A couple of big stars and a lot of special vehicles try to bring this 1960’s cult favorite television series to the big screen.
The TV show Thunderbirds, may be best known for its use of “supermarionation” (a special puppetry technique), which you may recognize from its recent use in TV commercials for Travelocity. Unbeknownst to me, the show has been called a worldwide phenomenon and is still in syndication some 39 years after its debut.
Thunderbirds “the movie,” is the story of young Alan Tracy (Brady Corbett) the youngest of five brothers in a family of heroes. His billionaire, former astronaut, father Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton), heads the Tracy family, which serve the world by globetrotting the Earth rescuing people in their fleet of super-vehicles, as… the Thunderbirds.
Alan desperately wants to join his brothers, but is too young and still in school. However, when the Thunderbirds are deployed on a fake mission by their arch nemesis The Hood (Sir Ben Kingsley) it is up to Allan and his friends to save the world.
I have to admit, I had no prior knowledge of the Thunderbirds TV series before seeing this movie, so I do not really know how true it stays to its predecessor, but the obvious difference is that it is all live action, with a lot of computer generated effects, leaving no room for creepy looking puppets. If you want those you’ll just have to wait for Team America: World Police.
So, not knowing anything of the TV series, I am judging this movie strictly on its merits. The first thing I will tell you is that it has a unique look as the filmmakers gave the movie a “retro-futuristic” style, trying to stay true to its 60s origin.
The special rescue vehicles are the main attraction, and will no doubt spark the imagination of any kids 12 and under. As for the rest of us, Thunderbirds is a largely un-interesting picture that features a loosely arranged plot, determined to feature every one of the Thunderbird’s special rescue vehicles, rather than focus on entertaining its audience.
In the end, the Thunderbirds story wastes the talents of Sir Ben Kingsley and Bill Paxton, and struggles to keep you awake in between a multitude of special effects. However, if you have a 10-year old son, this movie may be worth it for the vehicles and its sense of adventure.
