunderbirds and Parker and the music (much of the music is not on par with the original). It would've been a nice nostalgic nod.

The focus on the different characters is more balanced (e.g. Thunderbird 5 has a much bigger role). And the female cast has a bigger role to play as well. Plus, Brains is now Asian (so hurray for diversity I guess ;) )

My biggest criticism concerns the pacing. Perhaps kids these days like hyperactive TV and/or movies, but what I loved about the original Thunderbirds was its rather slow pacing and attention to (single) details. By pacing things up, scenes lose their tension and sense of urgency. Especially with the bombastic music playing in the background (the original Thunderbirds had lots of silent moments). They want to shove as many action as possible into a single episode.

I think today's kids would be just as appreciative of slower pacing as we were back in the day (but perhaps this is nostalgia speaking)

I really enjoyed the CG Captain Scarlet reboot. Even within its half hour format, they got some good story and character development. There was plenty of people story in it and enough darkness to keep an adult interested. I was hoping to see the same with Thunderbirds. But they use most of the brief 22 minutes to do non stop action. There is really nothing along the lines of people stories. They really should have made it the hour format like the original.

On the plus side they are faithful to the vehicles of original show, the action is good as is the CG. But it just doesn't fill the shoes of the original. Probably great for kids but as a long time Gerry Anderson fan, its not the same for me