Thunderball Reviews

Since I always considered Sean Connery to be the best James Bond ever, I was really eager to check this flick. However, in my opinion, it is probably his least impressive Bond flick. I mean, it is rather well made and Sean Connery is awesome as usual but the story was less captivating than the other Bond flicks. Still, apparently, Sean Connery was quite pleased with this flick and it was even his own favorite performance as the most famous spy in the world. Eventually, he will even end up remaking this flick in the 80’s with ‘Never Say Never Again’. Personally, even though I thought it was really neat that Sean Connery decided to play again his most iconic part, I always thought it was a pity that it was a remake and a remake of a rather weak story. Still, it was the most popular Bond movie racking up 140 million ticket sales so those movies were still hugely popular at the time (and with the current revival with Daniel Craig, it will remain so for many years to come). To conclude, even though it is far from being one of the best installments, it remains entertaining and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in the Bond movies. 

*Spoilers*

I haven't watched a Bond film in ages, particularly this one, and a rush of excitement came over me, something that hasn't really happened since I was introduced to the Bond films as a young kid. I'd forgotten how brilliant Sean Connery is in this one. His performance is effortless and there are plenty of oppurtunities to show a lighter, relaxed and in control Bond, spewing out amusing and intelligent lines without becoming silly. Some people argue that this was the film in which Bond became much more of a superhuman relying on gadgets, but I disagree. Even here Bond is much the same man of Doctor No and From Russia With Love. An example of his vulnerablity occurs when he slips on a roof, dropping his gun, at Palmyra. It's just a small moment, but it's brilliant. Then we have the beautiful Claudine Auger as Domino, looking particularly stunning in the pink dress during the Mardi Gras sequence. I think she's a really underappreciated Bond girl. She captures the loneliness of the original character spot on. From her first meal with Bond, we can see she's unloved, looking for a man in her life, only really talking about her friends and her brother. If only her love of the sailor from the Players Navy Cut cigarettes in the novel had been included somewhere. Adolfo Celi as Largo, is an underrated villain in my opinion. He has much more of a presence than probably every villain since. He's really mencaing, what with his striking white hair and eye patch. And then we have Luciana Paluzzi as Fiona, a character so brilliantly sexy. What a minx! I love her exchanges with Bond after they slept together.My favourite sequence in the film is the two of them in the car and, with John Barry's excellent score cranking up the tension, we get another sense of Bond's vulnerability. More favourite scenes of mine include; the hijacking of the plane, the chilling killing and discovery of Paula and the brutal end fight aboard the Disco Volante, all superbly directed by the master of the Bond films, Terence Young. A shout out to Rik Van Nutter too, who is the Felix I imagine when I read the books. Great cinematography, locations, sets and dialogue make this one of the best Bonds.

5/5

It's a rare Bond movie that actually keeps my interest, even though I've been sucked into watching most of them like some cultural black hole. I finally broke my habit and didn't watch the last two. Good riddance too.

Coming back to Thunderball, It's among the most acclaimed Bond movies. I have no idea why that is. Despite occasional flashes of wit and a plot element, this movie is slow, long and boring. I actually like the remake - Never Say Never Again - much better. That made much better use of the plot.

Bond seems to spend half the time running around on the beach in shorts. The acting is stilted and unnatural all round, these people seem to playing caricatures of themselves rather than real characters. The actions sequences are overly long but they don't look too dated. It's these sequences and the slight semblance of a plot that save this movie from being a total loss.

In conclusion, don't watch it, your time is better spent elsewhere.