U.N. Owen
Kids (and grown ups) always wonder - how previous generations' could've 'survived' without.. (fill-in-the-blank: cellphones, video games, electricity, automobiles, aeroplanes, etc., etc.)The thing we all know is, that not having these things, one can't' miss not having them.I grew up in the late 60's, early 70's (shh!), and I thought we were the coolest, most 'futuristic' we would ever be.Saturday mornings for me involved grabbing a bowl of cereal (they were all named 'sugar' - something, i.e., Smacks, Pops, etc., and whilst the recipes for those cereals haven't changed, they removed the 'sugar' from the name - but not the product) and plonking down to watch the fantastic shows of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, in particular, Thunderbirds, and l8r, Captain Scarlett.People writing reviews here now are constantly mentioning the effects,, good, bad, etc., but, the thing is, I know when I was a kid - and I was a damn smart kid - I didn't even think about the quality of the effects, I just thought the shows, the adventures were cool.As most 'Fandersons' know, there were 2 Thunderbird movies made - this one, and Thunderbirds are Go!I 1st saw this film in the late 70's, when I was a late teen, and I watched it because I wanted to reconnect with my childhood.I was riveted.I'm now in my early adult years (A-HEM!), and I just watched - for the 1st time since the late 70's - Thunderbird 6, and I had a blast with my heroes of my youth.Like many of you, I am in awe of the hard work and craftsmanship which went into building the intricate models and then filming them, and not because I want to 'shatter the illusion,' but, rather, because I am just amazed at this talent - I try to spot those shots where live action and model work are intercut, as well, and there are quite a few where I am left scratching my head; 'was that a model, or was it live?'Incredible.The gang - the Tracy Clan, (plus Brains & Tin-Tin), as well as the glamorous Lady Penelope and Parker are all here for what amounts to a 90 minute long Thunderbird episode, but, it never feels padded, and unlike many movies 'costing many, many times the budget of this, you actually see where the budget was spent.As the saying goes, 'no expense was spared,' and it wasn't.'The sets, the special effects - you see where the money for this love letter to the kids (now adults) and their kids, and their…, well, it's a love letter to us from the fabulous Anderson's.I did hear though, that Lady Penelope was supposedly 'difficult' to work with on the set, but, in truth, it was she wanted to make sure her 6-wheeled Rolls was fine-tuned, and, I guess Gerry & Sylvia had to pitch in, since 'Lady P' is such an important part of Thunderbird lore.For all those of us who never fully grew up, Thunderbird 6 is a lot of fun, and I think it's something I'd share with any kid today, as times may change, we still love to explore with our minds, and the sky IS the limit with the Anderson's,.Thunderbird 6 are GO!
ShadeGrenade
'Thunderbirds Are Go!' failed to set the box office alight in 1966 ( strange considering it was generally entertaining and afforded British fans the chance to see their favourite characters in colour ). But United Artists was convinced that there was a hit movie franchise in Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 'Supermarionation' television series, and gave the go-ahead for another colourful escapist fantasy. By this time, the show had ended, 'Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons' was in production ( with 'Joe 90' cleaning his spectacles in readiness for the 1968/69 season ). 'Thunderbird 6' is a rather different kettle of fish to its predecessor. The cod-disaster movie/sci-fi tone has been replaced by a much lighter approach, with a greater emphasis placed on 'Lady Penelope' and 'Parker'. Unlike 'T.A.G.' - which took ages to involve the Tracy family in the action - this has them on screen almost from the start. It opens with 'Brains' pitching a 'new' idea to a major aircraft corporation - an airship. The Board laughs at him, but decide to build it anyway. The result is 'Skyship One', and it takes off with Lady Penelope, Parker, and Alan Tracy aboard. Unbeknowest to them, the crew has been murdered and replaced by impostors, headed by the mysterious 'Black Phantom' ( the Hood under an alias ) who has bugged the ship, and is secretly taping Lady Penelope's every word in order to construct a fake message to lure International Rescue into a trap. Back on Tracy Island, Brains is going frantic trying to find a design for the proposed addition to the 'Thunderbird' fleet - 'Thunderbird 6'...This feels more like an episode of the series than its predecessor. No bad thing, of course. The regular characters get more to do, and there are some pleasing sequences where Lady Penelope enjoys her round-the-world trip, taking in such sights as the Pyramids of Egypt. Keith Wilson ( who sadly passed on last year ) produces some stunning sets - the games room with playing cards adorning the walls and huge chess pieces is like something out of 'The Avengers', while the gravity compensation room ( the setting for the climactic shoot-out ) is worthy of a James Bond film. The scene with the passenger-laden Tiger Moth flying over the countryside is breathtaking to watch even now. Unlike the first film - which got a big premiere in London - it sat on a shelf for several months, before creeping quietly into a cinema one Monday afternoon, where it was virtually ignored. The movies turned up on television eventually, and for a long time were the only 'Thunderbirds' available. Anderson made one more feature - the live action sci-fi drama 'Doppleganger' ( also known as 'Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun' ) starring Roy Thinnes and Ian Hendry. It fared little better. Jonathan Frakes' 2004 live-action feature 'Thunderbirds' might have stood a chance had it not committed the inexcusable error of snubbing Anderson.The final scene where 'Thunderbird 6' is revealed comes as no real surprise, but provides a nice sense of closure to the Tracy family's adventures. And has a positive message we would all do well to heed - that despite the myriad uses of modern technology, sometimes the old ways are the best. F.A.B.!
chrismartonuk-1
By the time this belated TV spin-off appeared, Captain Scarlet had come and gone and Thunderbirds was yesterday's news. Such was the shallow fickle values of us kids back in the 60's. I was very surprised to see this announced for production in TV TORNADO. I recall the vast amount of hype the original film received and assumed for years it had been a box-office success. However, the whole Anderson supermarionation empire was in its decline as fashions changed by the late 60's. Joe 90 was to appear to a less-than-rapturous reception and The Secret Service was virtually stillborn. At least Joe got his own comic and a Big Rat toy. All I recall of The Secret Service was a clip on Magpie and a Sweet cigarette picture card of the Rev Unwin. This might not have mattered so much if the Anderson's had learnt the lesson of the previous film. How many producers get the opportunity to make a sequel to a film that flopped? While the plot against the Tracey's by Black Phantom (is it really a suddenly vain toupeed Hood?) is a more satisfyingly personal drama as opposed to the Zero X launch, the whole plot is, again, a bog-standard TV episode dragged out with whimsical foreign interludes that exercised the model makers ingenuity but fatally kill any sense of pace. The finale of the Skyship delicately balanced on the aerial wrenches up the tension but is too little too late - and it drops onto a missile base for added pyrotechnic value. I recall some publicity being raised on national TV news by the live-action shots of the bi-plane roaring over an unfinished motorway. I suspect Anderson was more interested in these as a calling card to show he could handle live-action as opposed to puppetry so - like The Secret Service - this serves as a transitional film to the human-based melodramatics of the 70's with UFO and Space 1999. While Anderson could handle full-sized action, endowing his non-marionette figures with any breath of humanity often proved beyond him.
