Thunderbirds Are Go

As somebody who grew up with the 1960s incarnation of 'Thunderbirds', which still holds up as a classic and iconic, was expecting a disaster and knew that it was going to be difficult coming close to its quality.

Giving it a fair chance, it doesn't reach the standard of the 1960s show but it is nowhere near the disaster that the 2004 live-action film was. It does have its major faults but doesn't disgrace the original in the way that it could have done and actually makes a real effort to try and respect it while trying to appeal to younger and modern audiences (which apparently was not an easy task for them).

There are several good things. The animation is mostly very good, smooth, very detailed and colourful and with the notable exception of a rather plastic and too young-looking Lady Penelope the characters are mostly still recognisable. There are some tense and also humorous moments ("EOS" being one of the show's better episodes with particularly good effects), Parker is often very funny, and there is evidence of 'Thunderbirds Are Go' trying to respect and pay homage to the original 'Thunderbirds' show. The launch sequences in particular are very well done, the models do look good, and also really appreciated that there was more prominence on Number 5.

Love the brotherly bond often between the brothers, and they do have likable moments, if also some bland ones. Was mixed on the voice acting. David Graham comes off best, he is very good and entertaining, and provides some of the show's funniest and most lively moments. Virgil and Scott also come off well. But as much as I really like Rosamund Pike, despite having a beautiful speaking voice her voice acting doesn't really fit Lady Penelope, although the character looks young Pike sounds a little too mature as well as even in tense situations voices her with more-of-the-same expression which gave the sense that her heart wasn't in it (the more sophisticated and aristocratic Penelope is missed). Alan has his likable moments but often he sounds bland.

Where 'Thunderbirds Are Go' mostly falls down is the length and pacing agreed. The episodes are too short, and in an effort to try and cram in as much as possible many of the stories feel rushed and hyper-active (both in comparison to the original and on its own terms). The action is also mixed, sometimes exciting and fun but too many others veer on the cartoonish. There are also changes here, especially the immediately noted and deeply felt absence of Jeff and a more diverse depiction of Brains which struck a strange chord with me and many others and the feeling has not worn off yet.

Another major problem is the music, there are attempts to use the iconic themes but mostly they are lost within the more brash and over-bearingly bombastic style adopted here and very rarely stops. The villain is not particularly menacing as a villain and seems to be there for the sake of it, and while the script has its good moments there is some awkwardness.

Overall, could have been a disgrace but wasn't, while also not being completely successful. Good try though. 6/10 Bethany Cox

First of all, everyone needs to get over there are no puppets, we all would have loved that but hey this is 2015 not 1965. There are projects (hope all the YOU critics have signed up to the kick starter project) for A possible future puppets series :-)

This Thunderbird series is not bad at all, in fact it's really good. I have given it 10 to readdress the balance, as some people who have given it 1 is absurd. Yes it's a faster pace (but think about the time restriction) the CGI is fantastic, Thunderbird 3's launch is like something out of NASA footage.

There has been some meddling with the characters, not sure why Brains has now an Indian accent, perhaps he has spent some time out in Asia :-) Jeff Tracey is AWOL but there seems to be a story there, and yes to make it more PC we have females taking a bit more of a role. Nothing wrong with that,remember Gerry's new Captain Scarlet had a female LT Green.

I love the Original Thunderbirds (it is the greatest TV show ever made) but this is as close as you can get to it, and to be honest a lot closer than I thought it would be. There are people who will never be satisfied with any remake, and they need to think about the legacy Gerry has left behind, that Thunderbirds are go 50 years later, and I for one, although apprehensive, am thrilled to see the series, after writing to ITV many times telling them they were on a goldmine, has now been made.

Take this in isolation and enjoy it, I did.

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'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.

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.