Is Thunderball Overrated?

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  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,355
    I think it's more underrated. It's my favorite Connery Bond film.
  • Posts: 3,336
    I agree that the underwater stuffs may drag a bit and the final fight on the boat is really laughable. But the dialouge, Connerys performance, all the bond girls :\"> , the score, i also really like Largo, and the suspense in certain scenes, really weighs up for it.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    TB was an excellent mash up of Fleming & cinematic Bond. Fairly unique in Bond history. SP is similar IMO.
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 1,098
    People have seemed to of forgotten the many other notable scenes that made TB a classic.

    1. The scenes at Shrublands...........leading upto Bond crying for help whilst on the stretching machine.

    2. Bonds diving adventure underneath the Disco Volante, and the discovery of the underwater hatch, and subsequent escape from Largo's henchmen throwing grenades into the sea.

    3. The Junkanoo chase scene.

    4. The scene with Q explaining to Bond his underwater equipment.

    5. The discovery of Paula after her death.

    6. The gun fight at Largo's villa.

    and so forth...............plenty to enjoy in TB.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    TB was awesome. The last truly great Connery Bond movie. Lost In Space jet pack escape & speeded up final fight aside.
  • Posts: 3,336
    The infiltration of the palmyra is absolute gold. So suspenseful
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited December 2015 Posts: 23,883
    I'm sure I've contributed here before a while back, and I'm sure there are lots of comments here about TB being slow and all that..which is fair....there are some slow moments underwater.

    I don't think it's overrated though. It's one of my favourite Connery Bonds (along with the quintessential DN & FRWL....both by the great Terrence Young) and one of my favourite Bonds of all time. Superb dialogue, beautiful scenery, a dreamy score (one of Barry's best), a great villain, Connery firing on all cylinders (the last time we'd see him like this sadly) and women to die for.

    Near perfect for me. I can never tire of it. Never. If only they'd make them like this again.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    SPECTRE-?
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    I do reckon Thunderball is overrated, but it's better than Spectre.
  • Posts: 1,296
    Thunderball is a master jewel often enough except of when Connery is half asleep. :)
  • Posts: 15,143
    Murdock wrote: »
    I think it's more underrated. It's my favorite Connery Bond film.

    It's mine too. Actually, it's my favourite Bond movie. Not because it is the best, but when it comes to Bond movies, it's my first love.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    edited December 2015 Posts: 2,252
    While it's quite low in my ranking due to pacing, I think it is underrated. Pacing aside it is a brilliant movie - Bond, the girls, music, script. Best collection of one-liners of the franchise
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    I don't find it overrated at all. It's the ultimate "big Bond" film in my opinion. The cinematography has an earthiness to it. It's exotic. The soundtrack is near-perfect. Connery has that 4th Bond super confidence going for him. Largo is a perfect villain. He just has the classic look - the suave yet malicious attitude - Fiona - there's so much going for it

    Yes. It's perfect.
  • Mark_HazzardMark_Hazzard Classified
    edited December 2015 Posts: 127
    Have I committed sacriledge by knocking TB?

    @OHMSS69, yes you absolutely have. Problems you have with the production should be viewed from correct time perspective. Having such extravagant underwater scenes back in the '60's was extraordinary. That's what's meant with "The biggest Bond of them all".

    Also, problems you'd have with the writing are probably directly related to the original novel, as the movie reflects the book for 80%. Hence your problems lie mainly with Fleming's writing. Although you're entitled to your opinion, let that thought sink in for a while.

    I understand you prefer the slower paced, more simple created FRWL and OHMSS. Perhaps those are more polished, I give you that. TB on the other hand is far more action packed. The movie is an absolute classic that, together with GF, created a blueprint for Bond movies many years after.
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 15,143
    I think TB is actually underrated. Especially in comparison with GF.
  • Yes, definitely. The movie itself is not bad, and has memorable moments but the underwater sequences are painful to watch nowadays.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,209
    Great locations, a wonderful score, amazing underwater photography and a story that's consistent and fascinating... Yes, TB is a great film. Not the PTS though. I've always had issues with the PTS, especially with how it ends. :(
  • Posts: 1,098
    Yes, definitely. The movie itself is not bad, and has memorable moments but the underwater sequences are painful to watch nowadays.

    In way are they painful?..........maybe you need to get a more comfortable chair?

    :)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Great locations, a wonderful score, amazing underwater photography and a story that's consistent and fascinating... Yes, TB is a great film. Not the PTS though. I've always had issues with the PTS, especially with how it ends. :(
    I agree. The Lost In Space jetpack & the DB5 waterjets should have been jettisoned.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,355
    I'm fine with the Jetpack and DB5 waterjets. It's that stupid safety helmet Bond wears. Bond doesn't wear safety gear! The green screen didn't help either. =))
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Yes, didn't like the green screen. Loved the fight (even though it was sped up) and loved the jet pack.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,209
    My annoyance with the PTS begins with the flowers. I understand the joke but Bond is supposed to be the superspy. A superspy wouldn't stop for those flowers and even if he would, he wouldn't first hesitate for several seconds. The hesitation was one step too far. Throwing the flowers should have happened more spontaneously. Worse still is that this joke is repeated with the grapes hardly 15 minutes later!

