[SimeyTheLimey]

So i went to see the new Thunderbirds movie last night. I was a huge fan of the original show as a kid, and to be honest, I wasn't expecting much. This was definitely a kid's movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. It payed enough homage to the original to keep me chuckling, while not losing kids who never saw the original.

For example, I liked the fact that all the machines were based on ones used in episodes of the original. Even the monorail in London was from the original. They also made some quite subtle (and some not subtle) references to the origin as a puppet show. Don't miss the marionette hand on one of the controls -- a nice reversal from the original, which had puppets for everything EXCEPT close-ups of the hand.

I also thought the actors who played Lady Panelope and Parker were wonderful, and most of the other characters were suitably one-dimensional. Yes, that was accurate. So were the occasionally (and I suspect) deliberately cheesy special effects in spots. Most of the effects were pretty good, but occasionally a CGI would be replaced with a model -- such as FAB-1 as a hydrofoil with out-of-scale waves. Straight from the original. On the other hand, I would have liked the initial rescue to be a bit longer. It would have set the stage better for the rest of the movie by showing what International Rescue actually is supposed to do. And I can't believe that they didn't have the sliding down the shoots scenes. So the best version of that outside the original that is still Wallace and Gromit's. Nor did I like the 10 year old sidekick. On the other, other hand, the palm trees folded back. It's those little things that made me happy.

In all, B+. It didn't take itself too seriously, which I liked.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

this is the type of movie that makes me want to projectile vomit


but i suppose it meant something to you because of your like for the original

[Rev-O]

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
<snip>
I also thought the actors who played Lady Panelope and Parker were wonderful<snip>

You'll never get me to admit that I faithfully watched Thunderbirds as a child. Never!

Nice to know that the palm trees folded back.

Did Lady Penelope still have that ugly-ass pink land barge?

[Powaqqatsi]

I really hoped it would be like the series with puppets and the puppet strings especially . But I was very disappointed after seeing the trailer. So no Thunderbirds for me.

[wdlove]

My first thought when I saw the title was the Air Force flying group "Thunderbirds." I've had the privilege to see them live twice.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by Rev-O:
Did Lady Penelope still have that ugly-ass pink land barge?

Yes, only its a FORD.

[cpt kangarooski]

That's outrageous. It's supposed to be the world's ugliest, hugest, pink Rolls.

I'll probably see it. It can't possibly be worse than the series or the movies, all of which looked great but had simply awful writing.

and most of the other characters were suitably one-dimensional.

The word you are looking for is 'wooden.'

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by cpt kangarooski:
That's outrageous. It's supposed to be the world's ugliest, hugest, pink Rolls.

It was pretty obvious that Ford was sponsoring the movie. The logo appeared all over the place. Oh well, that's BMW's loss.

Don't expect good writing in this one eiher. It's every inch a kids flick. But like I said they manage to pay the correct homage, including in quite subtle ways. For example, Parker has his bushy eyebrows. They did a better job with it as a remake than, say, Lost In Space.

[Corintheus]

TISM - Thunderbirds Are Coming Out

I was my parents' puppet till my teenage years
When I rebelled and swapped them for my peers
I used to sit for hours all alone
Without an opinion to call my own
I had to keep this compulsion to myself
This need to be like everybody else
But now I'm out of the closet and I feel free
Cos I just saw Thunderbirds on TV

Yes I've been outed and I'm so happy
I've found a role model just for me
I think I could be like those puppet guys
Cos there's less to them than meets the eye

5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
Sing if you're proud to be plastic now...
5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
Thunderbirds are coming out

Now I don't have to worry about a thing
As long as someone else is pulling my strings
My pop star can tell me what to know
I can get my political views from my youth radio
I can join the queues outside restaurant chains
Now I can do the Mexican Wave
Just tell me what's in and I'll make sure I fit
Just herd me into that mosh pit

[Mediaman_12]

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
It was pretty obvious that Ford was sponsoring the movie. The logo appeared all over the place. Oh well, that's BMW's loss.

Don't expect good writing in this one eiher. It's every inch a kids flick. But like I said they manage to pay the correct homage, including in quite subtle ways. For example, Parker has his bushy eyebrows. They did a better job with it as a remake than, say, Lost In Space.

Unfortunately The film was in development at the same time as RR was developing there new car & building a new cutting edge car plant, so they didn't have the time to divert resorces to designing a car for the film. They where also unprepered to release the Name and branding to an external design team.

Why on earth they felt the need to turn Thunderbirds in to a Spy Kids clone is beond me. Was using already defined and fairly well known charicters to 'constraining' for the film company?

[Krypton]

Originally posted by Mediaman_12:
Unfortunately The film was in development at the same time as RR was developing there new car & building a new cutting edge car plant, so they didn't have the time to divert resorces to designing a car for the film. They where also unprepered to release the Name and branding to an external design team.

Why on earth they felt the need to turn Thunderbirds in to a Spy Kids clone is beond me. Was using already defined and fairly well known charicters to 'constraining' for the film company?

Well, Gerry Anderson already made one Thunderbirds film ('Thunderbirds Are Go') so a modern film would either be a sequel or a tribute, as this is.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally posted by Mediaman_12:
Why on earth they felt the need to turn Thunderbirds in to a Spy Kids clone is beond me. Was using already defined and fairly well known charicters to 'constraining' for the film company?

For the same reason Titanic (which featured a fairly loving recreation of the ship and its sinking) had to have an goddawful plot and love story. In order to appeal to a general audience, it had to be made so that it would appeal to a general audience.

I'm 37 and grew up in the UK. Outside of Britain, most people my age or younger have never heard of the show. And if they have, their first reaction is "Puppets!?" The people in the US who do know the show are mostly in their 40s. That's not a big enough market to turn a profit. Nor is the UK alone.

Besides, the original was a kids show too. And in case you have forgotten, quite a bit of it was hugely cheezy. Had they made a movie of it that took itself too seriously it would have flopped. The who thing was, and is, high camp.

[Powaqqatsi]

Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
For the same reason Titanic (which featured a fairly loving recreation of the ship and its sinking) had to have an goddawful plot and love story. In order to appeal to a general audience, it had to be made so that it would appeal to a general audience.

I'm 37 and grew up in the UK. Outside of Britain, most people my age or younger have never heard of the show. And if they have, their first reaction is "Puppets!?" The people in the US who do know the show are mostly in their 40s. That's not a big enough market to turn a profit. Nor is the UK alone.

Besides, the original was a kids show too. And in case you have forgotten, quite a bit of it was hugely cheezy. Had they made a movie of it that took itself too seriously it would have flopped. The who thing was, and is, high camp.

Hey I know (and love) the show and I'm only 18

[dlefebvre]

I too was a Thunderbirds fan as a kid. But other than the Thunderbirds movie, the real tribute is this one:

TEAM AMERICA

[iCol]

Team America looks as though it is going to kick serious booty. Looking forward to that more than I am to seeing 'Thunderbirds'...

Thunderbirds were awesome, I have some of the DVDs :o)

C