Thunderball
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Movie Reviews of Thunderball
Movie Review: The Biggest Bond of All
Summary: 5 Stars
I was around for this Bond films original release, you cannot imagine the excitement it engendered. Multiply this summer's excitement over "The Dark Knight" by 2. In terms of 1965 dollars, it is still the highest-grossing Bond. People were waiting out in the December cold at 8am in the morning the day it opened. Like Goldfinger before it, it played at various theaters 24 hours a day. Tons of merchandising were created for this film. I can still remember the excitement 43 years later.
Connery is at his coolest in this film, the direction by Terrence Young, (the director of Dr. No and FRWL,) is terrific and this film still has the greatest underwater fight scene ever done. (Compare it to the absolutely mediocre remake Never Say Never Again.)
A true Bond classic and one of my ten favorite Bond films.
Movie Review: Thunderball - Blu-ray Info
Summary: 4 Stars
Version: U.S.A / Region-A
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50
Running time: 2:10:23
Movie size: 29,00 GB
Disc size: 44,66 GB
Average video bit rate: 23.20 Mbps
Number of chapters: 32
DTS-HD Master Audio English 3436 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 3436kbps (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 1536kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio French 448 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 448kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps
Subtitles: English SDH / French / Spanish
#"The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier" - Audio Commentary Featuring Terence Young and Others
#Audio Commentary Featuring Peter Hunt, John Hopkins and Others
#"Declassified: M16 Vault" The Incredible World of James Bond - Original 1965 NBC Television Special
#A Child's Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car - 1965 Ford Promotional Film On Location With Ken Adam
#Bill Suitor: The Rocket Man Movies
#Thunderball Boat Show Reel
#Selling Bonds - Original 1965 Television Advertisements
#"007 Mission Control" Interactive Guide Into the World of Thunderball
#The Making of Thunderball
#The Thunderball Phenomenon
#The Secret History of Thunderball
#"Ministry of Propaganda" - Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery and Radio Communications
Movie Review: Look Up! Look Down! Look Out! The biggest Bond of them all
Summary: 5 Stars
Taking into account inflation, THUNDERBALL is, by far, the biggest grosser in the series. In 2008 dollars the film would have grossed nearly a billion dollars. It has some slow moments but by and large it is a large scale world shaking epic. The threat of nuclear blackmail has a sense of urgency that the remake, NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, never achieves. Connery gives his most relaxed performance as Bond, Adolfo Celli is meancing as Largo, Claudine Auger stunning as Domino and Luciana Paluzzi as a deadly liason for Bond. Remembered for the underwater battle the film is based on Fleming's novel which inturn was based on a screenplay by himself, Jack Whittingham and Kevin McClory -- the basis for a major lawsuit that has reverberated over the decades and resulting in NSNA in 1983 (releasing the same year as Roger Moore's outing OCTOPUSSY -- which made more money) as well as an unsuccessful attempt by Sony and McClory to launch an independent Bond series in the late 1990's. MGM/UA won the battle and the dust on this whole affair has probably settled for good with the passing of McClory earlier this year. An interesting side note: like FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, Connery never utters the line "My name is Bond, James Bond." Among the special features (which pretty much uses the same from the previous edition)is the 1965 NBC special "The Incredible World of James Bond".Movie Review: cover art shock! (Blu-ray Disc)
Summary: 1 Stars
Is this a joke? The Highest End 1080p Blu-ray version for eternity of a long row of versions of this beautiful Bond classic with a bad looking and, worse, mirror-image picture of Sean Connery on the cover?? Who decides this?? This is world cinema of global player companies, and they can't afford a graphic designer!! The only reason can be, they want the film to look "different" for the supermarket-mass-audience buyer, might work. When I remember the care that went into the THUNDERBALL Laserdisc Box in 1997 using unused but beautiful cover art. Similar treatment with the cover on the FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Blu-ray with a Roger image not from that film (too young). Movie Review: One of the greatest Bond movies of them all!!
