Thunderbirds Are Go!

[rbeckey]

Took my sons to see a matinee yesterday. They both liked the show. It seemed to be directed at the kids. My oldest wants to build #1.


I never watched the show on TV. I don't know how I missed it, as I would have thought it was cool. I have a question for all you aficionados out there. What does F.A.B. mean?

 

[Stymye]

like many others ,I'm a big fan
snip from thunderbirds site>

"By the time the show Thunderbird F.A.B. - the initials used on the old show don’t stand for anything, they were just a nod to the “fab” Sixties "

 

[hokkyokusei]

I saw it today. I was fearing the worst, but I actually enjoyed it. Sure, it's aimed at the lowest common denominator, in terms of age and inteligence, but then that criticism can be levelled at most mainstream films these days. The casting was pretty awful with the exceptions of The Hood, Parker, and Lady P. As for the vehicles:

I like what they did to TB1.
I can't quite make my mind up about TB2.
I hate what they did to TB3, I don't think I'lll be making one.
TB4 was always a jumped up pod vehicle and it still is.
TB5 was always unconvincing as a space station, and nothing has really changed there either.
I preferred the original mole.
FAB-1 is a bit odd, but basically OK.

 

[jcsalem]

I'm a fan of the original Thunderbirds series. I loved them as a kid -- though I didn't see them often since, in the U.S., they saw only limited distribution.

Lately, my kids (6 & 8) and I have been renting DVDs of the original series from NetFlix. We've seen the first 10 of the 12 available, though many I haven't seen through to the end. It's good campy fun, I always love trying to guess which pod they're going to use in Thunderbird 2.

We saw the movie recently.

It's done as a prequel to the original TV series. Everyone is younger and it attempts to provide a bit more back story to the TV series. However, the creator of the original series (Gerry Anderson) wasn't involved and there were plenty of inconsistencies between the stories.

I had fun seeing the Thunderbirds movie. I particularly enjoyed watching Ben Kingsley as the evil Hood -- though I'm surprised he could take his lines so seriously. The script was bad summer fair -- too formulaic and focus-group driven. However, it held my interest and was great fun to see with my 6 and 8 year olds. Having seen many of the old TV episodes recently, I enjoyed it even more. I miss Super-Marionation

Summary: Great fun to see with my kids, however, if I had to choose a summer sci-fi flick for myself, it'd be I-Robot.

-- Jim

P.S., The opening animation during the credits was awful. My kids kept asking me when they were going to show the "exploding refinery", a fixture in the original opening sequence.

P.P.S., Tech reviews:
FAB-1 (and the new fleet of 3 FAB-1 cars)
New Mole

 

[SecretSquirrel]

I haven't seen the Thunderbirds movie yet, but I recently watched all the episodes.

I do plan on seeing this:

https://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/team_america/medium.html

 

[Elbmod]

I took my son a fortnight ago and we enjoyed it, once you get past the opening credits at any rate.

I liked the new vehicles - they retain the flavour of the originl series, but upgraded the look a bit. I also liked the idea that more than one Tracey Brother would pop out on the missions.

My main gripes came with Jeff tracey - supposed ot be the controller, yet now he goes on the missions - what's that about? Secondly the "Thunderbirds are go " tag - Paxton hasn't got a deep enough voice to carry it off, and his timing was off too.

I also regretted the lack of TB action in the movie - we seem to see more of FAB1 than anything else.

In the end though, its a live action interpretation of an original idea - going to have its good points and bad points!

(Incidentally Gerry Anderson said in an interview once that live action wouldn't work the same as the supermarionation version! - paraphrased)

 

[shreadvector]

https://www.teamamericamovie.com/

Not affiliated with TARC.

I can't wait!

Originally posted by SecretSquirrel
I haven't seen the Thunderbirds movie yet, but I recently watched all the episodes.

I do plan on seeing this:

https://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/team_america/medium.html

 

[Larry]

(Incidentally Gerry Anderson said in an interview once that live action wouldn't work the same as the supermarionation version! - paraphrased) [/B][/QUOTE]

He also said he would rather see it done in computer generated fashion rather than live action. I remember the show from when I was a kid. It was on Saturday mornings. I just happened accross it on Tech T.V. and started watching it when I could. My kids and wife hate it. " How can you stand to watch that puppet show?!" "That's just gay"(my 17 year old daugthers take on the show)

Ebert and Roper pretty much blasted it with two thumbs down. Heck, I don't may much attention to those two anyhow.
Larry

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Originally posted by Larry


He also said he would rather see it done in computer generated fashion rather than live action.
Larry

I read somewhere that Gerry Anderson is currently working on a CGI version of Captain Scarlet.

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by elbmod
I took my son a fortnight ago and we enjoyed it, once you get past the opening credits at any rate.

What? The opening credits were great!

 

[slim_t]

Bought the DVD for my son and myself for Christmas.
I really enjoyed it. Very visually stimulating.
Sure, it's more of a kids movie, but I liked it.
I've seen pieces of the old series, but never could watch it. I'll try to now.

My only complaints: They said FAB way too many times, making me wonder if it meant anything.
I really wasn't looking forward to watching Bill Paxton, the greatest OVER actor ever, but he was ok in this. I think for this movie, overacting was acceptable.

Anthony Edwards was great, a long way from playing Goose now isn't he.

Maybe there will be a sequel where the Thunderbird team actually gets more action.

Oh yeah, the rockets, I think 1 and 3 are cool of course, but 2 just looks like a flying booger. I'd like to have a model of 1 and 3 now. I'm searching for the one someone already built.

Overall, I'd give it a 3 out of 5, but for kids and rocketeers a 5 out of 5.

Tim

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by slim_t

I'd like to have a model of 1 and 3 now. I'm searching for the one someone already built.

I built a TB3, but it was of the original version, rather than the film version.
https://www.nsrg.org.uk/projects/tb3/

 

[WiK]

Originally posted by SecretSquirrel
I read somewhere that Gerry Anderson is currently working on a CGI version of Captain Scarlet.

Oh, how cool! I loved watching Captain Scarlet on BBC two after school when I was about 7.


Phil

 

[slim_t]

Originally posted by hokkyokusei
I built a TB3, but it was of the original version, rather than the film version.
https://www.nsrg.org.uk/projects/tb3/

What an awesome page, and rocket!
Thanks for the link.

Tim

 

[cydermaster]

Originally posted by WiK
I loved watching Captain Scarlet on BBC two

That was the repeats they showed while I was at Uni - the first time I got to see Captain Scarlet from the beginning. JA's best imho - even better than Thunderbirds! UFO was great, and and Terrahawks was a good laugh (especially Windsor Davies as the Sgt Major .. no type-casting there lol); but Captain Scarlet had a really dark side which could make a good film nowadays.

 

[BobCox]

Tonight I rented the Thunderbirds movie on DVD. What a disappointment. They spend too much time on the teenager-trying-to-prove-his-worth-to-his-father angle and not enough on what made Thunderbirds great: the ships and the rescues.

This review is worth reading. The reviewer just shreds the movie in a humorous fashion.

 

[adrian]

Comparing Supermarionation to live action: Gerry Anderson knows what he's talking about as he's done both. See "UFO" and "Space 1999".

Captain Scarlet CGI: I believe it's being shown currently on ITV on Saturday mornings. But it's part of "Ministry of Mayhem", and I do not know what time "Captain Scarlet" specifically is on.

Thunderbirds: Here's my somewhat smaller scale model of the original TB3.