100 Million dollars…. muh-hahahaha….
Back in the day, that was a lot of money.
Bond is back! This time he’s in the Bahamas trying to retrieve two nuclear warheads from SPECTRE. They’re holding the world hostage, demanding 100 million dollars or they’ll blow up a major city either in England or the United States. Bond has his hands full and even more so when he meets a one-eyed man named Emilio Largo, who is a major part of SPECTRE. Death-defying underwater scenes mixed with clever gadgets make this one of the better Bond films.
Unlike Goldfinger or From Russia with Love, Thunderball put together a mixture of entertainment and drabness. Certainly carrying a very strong story, there were times in the film were it seemed to drag, which was unusual compared to the two prior. Of course, the real beauty of Thunderball came from the action sequences. From very violent moments inside of a recovery clinic to underwater fighting that was probably a huge pain in the ass during production, everything action in Thunderball really went far. It was a prelude to future Bond films (more recent ones) that feature less story and more fighting and gadgets. A perfect example of this is the first scene when Bond discovers that a Colonel, who is suppose to be dead, poses as a widow. He fights the cross-dressed colonel and makes his getaway with a jet-pack. While certainly minor devices were used in previous films, this seemed like the first step to outrageous ways to get out of situations. More of a stunt-show than a logical way out.
Other than this one-dimensional look at times, Thunderball certainly brought some beef and a little more intrigue to the group known as SPECTRE. This was the movie where the group could have been either really cool or extremely disappointing. This movie launched more questions about the group’s motives and how dangerous they truly could be (and how sinister they were — I.E. What they do to the pilot underwater). Anyway, it was a spectacular explanation of the group and their intentions.
Overall, Thunderball could have been better, but there were just a few moments where the story just died, though those moments were brief. I think it still outranks most of the Bonds that followed, but overall is the fourth best in the bunch.
The water is so Blu in the Bahamas
Again, I’m shocked that 20th Century Fox did such a great job on reviving the visuals and audio on these classics. I hate to say it, but Thunderball sounds richer and fuller than the recent two-disc release of Casino Royale, which is saying a lot considering when this was made. The visuals were unquestionably unrivaled by many Blu-rays that came from older films. I can’t even begin to describe how good it looks, just know that I feel comfortable with what the 1960s actually looked like outside. It’s that clear. Yay, for Blu-ray, turning classics into classics again.
As for the features, much like the other Bond Blu-rays, its a healthy amount of features that are very beefy. You may not get 20-30 features on this Blu-ray, but what you do get counts. That’s really what should matter when it comes to special features on DVD or Blu-ray. A lot of studios get that, a few don’t. 20th Century Fox clearly gets that with the features included on the Thunderball release. The consist of great commentary, a slew of interesting featurettes (including the Rocket Man featurette) and some good, old specials. Here’s the list:
– “The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier” – Audio Commentary Featuring Terence Young and Others
– Audio Commentary Featuring Peter Hunt, John Hopkins and Others
– “Declassified: MI6 Vault”
o The Incredible World of James Bond – Original 1965 NBC Television Special
o A Child’s Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car – 1965 Ford Promotional Film On Location With Ken Adam
o Bill Suitor: The Rocket Man Movies
o Thunderball Boat Show Reel
o Selling Bonds – Original 1965 Television Advertisements
– SEARCH CONTENT EXPANDED “007 Mission Control” Interactive Guide Into the World of Thunderball – REFINISHED IN HD Exotic Locations Featurette
– “Mission Dossier”
– REFINISHED IN HD The Making of Thunderball
– REFINISHED IN HD The Thunderball Phenomenon
– REFINISHED IN HD The Secret History of Thunderball
– “Ministry of Propaganda” – Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery and Radio Communications