39 replies to this topic

[Bond111]

I want to know why many don't like Thunderball. I think it is a great movie despite it's toning down of the action. Does anybody else agree with me?

[zencat]

I like THUNDERBALL. It really captures the world of '60s Bondamaina. You can just feel that this movie was made when 007 was king **** of the planet. And I love the women. Great big busty '60s women.

But as a movie...too long...too slow...just kind of an emotional flatline. It's one of those Bond movies I watch for great moments instead of a whole. But I do like it. Heck, I like 'em all!

[Righty007]

I don't like Thunderball very much because it's slow paced and the underwater action sequences are long and boring.

[Dr.Carl Mortner]

The only part of Thunderball I find slow is the looooooooong scene where they're hiding the plane in the ocean. Other than that, it's quintessential Bond. I don't find anything boring about the underwater fights at all - they're exciting, surprisingly brutal and capped off with some of Barry's best work. And, as for performance, when I think of Connery Bond at his coolest, I always think Thunderball and Goldfinger.

Thunderball is one of the greatest action films of all time, standing up both as a Bond movie and an epic action blockbuster in its own right. I feel sorry for an over-Matrixed, XXX'd world in which it's found too "slow."

[zencat]

I guess you have a point. It is the very looooooong hiding the plane scene that makes me feel like Thunderball drags. Outside of that scene, it cooks. And I think the underwater stuff at the end is fine.

[Bond111]

Thank you, Mortner. I never think of Thunderball as boring.

[Neil S. Bulk]

Thunderball is one of my favorites. For years my father told me how bored Connery was with the part and how the movie was no good. I think he was confusing Connery's performance in You Only Live Twice with this. In this one, Connery is in fine form.

It has a smart script, which is pretty close to the source material (always a plus in my book) and one of Barry's best scores. Add in Peter Hunt's amazing editing, and you have a winner of a film. Plus, as Zencat stated, the women are beautiful in this film. Fiona Volpe is the finest villainess in the series and Domino is one of the smartest Bond has ever been with.

Neil

[BONDFINESSE 007]

i dont like the fact that its slow pace puts me to sleep fast every time i turn it on, its the only bond movie i can say that about

[Turn]

TB tops my list of favorites because it combines everything I like about Bond. It combines the larger-than-life aspects while still being grounded and not too far into the fantasy realm it went in YOLT.

Connery was in peak form; the girls are among the best; the gadgets are inventive; the action is first-rate; my favorite Leiter; the score; there is suspense, and I can't think of any other movie where Bond has to save the world you can actually feel the pressure and deadline as the zero hour nears.

Sure, there are continuity problems and I can't argue the underwater stuff can get a little tedious. But TB just blends everything so well and is from the era when everybody got excited about Bond and it shows why.

[David Somerset]

Thunderball was the first Bond video I ever bought when they first came out to buy and I watched it to death. It was the first time I had ever seen the underwater battle at the end without it being cut to ribbons by the TV censors. I watched it so many times that after a while it began to seem slow and tedious. I only watch it once every so often now, so that I forget things about it and it seems fresh again when I do stick it on. You can have too much of a good thing!

[DLibrasnow]

They fixed all the mistakes with TB when they made the superior NSNA.

[zencat]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
...the superior NSNA.

Oh, dear.

Tell me, DLibrasnow, what were you like before the stroke?

[DanMan]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
They fixed all the mistakes with TB when they made the superior NSNA.

*Spits drink all over the computer screen*.

TB was really great. One of the first Bond movies I ever saw. It has one of the best climaxes, Connery is in top form, the score is top notch, and the women are as beautiful as ever. The only real let down for me is the fight between Bond and Largo which was ruined by horrible speed up effects and blue screen. Besides that, Thunderball is Bond at it's best.

[booyeah_]

What I liked about Thunderball:
*Great action, good plot and great scenery. Terrific underwater scenes.(I don't know why so many find them boring.)
*Connery's portrayal of Bond-cool and dangerous
*Claudine Auger as Domino-naive and innocent but in the end saves bond, the most beautiful and sexy woman ever too(see photo); best bond girl
*Luciana Paluzzi as Fiona Volpe- she's great as a seducive and sexy member of SPECTRE. Great villaness.
*Adolfo Celi as Emilio Largo- good plan for world domination and it is somewhat realistic, good acting, and cool, intimadating eye patch.
*Tom Jones also provides one of the best songs in the series.

What I didn't like about Thunderball:
*nothing

Thunderball is my favorite Bond flick. I find it to be flawless and a timeless film. My second favorite movie ever, and proof of how great Bond movies can be.

[Double-Oh-Zero]

Thunderball is one of my favourite Bond films (in my top ten), and I was mesmerised by it when I first saw it. I especially love the location use of the Bahamas, where my parents and sister have been many times (which is probably why my dad likes it, too). Of course, the pretitles sequence, fight, jetpack and all, is classic Bond. And despite what some may say, the underwater fight scene (and the other ones before it) is actually very entertaining for me. The few things I don't like about it are:
-the fact that the villainess' name is Fiona, which is also my sister's name. Maybe it's just me, but the name Fiona isn't all that common, and it seems a little odd to me that it's in the film.

-less-than-spectacular back projection. I think the Disco Volante passes the same rock three times in the final fight with Largo.

