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Hi.
Have any of you seen the coming attraction for the new Thunderbirds movie? Well, if you haven't you're not missing a bloody thing. I mean, you would never know this movie was based on Gerry Anderson's show. Ok, ok. Maybe I'm going a little far saying that.....
It looks like it's about only one of the Tracy brothers (for most of the movie) and he's got friends helping him out. Never mind his father and other brothers.
Talk about ruining something good!!
Jamie

It is a bad thing when previews are not able to make a good impression on possible viewers (Like they say: you only have one chance to make a good first impression!). I know, it's always a personal feeling. So personally, I know I was kind of excited to see some of the previews.

Perhaps we didn't see the same previews, though. I know there was at least three (if not four?) available online at some point. And I don't know which have been chosen for trailers at the movie houses. Some points that are similar: yes, the story is centered around Alan, but the other characters are still there. The friends in question who's helping Alan are TinTin and Brains' son (? A new character - but not too far from the original series... At least, not a character totally coming out of the blue!). All the characters are younger - probably to attract an equally YOUNGER public, but I suspect it'll be people our own age who'll be dragging their sons and daughters as a pretext to see the movie themselves ("But Dad, I don't WANNA see that! I want 'Spidey'-man..." ). I can just see this.

Some critics are presently very hard on the movie - with reasons or not? I don't know. But I think I'll give the movie a chance and wait to actually SEE it (new week) to make my own opinion.

In the meantime - feel free to write and tell us what you think of it when you'll see it. But please, NO SPOILERS!

You are probably right, Chris. But it's hard to try and accept it knowing just WHAT a Thundebirds movie SHOULD look like. (know what I mean?) Or what I'd like it to look like. I can keep my fingers crossed and I'll wait until you give a review before I see it....

Not long to wait, Jamie. I'm going to see it on Tuesday, and will spend some time composing a review. Be warned, though - I tend to be a fan of the "summer blockbuster" type of film. You know the sort of thing - light on story, extremely light on acting quality, very effects-heavy. What can I say? After a hard day at work, I need to turn my brain off, stare at the computer screen/telly/cinema screen and say "entertain me."

Far too many years ago for my peace of mind, a grown-up cousin dragged me along to see the cartoon version of ‘Jungle Book’. She did this so that it would look as if it was an adult taking a child to see the film, rather than what it was – a child taking an adult.
I myself have no such inhibitions. If I want to see a film, I don’t care if it’s for children or adults, or whether I have someone to go with. But it was with great pleasure that I, along with a significant fraction of The Magnificent Seven, not to mention the child of one of the Seven, strolled along the Marble Arch Odeon yesterday to see the new ‘Thunderbirds’ film.
This film has had mixed reviews in both the general and the trade press, but let me say right at the outset – I liked it. I liked it very much. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s fun.
Let’s get down to specifics. Someone has described this film as a prequel to the series, in that Alan is still at school and not yet ready to be a Thunderbird. OK, I can live with that, except that the first episode of the original series, ‘Trapped in the Sky’, specifically says that International Rescue is a new organisation, and the rescue of the Fireflash is its first mission. But let’s gloss over canon-breach.
My main problem with this film is that even by the end, the only Tracy Brother I could identify was Alan (and that was only because he had the most screentime!) The others are interchangeable and anonymous – this film was almost the length of two episodes, and by the end of episode two on the telly, I could CERTAINLY identify each of the brothers by name and their associated Thunderbird.
Bill Paxton is an adequate Jeff, but he suffered rather from some overly-mawkish lines (“Sometimes, you can’t rescue everybody, however hard you try.”). Anthony Edwards (late of ‘ER’) made a surprisingly good Brains. I was expecting his trademark stutter to get a bit tedious after a while, but sensible scripting and an underplayed performance made it amusing instead. The three ostensible stars of the show, Brady Corbet as Alan, Vanessa Anne Hudgens as Tintin, and Soren Fulton as Fermat, Brains’ son (…b-b-b-but Brains is a specky nerd living on a remote island! How did he come by a son? And where, and who, is Mom?) were better than I expected. There was some amusing by-play between Alan and a ‘blossoming’ Tintin, hinting at the hinted-at romance between them in the series.
But for my money, the real stars of this film are Ben Kingsley as a magnificently barking-mad Hood, and the superb double-act of Sophia Myles and Ron Cook as Lady Penelope and Parker. Ben Kingsley looks as he’s thinking “I played Gandhi! What the hell am I doing here?” but deciding to make the most of it and have fun. Lady P is an action heroine in the proud tradition of Emma Peel and Modesty Blaise, and also has most of the best lines. After landing a punch in the face of one of the villains: “Do you KNOW how much a manicure costs!”, and while slung over the shoulder of said villain and being carried off to be locked up: “Put me down, you oaf! This suit is couture!” She also manages several costume changes and new hair-dos in rather improbable circumstances. Parker is wonderfully dead-pan whether he is bringing tea to a bathing Lady P, piloting the air-borne FAB1, or courteously ensuring that his social superiors exit their place of imprisonment before he does. Yes, these three are definitely the stars, and if someone cared to make a film featuring them, and forgetting the rest of International Rescue, I for one would go to see it.
“But,” you say, “what about the vehicles?” Well, they’re all there. All five TBs, as well as the Mole and the Firefly, get their moment of glory, and the CGI renditions are updated without losing the charm of the originals. But they looked too new. Gerry Anderson paid great attention to detail in all his productions, and the models were all ‘dirtied-down’ for the camera, to look substantial and used. The CGI vehicles GLEAMED. Having said that, though, they were impressive and by-and-large convincing. The controversial Ford FAB1 might not have the elegance of the original Rolls Royce, but it’s the right colour, it can travel on water just like the original, plus it can fly. I want one…
I could go on and on about the little details: the cartoon opening sequence (which I could really have done without – what about showing us the TBs’ launch sequences instead?); the little nods towards the original series (the palm trees still flop over to allow TB2 to take off, the swimming pool still moves aside to let TB1 out, the round-house is still TB3’s launch platform) but I won’t. I’ll just say that if you grew up with the puppet Thunderbirds, as I did, this film will probably irritate and amuse you in equal portions. If you’re of the younger generation, with limited exposure to the original, you might enjoy it more. For what it’s worth, I thought it was great.

