Thunderball

Rating:
Summary: Bond as Navy SEAL
Review: If you ever had a fantasy that Bond could have been a film precursor to the Navy SEALs, then this is the movie for you. Thunderball is an underwater operative's dream, and definitively establishes Bond as a skillful seaborne warrior, all the way to the conclusion -- a sustained, intense, exciting scubadiver battle, reportedly choreographed with the advice of naval specwar operatives.

Thunderball's success as an action film lies in the excellent balance of the plot's premise and execution. A simple, credible strategic threat is clearly laid out in the early stages; thereafter, the movie focuses with discipline on Bond's nose-to-the-grindstone tactics.

Thus, Thunderball spares us the pretentious confusion that marred the worst episodes in the series, particularly the latest disaster, The World is Not Enough.

Thunderball also benefits from a winning combination of all the elements Bond fans loved: shagadelic opening sequences, exotic locales, smashing action photography, rousing John Barry soundtrack, beautiful girls, international villains .... and most of all, Sean Connery.

This is the best Bond movie ever. I can't wait to experience the widescreen, DVD version.

Rating:
Summary: KISS, KISS... BANG, BANG
Review: The only reason why MGM is alive today is Bond, James Bond, and they know it... which is why THUNDERBALL (and the rest of the BOND COLLECTION on DVD) features some of the best added value of any of the DVD's I've seen up till now (save GHOSTBUSTERS). Stacked, packed and fully featured, Bond on DVD features original documentaries, trailers, TV spots, radio spots, radio interviews, double commentary from director and cast and crew. The film transfer is clean, the sound is very good, but you will notice a few scartches now and then. But for collectors and casual buyers, THUNDERBALL on DVD is a must. Apart from one of the best Bond adventures out there, you can really impress your friends with all the extras and the VERY nice and innovative menu graphics... you'll feel like your actually inside a ticking nuclear device where every button you push leads you into something new... great stuff. To own and rent, both will score big... kiss, kiss... bang,bang... and as to what that means, you'll need to get the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: MR. KISS KISS BANG BANG HITS ALMOST ALL MARKS
Review: Thunderball is a good entry in the Bond films. The fact that it have to out do or to equal Goldfinger shows that Thunderball did pretty well to carry on the tradition. However, it has its faults. The movie was way too long, there are sloppy editing, and some of Bond's humor (such as him stealing a grape) came off more as being obnoxious than being funny or ironic. Thunderball also have assemble the most alluring group of ladies in the series, whether you like blondes (Molly Peters), brunettes (Claudine Auger), redheads (Luciana Paluzzi), Asian (Mitsouko) or mix race (Martine Beswicke).Great score by Barry, although the title song tries to outdo Shirley Bassey's Goldfinger, but kind of fell short. Still a good romp, nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: BOND VERSUS DVD
Review: The re-release of Thunderball in DVD format - indeed, the DVD-ing of the Bond movie series - presents the perfect forum for evaluating the qualities and potential of DVD itself. To date, studios and DVD distributors have presented us with mixed blessings. DVD, in my view, is not the visual panacea it is made out to be. At its average-best it is no better than good quality VHS played on a top-market machine with a high-resoution widescreen TV, and its menu movements are cumbersome and slow on even the high-end players. But it has the multi-track options, and with the Bond movies which, thanks to the prescience and persistence of Terence Young, Guy Hamilton, and Broccoli-Saltzman, started with and maintained MGM-at-its-peak style production values, DVD is finally given the chance to shine in the mass market. And, thanks to MGM-UA's respectful observance, shine it does. Recently there have been monstrous abuses of opportunity in DVD releases - the terrible omission of the bonus Beatles' track "You Can't Do That" from The Making of a Hard Day's Night is class action stuff - but Bond's integrity is upheld. This (along with the recent DVD released Goldfinger) is a beautiful presentation with a cornucopia of extras, including two complemetary docus on the making of the movie, and the the attendant "phenomenon" as 007 peaked with the world's public in the revolutionary sixties. The narration tracks, which include wonderfully illuminating comments from Terence Young and on-screen 90's i/vs with the lovely Molly Peters and Luciana Paluzzi, enhance enjoyment immeasurably and make for not just a one-sitting viewing but an entire evening event in revisiting this great film. It is good too to see Ian Fleming's estate visible, on-screen and active in keeping the flame: it still seems sad to me that Fleming is grouped with standard dime-thriller authors when he was in fact a stylist and romancer comparable with Stevenson. The film itself is immaculate in this remastering. So many recent Bond packages - especially the dodgy-quality VHS boxed sets - let down the side. DVD-meets-Bond shows what can be, if studios care enough and the discerning buyer demands his money's worth.

Rating:
Summary: Bond at his best!
Review: After reaching new heights with the equally outstanding Goldfinger the producers had a hard act to follow. Thunderball was released in 1964 and is still as fresh today over thirty years later. The story resolves around the hi-jacking of two nuclear warheads by Spectre and the blackmailing of NATO for 100 million. Immediately all double-0 agents are called in but it is Bond that comes up with the goods. I loved this film for many reasons such as , Connery was in his prime as James Bond, Claudine Auger is the sexiest if Bond girls ever, Emilo Largo is a great villian,and the action scenes underwater are the greatest filmed ever. Bond never fully reached the heights of Thunderball again even though he has come close a couple of times. Sit back and enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Check this one out
Review: Thunderball was Sean Connery's second best, after Goldfinger, and for me it just misses a 5-star rating. Definitely better than Never Say Never Again. If you are going to own a Bond movie, this is a good place to start, and definitely a must for the Bond enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST
Review: After the success of Goldfinger comes the best OO7 film ever made.It has great acting, action, and music.If you want an awesome Bond film, try THunderball.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest!
Review: Thunderball has to be the best OO7 film ever made.With a great song and spectacular underwater action, this is one for the collection.Don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: Connery is best Bond
Review: After Goldfinger, not too many people thought the next Bond movie would be awesome.They were wrong.Thunderball is definitley one of the best Bond films to date.The action was great and the special effects were very good for then.Though Goldfinger is slightly better, Thunderball is the second best OO7 film of all time.

Rating:
Summary: Thunderball
Review: There will always be different opinions on what Sean Connery's best film is.In my opinion his best is Thunderball.This movie has several good things about it.One is action.With a spectacular underwater battle and a heart-stopping clash with Largo's killer sharks, this one has all the action you'll ever need.It also won an Academy Award in 1965 for Special Visual Effects.Two is music.Tom Jones bolts out the theme song and a great musical score highlights the film.Three is acting.Sean Connery is at his best as playing James Bond.Adolfo Celi is one of the best Bond villains ever as Emilio Largo next to Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Diamonds are Forver who is played by Charles Gray.Four is girls.With Bond beauties such as Claudine Augner, Lucianna Paluzzi, Martine Beswick, and Molly Peters, Thunderball has some of the best girls in the series.If you want other good OO7 films, check out GoldenEye , Goldfinger, The Spy who Loved Me, or The World is Not Enough. I heavily recommend all the movies I mentioned in this review and they all deserve five stars too.