Appreciating "Thunderball"
nobody
Posts: 110MI6 Agent
I re-watched "Thunderball" in it's entirety recently, then last night caught the middle act of it again. It had never been my favorite, but my is it a good looking film, and it has gone closer to the top of my list. First of all Connery is at his absolute best, which is, simply put, Bond at his best. The scenes when he is shirtless show him at his fittest, and while not as muscular, he gives Craig a run for his money. His Bahaman tan means he looks the best he ever looked as Bond. (Points off for his toupee- not the most natural looking he has worn.)
His wardrobe is also notably dapper- my favorite being the grey suit, light blue shirt, and navy tie combo.
The Bond girls are maybe the most beautiful of any supporting cast, and the main villain Largo is equal parts suave and menacing.
I was not too high on Rik Van Nutter's Felix Leiter, he was very poorly written (especially when first coming to Bond's room and loudly (almost) blurts out his code number"007", then again when frantically waving to Bond to come down from the balcony to inform him that his fellow CIA agent, Paula is dead, "what should we do?")
All in all, though I really like this flick, and just wanted to express it to some fellow Bond fans.
Ciao
His wardrobe is also notably dapper- my favorite being the grey suit, light blue shirt, and navy tie combo.
The Bond girls are maybe the most beautiful of any supporting cast, and the main villain Largo is equal parts suave and menacing.
I was not too high on Rik Van Nutter's Felix Leiter, he was very poorly written (especially when first coming to Bond's room and loudly (almost) blurts out his code number"007", then again when frantically waving to Bond to come down from the balcony to inform him that his fellow CIA agent, Paula is dead, "what should we do?")
All in all, though I really like this flick, and just wanted to express it to some fellow Bond fans.
Ciao
Comments
The only slight negative imo is the underwater battle which is slightly too long.
I agree that TB has the best girls!
And THE most beautiful, Claudine Auger! :x
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
I still enjoy watching it and would love to see it in cinema some day. Because I think this is one of those movies that would be sooo much better on the silver screen.
Over the years I've become annoyed at the seemingly slapdash aspects of the film (poor action cuts, dialogue not even coming close to what the actors are mouthing) but that's probably because I've seen it so many times I can recount every frame. That stuff didn't bother me when I first saw it (early '80s on VHS), and I imagine very few people who watched in the 1960s noticed at all.
Bond beating up the "grieving widow" in the pts is a favourite of mine, probably because Connery looks to be really enjoying the fight.
I too had my first experience of OO7 watching TB on television in the '70s. Unbelievably, my bedtime was 9.30pm and I wasn't allowed to stay up and watch the climax - I stayed down as long as I could but was forced upstairs and missed the last 15 minutes. Oh, the indignities I suffered at school the next day!
Anyway, I agree with lots of what has been said, TB is in no way a perfect film, it has some horrible continuity errors and from almost the very beginning the script fails to explain anything adequately.
What it does have - and I echo all above - is lashings of glamour, superb underwater photography, violence a plenty, gorgeous girls - yes, the VERY VERY BEST Bond-girl ensemble - depreciating humour, a smooth suave at-ease Sean Connery, a magnificent music score, a barnstorming OTT song, stand out credits which Maurice Binder spent 20 years trying to replicate, a bravura opening PTS with one of the most vicious fight scenes in the series, Oscar winning special effects, a still relevant plot, oh goodness... I could go on and on and on.
If you can, go and see it in the cinema, that Panavision ratio and the soundtrack absolutely blows you away. It's a fantastic experience, difficult to beat, despite the implausibility's and the rather dull underwater battle - of all the editing errors the biggest one is why the frogmen battle wasn't shorn by about 75%.
Chiefly, because it moves so fast and rarely pauses for breath, TB sits comfortably in my top 10 Bond movies.
Agreed - the film certainly has its flaws, but Binder never managed to match the simple, stylish elegance of the TB credits sequence. Later attempts seem parodic (and, dare I say it, increasingly cheesy) by comparison. And Barry's '60s Bond scores just kept getting better and better.
I write this because on my last trip to the UK I picked up a box that I had left with my daughter when I emigrated out here and in it was my diary from 1966 - I quote from the entry for Friday 7th January;
At last we went to see Thunderball it has seemed forever since I saw the trailer each week in the cinema. Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! The best ever! So much action! The harpoon gun was great and everyone roared with laughter at I think he got the point! I want to see it again please Dad please can we go!!!
50 odd years on and TB is still up there - not as good as FRWL but still top notch Bond.
That's a lovely little insight
Bit of fun:
Saw TB when I was just a young lad in '65 in a proper movie palace on a Saturday afternoon. Line around the block waiting to get in. All 1200 seats filled. When the Gunbarrel came across the 50' screen the audience broke out in applause. This was Bondmania and Thunderball did not disappoint. I recently rewatched Thunderball on the new remastered 4K Blu Ray (which looks and sounds fantastic by the way) and found that the film still holds up for me. Connery just owns the screen (IMO, it's his best performance as Bond) and there are so many iconic moments.
