Thunderbird 6

With all due repect to the user who somehow remembers the ancient Republic serials doing a better live action/effects mix that this high-tech Sixties extravaganza, you really won't see the join in Medding's seamless recreation of a British motorway (built in one third scale and mixed with real motorway shots for the climactic Tigermoth escape sequence). Indeed, so realistic is this shot that on the DVD commentary Sylvia Anderson (who spends most of her time pointing out the live action shots vs the model shots, like we really need to know) exclaimes "now that's definitely not a model shot!". Sorry Sylv, love, it is and it's quite likely the best you'll ever see (or be hoodwinked by). If you love Thunderbirds, the Andersons or just damn fine effect work, come worship at the alter of Derek Meddings: see Thunderbird Six.

Kids (and grown ups) always wonder - how previous generations' could've 'survived' without.. (fill-in-the-blank: cellphones, video games, electricity, automobiles, aeroplanes, etc., etc.)

The thing we all know is, that not having these things, one can't' miss not having them.

I grew up in the late 60's, early 70's (shh!), and I thought we were the coolest, most 'futuristic' we would ever be.

Saturday mornings for me involved grabbing a bowl of cereal (they were all named 'sugar' - something, i.e., Smacks, Pops, etc., and whilst the recipes for those cereals haven't changed, they removed the 'sugar' from the name - but not the product) and plonking down to watch the fantastic shows of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, in particular, Thunderbirds, and l8r, Captain Scarlett.

People writing reviews here now are constantly mentioning the effects,, good, bad, etc., but, the thing is, I know when I was a kid - and I was a damn smart kid - I didn't even think about the quality of the effects, I just thought the shows, the adventures were cool.

As most 'Fandersons' know, there were 2 Thunderbird movies made - this one, and Thunderbirds are Go!

I 1st saw this film in the late 70's, when I was a late teen, and I watched it because I wanted to reconnect with my childhood.

I was riveted.

I'm now in my early adult years (A-HEM!), and I just watched - for the 1st time since the late 70's - Thunderbird 6, and I had a blast with my heroes of my youth.

Like many of you, I am in awe of the hard work and craftsmanship which went into building the intricate models and then filming them, and not because I want to 'shatter the illusion,' but, rather, because I am just amazed at this talent - I try to spot those shots where live action and model work are intercut, as well, and there are quite a few where I am left scratching my head; 'was that a model, or was it live?'

Incredible.

The gang - the Tracy Clan, (plus Brains & Tin-Tin), as well as the glamorous Lady Penelope and Parker are all here for what amounts to a 90 minute long Thunderbird episode, but, it never feels padded, and unlike many movies 'costing many, many times the budget of this, you actually see where the budget was spent.

As the saying goes, 'no expense was spared,' and it wasn't.'

The sets, the special effects - you see where the money for this love letter to the kids (now adults) and their kids, and their…, well, it's a love letter to us from the fabulous Anderson's.

I did hear though, that Lady Penelope was supposedly 'difficult' to work with on the set, but, in truth, it was she wanted to make sure her 6-wheeled Rolls was fine-tuned, and, I guess Gerry & Sylvia had to pitch in, since 'Lady P' is such an important part of Thunderbird lore.

For all those of us who never fully grew up, Thunderbird 6 is a lot of fun, and I think it's something I'd share with any kid today, as times may change, we still love to explore with our minds, and the sky IS the limit with the Anderson's,.

Thunderbird 6 are GO!

Having just seen the Thunderbirds (2004) remake, I've decided that Thunderbird 6 is great although I've bagged Thunderbirds are GO in the past (the other movie that spelt the end of the TV franchise). But it brings up the question yet again, like the show, why if International Rescue is to remain secret do the members of it keep going around telling everyone who they are! And why would IR go on this around-the-world trip when it isn't a rescue situation?

Still, I think the sets and special effects are great and parts are suspenseful, but I could've done with less of Alan and Jeff Tracy (two really annoying characters even if they are puppets) and more of the other characters. And Brians' little tiff at Jeff's 'bullying' of him to build another Thunderbird quick smart, reminds me of a workmate who was having a hard time with the boss and who...oh, never mind.

