alliesmom97

For crying out loud, WHY do so many people here behave as though every movie has to be a "Ghandi" or a "Star Wars" (which I totally LOVE...don't get me wrong!) Thunderbirds wasn't a special effects masterpiece, it wasn't thought provoking, it wasn't an edge of your seat spine tingling thriller...how likely was it that a movie based on a 1960's cartoon with characters who looked like a cross between Claymation figures and marionettes WOULD be? What it was was ninety minutes, give or take, of escapism. It was FUN. We sat and watched it with our two daughters with no fear of nudity, profanity, or sexual innuendo. It made for a relaxing evening.

Anything wrong with that?

If you have seen the "real" version of this movie than the best (and maybe ONLY) way to enjoy this movie is to accept right off that it is not REALLY "based on a true story". With the exception of the names of the two central characters, the number of children involved, and that title, it is NOT really based on the lives of Frank Beardsely and Helen North Beardsely and their combined family. With that said, if you are really interested in that story, I recommend reading Helen North Beardsely's book "Who Gets the Drumstick" If you can do this, or if you have never seen the original, it's not a bad way to spend an afternoon, esp. if you have kids, who WILL like it! It has it's funny and touching moments and Quaid and Russo are good. Most of the kids do an OK job, but with so many of them you never get a real feel for their characters. And it does manage to send a message that adults who choose to blend their families sometimes forget....that just because THEY fell in love doesn't mean their kids will accept things as easily.