Summary: 5 Stars
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It's difficult to believe that this movie is almost 45 years old (counting from the year of this review)!!!
(Sir) Sean Connery made six EON production (or "official") movies with him starring as James Bond. They were: Dr. No (1962); From Russia with Love (1963); Goldfinger (1964); Thunderball (1965); You Only Live Twice (1967); and Diamonds are Forever (1971).
As can be seen from the above list, "Thunderball" is the fourth spy film of the British Bond series. As well it is the fourth to star Connery as the fictional MI6 agent Commander James Bond (code number: 007).
This movie is based on the 1961 novel of the same name as the movie by Ian Fleming (1908 to 1964).
Briefly, 007's mission (code name: Thunderball) is to find two NATO nuclear bombs stolen by SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion) who holds the world in ransom for not destroying with these bombs a major city in either England or the U.S. The search leads Bond to the Bahamas, where he encounters Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), the card-playing, eye-patch wearing SPECTRE #2 and a beautiful but deadly SPECTRE operative named Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi). Backed by the CIA and Largo's mistress Domino (Claudine Auger), Bond's search culminates into an underwater battle with Largo's henchmen.
The title song is belted out by singer (Sir) Tom Jones.
This movie has all the Bond ingredients: gadgets, witty dialogue with "Bondisms" (Bond's one-liners), incredible background music, beautiful Bond girls, a memorable villain, and plenty of action. Also in the cast is Miss Moneypenny, M, Q, and Felix. Gorgeous background scenery accompanies most scenes. (This movie was made on location in Paris, the Bahamas, and London, England.)
Sean Connery brings his characteristic savoir faire to the movie and he holds it together. A. Celi as Largo is an unforgettable foil to Connery's Bond. Kudos must go to Luciana Paluzzi for playing a memorable villainess. (In fact, so memorable that she had trouble getting acting jobs after the movie's release.)
The underwater scenes are spectacular. Some say they are too long but this is untrue. They just feel long because they're underwater where the action seems to be in slow motion.
It seems to me that the entire movie was carefully constructed. For instance, the voices of A. Celi as Largo and C. Auger as Domino are actually dubbed but it's difficult to tell this.
Here's an example of witty dialogue with a Bondism:
While visiting Largo's lair, he and Bond go to so some skeet shooting (using a rifle). Largo hits a moving skeet while carefully aiming.
Bond: "Perhaps you can call [a skeet] for me."
Largo: "Of course. Pull!"
Bond: "It seems terribly difficult."
(He hits a moving skeet seemingly not aiming and with his rifle at hip level.)
Bond: "No it isn't, is it?"
When first released, this movie earned about one hundred and forty-one million dollars worldwide. That's about nine-hundred and sixty-five million in today's dollars making it the highest grossing Bond film so far. It won a Academy Award for Best Effects (visual).
The DVD (the one released in Feb., 2007) is flawless in picture and sound quality. This movie has been digitally restored and I'm sure the picture is just as good (if not better!!) than when it was released almost 45 years ago. There is also superior sound. There are two extras in the form of audio commentaries.
Finally, here is some information to consider. This DVD is actually the first disc of the two disc "Ultimate Edition." Bond fanatics might want to purchase this two disc Ultimate Edition since the second disc has "the best collection of special features ever assembled for Bond." (Unfortunately, the Ultimate Edition is no longer available but can be purchased second-hand.)
In conclusion, to date this is the highest grossing Bond movie and some say the best one. I leave you with some more witty dialogue from this movie:
This dialogue occurs right before the example dialogue given above where Bond and Largo are about to do some skeet shooting. Largo is carrying a rifle for skeet shooting:
Bond: "That [rifle] looks more fitting for a women."
Largo: "Do you know much about [rifles and] guns, Mr. Bond?"
Bond: "No. I know a little about women."
(1965; 2 hr, 10 min; wide screen; 32 scenes)
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