Thunderbirds (2004)

Directed by: Jonathan Frakes | 110 minutes | action, comedy, family, adventure, fantasy, science fiction | Actors: Brady Corbet, Vanessa Ann Hudgens, Soren Fulton, Bill Paxton, Sir Ben Kingsley, Sophia Myles, Ron Cook, Debora Weston, Lou Hirsch, Alex Barringer, Demetri Goritas, Ben Torgersen, Kyle Herbert, Dominic Colenso, Deobia Oparei, Philip Winchester

The movie ‘Thunderbirds’ is based on the popular English puppet series “Thunderbirds Are GO” (1966). The series is about the Tracy family who lead an international rescue team from a tropical island. They use Thunderbirds, large ships, to get there quickly. In the 1960s and 1970s, the series was extremely popular in Europe. More than thirty years later, a cinema version was made with real actors. In the lead roles we see young talents such as Brady Corbet, Vanessa Ann Hudgens and Soren Fulton. Brady Corbet and Vanessa Ann Hudgens were both previously featured in the critically acclaimed drama film ‘Thirteen’ (2003). The cast also features two more established names, actors Bill Paxton as the father Jeff Tracy and Sir Ben Kingsley as the villain ‘The Hood’. The film was cast on appearance and it shows. For example, Lady Penelope and Parker look like their dolls from the series. Of all the characters in the film, Brains, Lady Penelope and Parker provide the fun scenes. Lady Penelope and Parker are played by Sophia Miles and Ron Cook. They are perfectly attuned to each other and that comes across well to the viewer.

‘Thunderbirds’ is directed by Jonathan Frakes. He is best known for his role as William Riker in Star Trek. He made his directorial debut with ‘Star Trek: First Contact’ (1996) in which he also starred. With ‘Thunderbirds’ he directed his fourth film.
Frakes has turned the series into a fun family film, although it is mainly aimed at children. For the fans, this film will also be nice, because the makers have remained fairly faithful to the series. They did change some characters though. For example, the characters Alan Tracy and Tin-Tin are a lot younger and Brains has a son, Fermat. All the other characters in the series, including Jeff Tracy, his sons, Lady Penelope, Parker and The Hood, are just there. ‘Thunderbirds’ is set before the events of the series, so you don’t need to know the series to watch the film.

Despite the fairly simple story and the fact that not all characters are well presented, ‘Thunderbirds’ is worth watching. If only to see Lady Penelope in her pink outfit. If the film is a success, we can certainly expect a sequel.

5…, 4, 3, 2, 1, Thunderbirds Are Go !