-Vargas should have been featured more. He was a diabolical henchman, but we didn't really get to see him do a large amount of damage.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

Originally posted by David Somerset
Thunderball was the first Bond video I ever bought when they first came out to buy and I watched it to death. It was the first time I had ever seen the underwater battle at the  end without it being cut to ribbons by the TV censors. I watched it so many times that after a while it began to seem slow and tedious. I only watch it once every so often now, so that I forget things about it and it seems fresh again when I do stick it on. You can have too much of a good thing!

i am still waiting to find out about that, cause i cant get enough of the world is not enough, guess when i get tired of denise i will learn that:(

[ray t]

i rate THUNDERBALL 9.5 out of 10....and rank it number 1

love the bahamian location...the first truly epic widescreen bond production...the plot...Spectre number 1 and 2 plus the comely fiona volpe'.

And...the one-liners...just fantastic one-liners:

wait till u get to my teeth

i know a little about women

she's just dead

i think he got the point

and then the other little touches: throwing tulips on JB's corpse eventhough hes running out of time...and stealing the grapes before leaving lippe's room

lastly...the GREATEST casino tete-a-tete of them all with a terrific taunt:

'the spectre of defeat' line from bond to largo at the baccarat table...loved it.

take off .5 from the 10 for the continuity and minor pacing miscues....

[David Somerset]

Although I've watched it hundreds of times before, this thread is making me want to watch it again. I think I'll treat myself to a double bill. TB and NSNA back to back.

[Simon]

I'm somewhat surprised Jim isn't on this thread exalting the promise of Thunderball. Rumour has it that this is one of his favorites. Jim if you see this, it would be good to see you shine a positive light on one of the series - not that I am suggesting sir, your creativity and alacrity would find itself at a low ebb unless something was being derided to within an inch of its life.

Anyway, I cannot understand the reasoning for thinking this film drags. For me, this film rattles along at an incredible rate and if there are slow(er) moments to behold in this film, they balance the pacier aspects of the story progression. Yes, there are some quite inspiring moments of continuity problems but in the forgiving spirit of sixties film making for what was the last film to be made in yearly cycle, they don't matter a jot.

[Dunph]

The first half toddles along at a fair old pace, it's just all the looong underwater scenes (of which I'm never a fan of in bond anyway) that slow it down.

Other than that, I've got nothing against it, oh apart from the depressing use of rear projection during the climax in an attempt to turn up the tension, it just turns the ending into a heelarious comedy.

can boats travel that fast? AND self steer themselves?

[The Dove]

Thunderball had some editing flaws and a few continuity mistakes but dispite this its my favorite Connery film after You Only Live Twice

[Robinson]

Originally posted by zencat
And I love the women. Great big busty '60s women.

Yeah Zen, they don't cast 'em like that anymore!

Maybe EON can hire Russ "Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill" Myer as a casting consultant for Bond 21.

http://www.brightlig...om/16/pcat.html

[Genrewriter]

I love this film with the exception of the hijack scene, it does drag on a bit too much for my liking. The action scenes are great and I am always amazed at how simply brutal the underwater battle at the end is. It has always been my favorite finale for a Connery Bond film.

[boeserzwilling]

THUNDERBALL is still one of the most successfull movies of ALL TIM!E.
If i remember correctly it's No. 25 at boxofficemojo.com (inflation adjusted).

Look up!
Look down!
Look out
Here comes the biggest Bond of all!

[booyeah_]

Thunderball is #26 all time.

http://www.boxoffice...ltime/adjusted/

No Bond film sold more tickets. Goldfinger is #39.

[TheCheat]

the movie just seems too slow for me, makes me fall asleep sometimes

[Jriv71]

I agree about the pace thing-very slow at times. Still very good, but too slow when they're underwater. Wouldn't bother me if there were more dialogue in the film, I don't consider that slowing the pace. I don't need non-stop action and car chases, it's just that the underwater sequence was too long.

Side note-I hate the henchmen on the Disco with the black shirts. Hate them! Very cheesy henchmen-uniforms. Why didn't they just wear T-shirts that said, "Bad Guy!"

[TIGER TANAKA]

THUNDERBALL HAS TWO THINGS GOING FOR IT - A CONFIDENCE THAT SHOWS IN EVERY FRAME WHICH STEMS FROM THE FACT IT WAS THE HEIGHT OF BOND MANIA MOVE (LOOK AT THE UNMATCHED BOX OFFICE) AND SEAN CONNERY AT HIS PHYSICAL BEST. THESE TWO FACTORS ALONE MAKE IT BETTER THAN ALL PREVIOUS CONNERYS. ON THE DOWNSIDE THE AFOREMENTIONED CONFIDENCE MAKES TB AN ILL DISCIPLINED MOVIE WHICH IS TOO LONG, HAS CONTINUITY MISTAKES AND LACKS THAT FINAL POLISH WHICK MAKES A TRULY GREAT BOND MOVIE.SO IT'S ONE OF THE BETTER BONDS BUT NOT IN THE TOP FLIGHT.FOR THE RECORD I FELT YOLT AND DAF WERE BETTER STILL.

[Doubleshot]

I have nothing against Thunderball. It's perfect in every way.

[Turn]

Originally posted by Jriv71
Side note-I hate the henchmen on the Disco with the black shirts.  Hate them!  Very cheesy henchmen-uniforms.  Why didn't they just wear T-shirts that said, "Bad Guy!"

That's kind of funny. When I think about that, they do seem like villains from the Batman TV series. Like Vargas doesn't stick out (take it as a pun if you want) in that black shirt when Bond gives him the point.