Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

SimonJack This is the fourth of the James Bond, 007 action, spy and mystery series. Sean Connery continues the role, but with much more gadgetry. The character "Q" is now firmly established, and fans will look eagerly for his latest novelty items that will save Bond's life one way or another. Also, Bond's affiliation with a regular CIA character is being cemented, with Felix Leiter. There will be as many different actors to play Felix as there will be Bonds in the future. "Thunderball" was filmed in more than 40 locations in the Bahamas, France, England, and the U.S. Great scenery, glamorous settings and the playgrounds of the rich and famous are beginning to occupy most of the Bond films now. In this film, Bond has to track down a British Vulcan jet that disappeared with two A-bombs and a NATO adviser on board. The dastardly evil SPECTRE blackmails Great Britain and the U.S. for $280 million. Pay up, or lose a big city in one of the countries. It's a race against time, and our man with a nose for where the culprit hides out is on top of things soon. (No pun intended for those with such minds).Another trait is emerging in the series too – the death of one of the beautiful women who enter Bond's world. Most often it's an attractive assistant (as here with Paula, played by Martine Beswick). But sometimes it's another friend or acquaintance. Most in the audience probably don't feel too bad when one of those who die is a deadly femme fatale. That happens here as well, with SPECTRE agent Fiona, played by Luciana Paluzzi. This film has some nice action with very good underwater scenes and what are probably Navy frogmen parachuting to land in the ocean and do battle underwater. The tear-away yacht was a nice touch for some action. Of course, when Bond is through with this bunch, SPECTRE will have to find a new number 2, to replace Largo (Adolfo Celi). One thing one can say about SPECTRE – it demands total loyalty and sacrifice, but considers all of its people expendable. It literally feeds them to the sharks. This is a very entertaining James Bond flick.

Danny S. Some fourth movie installments prove themselves to be great and some... not. Thunderball, sadly, doesn't.Terence Young returns to direct his third James Bond movie in official series, but he doesn't really make much. John Barry's soundtrack, among with Tom Jones' song is brilliant, but without Saltzman and Broccoli the production seems off. Why? Kevin McClory.James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent to find two missing nukes, stolen by SPECTRE. SPECTRE holds the world hostage in an exchange for millions of pounds. The man who's leading that ransom is Emilio Largo AKA Number Two (Adolfo Celi). With the help of Domino Derval (Claudine Auger), he'll do everything to find the nukes, but Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) won't think so.James Bond goes from United Kingdom all the way to Bahamas to prevent any kind of disaster under any means necessary. The pre-title sequence is good in my opinion but it feels like it's lacking some taste that FRWL had. Thunderball theme song is really good in my opinion. Sean Connery delivers his performance quite good and Fiona Volpe is the best character in the movie. Sadly, there are more cons than pros.The ultimate girl of the movie is Domino Derval, played by Claudine Auger. She's beautiful, but I don't think she leaves much impression in the movie. There are some other girls Bond deals with, which in my opinion, doesn't work quite well. Unlike the previous three villains, Emilio Largo is only memorable by this patch and that's it. No wonder why Robert Wagner spoofed him 32 years later in Austin Powers. The scheme is even for today's standards too ridiculous. Every henchman except Fiona is forgettable honestly. Felix Leiter is recast again by Rik van Nutter. He's not bad, but not good really either. Even the allies seem like walking in the movie and then they're gone. The scene with Q is probably my least favorite due to the juvenile behavior in it and it's really, really bad. What's the movie's biggest problem is that the whole plot is revealed in the beginning unlike in the other movies.Sean Connery and Lucianna Paluzzi are the only ones who save this movie. Shockingly, movies like Diamonds are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun, Moonraker, Octopussy, A View to a Kill and The World is not Enough are the movies I'd pick any day instead of this one, Die Another Day and Quantum of Solace.2,5 starts out of 5.

Leofwine_draca When I first watched THUNDERBALL, I found it a big comedown after the excellent GOLDFINGER. I didn't care for the underwater sequences and found it overlong. This is, however, a strong Bond film for the female characters, with no less than three important women popping up during the film's course. The first is sexy assassin Luciana Paluzzi, the second the pneumatic femme fatale Claudine Auger whose red-headed fieriness is one of the film's highlights. The third female is the beautiful Martine Beswick, only a couple of years away from her Hammer debut and looking fine as usual. Adolfo Celi is a passable villain who feeds the odd enemy to his pet sharks (!); the rest of the cast is packed with familiar and welcome faces, so there's no fault there.Of course, it's as well made as usual, with good effects, gorgeous scenery in the Caribbean setting, cool music and fine acting from Connery and co. On my second viewing, I realised that the stylish underwater sequences (shot by Ricou Browning, no less) actually make THUNDERBALL stand out from the crowd by offering something new. The ending manages to feel fresh and exciting and with an increased level of violence, with all manner of bloody stabbings and impalings that wouldn't be allowed were the action taking place above ground. Sure, the sped-up action is a little cheesy, but then that's all part of the fun.

wkozak221 This is my favorite bond. The sequence were you get see members of Spectre. The sequence were bond is at the funeral and kills the colonel. The jet pack is fun also. I like this because even it has some light spots there are serious overtones. The bad guy is classic bond. You also have two of the most attractive bond girls ever. The underwater sequence is really top notch. The gadgets are held to a minimum. This film moves along well. There are no lag time.I wish the Aston Martin was in the film more. I think it is only in the opening. When I want to watch a bond this is the one I watch. I either pop popcorn or order a pizza. This film has my favorite ending of all the bonds. Where he hooks a line to his wet suit and they yanked up by the plane. I don't think it has never been topped.