I watched the new 4K transfer last week in the previous heatwave, and it's great to watch on a hot evening. Especially in the new HDR version, where you can practically feel the heat of the sun! I enjoyed it more than I usually do, it's fun but there's some bits you can kind of mentally edit out (especially in the final underwater battle: you get some footage of the general battle, then Bond enters the fray, dives in and out of the wreck etc. and it's all fun, then it bizarrely cuts back to more general divers killing each other to really slow everything down- cut all that; just stay on Bond! And I skipped the whole Vulcan sea landing bit at the start; life's too short). It's fun to see the Vulcan, or what's left of it, is still there though- I had no idea!
I agree it's Connery's best performance as Bond: he just totally owns the screen.
I always loved Thunderball, it is my favorite Connery outing and in my top 3 007 films. Part of which is the sartorial aspect, his casual wear is superb!
Yep still a classic film. My favourite Connery film and only behind Casino Royale in my all time Bond list. Watching that movie in the Cinema in 1965 must have been a treat with all the beautiful locations on display.
Yes, it was. I was overwhelmed by the wonderful music and became a John Barry fan for life.
Somebody referred to TB once as an instant holiday, and I agree with that. Instant sunshine in gorgeous locations.
Cool video - thanks @emtiem
What can I say about this film that hasn’t already been said?
It was my very first introduction to the character of James Bond. I was perhaps 5 years old at the time and it was suggested to me by my family as an alternative to whatever Disney film I was into at the time. It’s probably the first film I ever saw that was made for more mature audiences.
I was hooked from the very first fist fight with the man in the dress and the bombastic title-sequence afterwards. The VHS belonged to my aunt and I had to watch it every time I visited. Some people complain about the underwater scenes being too long or boring but it clearly didn’t stop my appreciation. The massive fight between the ‘goodies and baddies’ at the end was amazing! Sean was the coolest guy around! In the following years I would gradually try and catch other films in the series on TV and would read whatever Fleming novels my parents owned.
Watching the film through adult eyes doesn’t change my love for the film and it is still one of my very favourites. What stands out most for me is how glamorous everything is and how much of a good time everyone is having, good or evil. Everyone is dressed to the nines in dinner jackets, ball gowns, swimsuits, leisurewear, lounge suits, the lot. And they’re all hanging out at the beach, on a yacht, at the casino, the Junkanoo, by the pool, in sports cars, all in the idyllic setting of the Bahamas! My god that swimsuit on Domino! Even my partner remarked on that!
At the time I first saw the film it was 30 years old. Another three decades have swept past and it almost seems surreal. Back then the connection to the 60s seemed more salient and Sir Sean was still around and relevant.
Perhaps my favourite scene in the movie is when James Bond goes to meet the villainous Largo at his 'Palmyra' villa in Nassau. This scene has many of the classic hallmarks of a Bond film. Witty dialogue, the perilous villain's lair with shark traps all set in the Caribbean sun. Everyone is impeccably dressed, from one of Domino's many knockout swimsuits and Largo's perfect example of sprezzatura, to my favourite of 007's casual outfits in the series.
Then one of the curiosities to me as a child is the drink that Bond and Largo are served.
“Rum Collins, Mr Bond?” - Emilio Largo
"Yes. Just about that hour, isn't it?" - James Bond, Thunderball (1965)
How do you make that? What's that pinkish tinge in the drink? What fun stripey straws! Could Largo not have had that drink poisoned!
Now I’m a bit older, I have been able to explore this drink a bit more and put my own little spin on it to celebrate 60 years of this iconic film. So I present to you:
007 Rum Collins
* Add rum, lime juice, sugar/syrup and ice to the shaker
* Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds
* Strain into a tall Collins glass filled with ice
* Top with club soda
* Garnish with a lemon wedge and maraschino cherry
* Serve with a straw
This isn't exactly as it would have been served in the movie. A Tom Collins (and by extension the Rum Collins) is usually made with lemon juice but my preference is to mix lime with rum. It's not uncommon to see Rum Collins recipes presented this way.
Also instead of a Spanish style light rum I've decided on a Jamaican twist. The limited edition 007 bottle of Blackwell's Fine Jamaican rum seemed appropriate. Many of you will know already about Chris Blackwell who released this rum. Chris not only did some scouting work for the film-makers during Dr. No, but his mother was, shall we say, a close friend of Ian Fleming's. Chris also now owns the GoldenEye estate that once belonged to Fleming.
So next time the weather is hot and you want to feel like you're aboard the Disco Volante, join me with a refreshing 007 Rum Collins!
[I had also made a silly video on Instagram of me making the drink, but I won’t bore you with that too!]
Almost makes me wish I hadn't given up drinking!