Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds – Young Alan Tracy isn’t quite a Thunderbird yet but he longs to join his heroic father and brothers in their rescue missions around the world. When all the Thunderbirds are together on their oribiting base, they are attacked and stranded with oxygen quickly running out. Back on Earth, the attackers believe they have gotten rid of the only people who can stop them but Alan and his young friends prove themselves to be worthy opponents. Will they be able to stop the villains and save Alan’s family or will their lack of experience ultimately be their undoing?

Thunderbirds (2004) – Director: Jonathan Frakes

Rating: U

Running Length: 95 mins

Starring: Brady Corbet, Bill Paxton, Ben Kingsley

Genre: Action/Adventure

REVIEW: THUNDERBIRDS

Decades after becoming a beloved classic children’s show with marionettes where you could ‘see the strings!’, Thunderbirds finally got its big screen debut. Wisely choosing to be fully live-action to move away from the now dated-looking puppets, this long-awaited movie eases us into the action by having our ‘in’ be through the eyes of the youngest member of the Tracy family, Alan. His father and older brothers have already been saving the world for an undisclosed number of years but his yearning to become one of them allows us to have somewhat of an origin story without having to endure anything too time consuming before the action kicks in.

While the dynamic between Alan (Brady Corbet) and his father (Bill Paxton) is good, it is a shame that they barely spend any time on screen together to fully realise their bond, Likewise, Alan’s brothers are so insignificant to the plot with so few lines that it is impossible to tell them apart. In fact, other than three villains, none of the adult characters really make much of an impact; even Lady Penelope and Parker (although their fight scene is a great deal of fun!) Therefore, it is up to Alan and his friends, Fermat (Soren Fulton) and Tintin (Vanessa Hudgens) to carry the film, and thankfully, they do this with aplomb. Corbet may not be the best actor but his chemistry with his friends make the movie and Sir Ben Kingsley as historical arch-nemesis, The Hood, seems to truly embrace the daftness of the movie while maintaining a level of seriousness that keeps things grounded.

One of the main draws of the show from the 60’s was the impressive Thunderbird vehicles (1 – 5), and, true to its origins, each one of these vehicles is given plenty of screen time to not only do service to fans but also have a reason for being there. All in all, ‘Thunderbirds’ may have its flaws but it’s an awful lot of fun for anyone whether or not you grew up loving the stringed members of International Rescue or are a newcomer to the series. F-A-B!

CONTENT: IS ‘THUNDERBIRDS’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

A woman wears tight leggings and there is a close-up of her bottom, the camera cuts to a man ogling her.

A missile hits Thunderbird 5, throwing John backwards and he appears badly injured. Later, when he is joined by the other Thunderbirds, his injuries are superficial although there is growing concern from all of them regarding the oxygen running out.

Transom, The Hood’s villainous female follower, has a crush on Brains, the Thunderbirds highly intelligent friend. She tells him suggestively ‘I thought your thesis…was extremely stimulating’. Later, when Brains is tied up, Transom sits on top of him, removes his glasses and tells him how attractive he is without them. Even though he clearly isn’t interested in her she continues to pursue him.

Alan asks ‘Who’s the bald freak?’ about The Hood.

When trying to escape with his friends Tintin and Brains’ son, Fermat, Alan comes face to face with The Hood although a sheet of glass separates them. The Hood’s eyes dilate like a reptiles and Alan, who appears disturbed by what he’s just seen, tell the others ‘We can’t go that way’. Later, when they slide down a shaft, The Hood, his henchmen (Mullion and Transom) and Brains are watch a screen showing large fireballs erupting from where the shaft comes out. Mullion gloats that ‘The kids went up like firecrackers! Pop! Pop! Pop!’ Brains, thinking they’re dead goes to punch him but is stopped by The Hood.

Fermat asks Alan if he thinks Tintin is ‘blossoming’. Later, Alan tells Tintin ‘You’re really blossoming’ which she finds weird and says ‘Ew’ before asking him if he really said that.

A scorpion crawls on Alan’s shoulder, there is a close-up of it for a few seconds before it is taken off him.

Alan can be mean and arrogant and when he is frustrated, he mocks Fermat’s stutter which upsets him. Tintin is unimpressed and calls him a ‘jerk’.

Lady Penelope and Parker fight The Hood and the others but The Hood uses his powers to subdue them. They both clutch their heads and cry out in pain as a slight cracking sound can be heard.

Parker says that he needs a wire and Penelope reaches under her top and pulls out her bra wire. She tells the others ‘I didn’t need it anyway!’

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘THUNDERBIRDS’ FOR KIDS?

‘Thunderbirds’ is full of excitement and fun which more than make up for any of its shortcomings and is bound to be a hit with younger members of the family. We recommend this movie for kids aged 5 and over.

• Violence: 1/5 (some fighting but nothing strong and no blood. Fermat kicks one of the baddies between the legs)
• Emotional Distress: 1/5 
• Fear Factor: 2/5
• Sexual Content: 1/5
• Bad Language: 1/5 (some mild cursing)
• Dialogue: 1/5 (a boy at Alan’s school calls him ‘Thunderturd’ but Alan isn’t fazed by this, calling the boy a name back)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of family, not giving up, revenge, fighting a stronger foe, not relying on adults and proving yourself.

Words by Laura Record