Slow but good stuff.

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Thunderbird 6; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.50 Pace: 1.25 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25

TOTAL: 6.50 out of 10.00

As a kid, I always found the Thunderbirds to be a rather uninteresting viewing. I know, wash my mouth out. But I was too young to appreciate the story or the marionette action. At that age, I needed more bang and flash and much less plot. Luckily, I've aged to a point where I can appreciate those things - and more.

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson take the writers' seats for this big-picture Thunderbird outing. On the whole, they do a decent enough job. However, there appear to be a few alterations to International Rescue's secrecy policy. At the movie's opening, Brains is in a meeting with a top aeronautical company to get his new invention off the ground - a technologically advanced airship. This conference takes place in complete secrecy, and the board members never meet Brains. Once the airship's construction is complete, the International Rescue team receive an invite on its maiden voyage. And as we progress through the story, it becomes evident that the hijackers also know their passengers are International Rescue. So much for keeping a secret, huh? Sadly, the Andersons had to drop the concealment issues due to poor story structuring. This neglect allows the hijackers to bug and record Lady Penelope, enabling them to splice together a recorded message - A message that'll drop the Thunderbirds into The Black Phantom's trap. So the bad guys not only know their passengers' secret identities, but also the content and style of the message they're required to send? Brains should check their security and stop messing about trying to come up with a Thunderbird 6. But apart from that glaring inconsistency, the story is pretty solid. The characterisations are spot on, which is how they should be since their creators are writing their story. And in this journey, the Andersons have taken the marionettes a step closer to a more adult world. There are more killings in this film than in all the TV shows. But what got me was the body dumping of the original aircrew in the ocean. I thought it was great, but I have a dark sense of humour. Luckily for the audience, they've not introduced sex into the International Rescue universe - otherwise, we'd have to have a character called Richard Woodcock.

David Lane does a marvellous job with the direction. The one thing that he could've altered to make for a more enjoyable movie was the tempo. He gives T6 a quick stroll of a pace. This speed doesn't always work with the more thrilling aspects of the narrative, like the shoot-outs. In truth, it has the opposite effect and makes them a tad dull. Had he edited quicker, the speedier transitions would have built up the tension and excitement. Where he excels is with the model-to-real-life shifts. The best example of this is the Tiger Moth Bi-Plane. There are at least two versions. One is a remote control model, and the other is a real piloted aeroplane. Having a real aircraft allows Lane to capture more realistic flight scenes with actual scenery and vistas. It works particularly well in the end rescue sequence - you hardly notice the segues.

As for the performances, the puppeteers are excellent, and the vocal talents are okay. It would've been nice had the actors and actresses put more energy into their portrayals. When your body is actually sculptured from wood, I believe you need to steer clear of wooden acting. By and large, the performers do this. However, there are moments when a few slide towards the lumber pile - namely, Sylvia Anderson as Lady Penelope.

Thunderbird 6 isn't brilliant, but it's enjoyable enough to waste an hour-and-a-half on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's one of those films you can stick on for the Grandkids, tell them how much you enjoyed it, and then drift off into snooze-land as they baulk and moan at how boring and stupid it is. Ah, those precious family moments.

Okay, I've cleared a runway, so land that Thunderbird and nip over here to scrutinize my IMDb lists - The Final Frontier, The Game Is Afoot, Let's Get Animated, and Holding Out For A Hero to see where I ranked Thunderbird 6.

Take Care & Stay Well.

Yeah it's definitely cheesy and the marionettes are so lifelike they're creepy, especially when they're laughing maniacally in the beginning, but the creativity and realism are fantastic. The plot is unique, the acting is top knotch and the story is an interesting one. This movie and the original shows by Gerry Anderson are LEAGUES above the dreck that Hollywood has put out over the last 10 years. (Especially the remake. Geesh, what a mess that was) Imagining the actual work involved in making this movie and the shows is mind-boggling and showed true artistry and creativity which is sorely lacking today.