Excellent summary Hazel...ever thought of being a film reviewer in your spare time? . Your comment about Sir Ben is priceless..I saw an interview with him on US TV this morning..and I don't think they actually asked him about his appearance in the film...wonder why???
Yep..as one of the "Classic" TB (as they so quaintly call it now..) generation...I also had very mixed feelings about the whole thing. I totally agree with both Hazel and Marion that the dynamic duo of Lady P and Parker was the highlight of the film. They made it for me too. Her costumes were rather fabulous! And as for her moves around the pool..and I'm not talking about her and Jeff either...

However, even being forewarned by the reviews that there was limited air-time for Jeff and the other Tracy boys..I was still very disappointed by the scarcity of their appearances..and what scenes they did have were punctuated by clunky dialogue and wooden responses. Frankly, I could not summon up any real feelings and emotions for their predicaments.. and I thought the puppets actually displayed more character!!!
I also had great difficulty telling any of them apart..much like your average boy band...apart from John in TB5 who for some odd reason, actually seemed to bear a close resemblance to his puppet alter-ego...with a VERY odd hairstyle...not quite sure which decade it came from...

It will be interesting to see how it plays out across the pond..and whether a sequel ensues...

Wow! You guys gave some great reviews! The one thing I was most "worried" about, you spoke of. The lack of the other Tracy's in the film. Seeing it in the previews and now reading about it from people who really know the Thunderbirds, makes me even more sure my husband and I won't be seeing it in the theater. We'll just wait. What kind of crowd was it? People who looked like they new exactly who the Tracy's are/were or people who just went to see the film to see the film...

Wow. There were hardly any people there... It isn't coming out here until Friday 6/30.. I know what you mean about "blockbuster" movies--*sniff*and the sniff part sad but true. And Jonathan Fraeks (sp) wondered why Gerry Anderson wouldn't give him his "blessing"

I thought the film was diabolical. It could have been so much more concentrating on a huge rescue operation, but instead, it was just three kids running around. Even the titles sequence was horrible. TRhey didn't take the whole thing seriously at all. Guess it was just a geeky British show that nobody's heard of to them

Well, it looks like everyone is feeling the same about the movie--not liking it. My husband and I can't bring ourselves to spend the money on it. Especially NOW after reading all these reviews. I wonder what Jonathan F. (director) thought about Thunderbirds. I mean, I wonder how many Thunderbirds episodes he'd ever seen...1? To see who the characters are?

Now you see, I actually quite liked the music for the film, although the Thunderbirds march isn't what it should have been, and how could anybody take it seriously whilst it was playing over those horrendous opening credits?

As for the Busted song, it's alright. I mean, I know two people who only went to the film because of it