    Then we have the Jetpack. It was a gimmick, I understand. But yeah, the safety helmet? Plus, all sorts of logistical problems come to mind. Why does Bond drive around with that thing? Who planted it on the castle?

    Those two butler types with their guns are ludicrous. One of them shoots without aiming. He's just blasting out bullets left and right not even trying to hit Bond. The director could at least have instructed him to pretend to aim.

    Am I supposed to believe that an AM can hold a watertank? Even as a kid I pondered over this long and hard. At one point I surmised that the car had plugged in to a fire hydrant, which makes the escape even less likely. Also, the way the waterjet image segues into the OT is poorly done.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,585
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    My annoyance with the PTS begins with the flowers. I understand the joke but Bond is supposed to be the superspy. A superspy wouldn't stop for those flowers and even if he would, he wouldn't first hesitate for several seconds. The hesitation was one step too far. Throwing the flowers should have happened more spontaneously. Worse still is that this joke is repeated with the grapes hardly 15 minutes later!

    Then we have the Jetpack. It was a gimmick, I understand. But yeah, the safety helmet? Plus, all sorts of logistical problems come to mind. Why does Bond drive around with that thing? Who planted it on the castle?

    Those two butler types with their guns are ludicrous. One of them shoots without aiming. He's just blasting out bullets left and right not even trying to hit Bond. The director could at least have instructed him to pretend to aim.

    Am I supposed to believe that an AM can hold a watertank? Even as a kid I pondered over this long and hard. At one point I surmised that the car had plugged in to a fire hydrant, which makes the escape even less likely. Also, the way the waterjet image segues into the OT is poorly done.

    All true. I love TB but have to accept its flaws, including Spectre's/Largo's means to get their hands on the missiles. It's ridiculous, even for Bond standards. Spectre/Largo went ten miles to gain an inch, here. The simplest thing was to blackmail Derval into doing what they wanted. Thomas Harris, in Black Sunday, described a similar plot line, in securing the services of a pilot to pull off a heist: there was no need for plastic surgery.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,983
    As I've said before, I think TB gets hated on a lot in these forums, but I really do enjoy it. It has some issues, but the underwater sequences are really well done and I never get tired of watching them. Beautiful locations in the movie, too, which are always nice to look at.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    My annoyance with the PTS begins with the flowers. I understand the joke but Bond is supposed to be the superspy. A superspy wouldn't stop for those flowers and even if he would, he wouldn't first hesitate for several seconds. The hesitation was one step too far. Throwing the flowers should have happened more spontaneously. Worse still is that this joke is repeated with the grapes hardly 15 minutes later!

    Then we have the Jetpack. It was a gimmick, I understand. But yeah, the safety helmet? Plus, all sorts of logistical problems come to mind. Why does Bond drive around with that thing? Who planted it on the castle?

    Those two butler types with their guns are ludicrous. One of them shoots without aiming. He's just blasting out bullets left and right not even trying to hit Bond. The director could at least have instructed him to pretend to aim.

    Am I supposed to believe that an AM can hold a watertank? Even as a kid I pondered over this long and hard. At one point I surmised that the car had plugged in to a fire hydrant, which makes the escape even less likely. Also, the way the waterjet image segues into the OT is poorly done.

    @DarthDimi You'll find those moments in most Bond films. I like those "flower" type moments in Bond. He does the same in FYEO.

    What I find more bothersome is his disregard for life in most (especially modern) films - eg deliberately ramming police cars in GE.

  • Posts: 4,622
    I don't think its possible to overrate such a film. Brilliant 007 adventure from start to finish. Flawless. A rare gem. Actually all the Connery films and OHMSS are perfection but TB as perfectly polished stones might go, has even extra shine.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    I view Thunderball as the same way I view Spectre - flawed but highly enjoyable, all anchored around a great performance from their leading men.
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 11,425
    TB is definitely overrated.

    It has great elements but is very much less than the sum of its parts.

    Sadly evidence that Terrence Young was indeed fallible.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,209
    @w2bond, How do we have a flower scene like that in FYEO? The "Send them to the funeral" line? That was okay since the threat had disappeared. In TB, by contrast, Bond has about two milliseconds before those guys with guns will come through the door. And he still has to suit up...
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 1,009
    mepal1 wrote: »
    Yes, definitely. The movie itself is not bad, and has memorable moments but the underwater sequences are painful to watch nowadays.

    In way are they painful?..........maybe you need to get a more comfortable chair?

    :)

    Ouch! Good one, sir.

    But yep, it's overrated, one of my absolute botton ones, and in fact I personally prefer NSNA. At least it has that campy 80s feel.
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