[ewin]

Saw it this morning and it`s a good family film.The plot is more kids helping them against the hood , but it could have been much worse.
The fx and the craft do look good and a lot of things have been kept in ,i`m gald that did`nt change anything major.There was one scene that i thought was a nod to the series
All of the cast fitted into their roles well,but brains was a bit rough and silly when he was trying to talk.
At the end of the day .Me ,my wife and my 4 year old son enjoyed it and would go and see it again .I hope it does well at the box office as i would like them to make a follow up to it.

To mr gerry anderson it does`nt make a mock of the series so don`t worry .
p.s try to count how many ford cars and signs are in the film.Shame on u rolls royce for not doing fab 1.

[the_pauley]

Saw this today.

First off, be under no illusions this is definitely aimed at very young kids. As a movie of this type (i.e. it's not meant for us) it works fine. If I were 10 year old and had just seen this I would have been on cloud nine for a month!

However, I only wish the film makers had considered that there are a couple of generations of adults out there who will be making a point of seeing this movie and it would have been nice to have made it less of a kiddy-fest than it was. Most kids I know loved "Batman" and "Spiderman" just fine, without attendant juvenalia. Entire generations of us grew up quite happily watching the adult Tracy brothers doing the rescuing and handling the action.

For instance a live action, hi-tech remake of "Thunderbirds Are Go", the 1966 movie, free of precocious brattery, would have been potentially superb and excellent fun for kids and adults alike.

Bad points:

Too short and consequently too fast paced - needed at least another half-hour. No build up, background, exposition, or time to take in a lot of the action sequences, or characters for that matter - hand up who could identify Gordon or Virgil (or even tell them apart) in their nano-seconds of screen time? Alan Tracy and Son-of-Brains needed smacking and smacking hard! Brains - way-too eccentric to be credible. Theme tune ruined by a hip-hop backbeat and terrible sound mix. Seriously misjudged opening titles. Some very laboured "comedy".

Good points:

Seeing the whole kaboodle brought to life - definitely childhood revisited. The great looking new ships and vehicles and Tracy Island (if only we'd had more time to savour them - just flashed by mostly). Lady Penelope and Parker. They stole the movie for me with some hilariously high-camp scenes and dialogue. Stand out is when at the height of the climactic action with every second counting, Lady P dashes off to confront The Hood and re-appears in the next scene having stopped off to change her outfit and hairstyle!

Overall, ranged from moderately dire to good fun. Nowhere near as offensively awful as "Van Helsing" (if that's any recommendation!).

SPOILER: Truly inspired and hilarious nod to one of the conventions of the original series, which judging by the scattered bursts of laughter in the cinema went largely un-noticed - one of my mates missed it totally.

You know how in the original series when you saw a hand in close up operating a button or switch they always used a human hand? Well watch carefully in the latter half of the movie (I think where Alan takes off in TB1), for a split second you see a close up of a puppet hand, complete with strings, on the control stick. Inspired!

Have to agree with everything said so far...for once, I wanted a film to be longer, but the attention span of the average 4 - 10 year (who this film is aimed squarely at) is about an hour and a half. Saying that, the screening I went to at 1830 on a Saturday had no kids at all...jus us 40 yaer old kids
I did enjoy the tribute paid to the original series, and thought the ships and vehicles have evolved nicely (rather like the VW Beetle and Mini Cooper have). I'll get the DVD when it comes out because I thought it was a fun film, that I could watch again quite easily...
I also thought Ben Kingsley was born to play the hood...

[Joe Pineapples]

it would have been nice to have made it less of a kiddy-fest than it was

Yep, totally agree. I've not actually seen the film myself, but plenty of dire clips have confirmed your observations of it being a kiddie-fest. Lets face it, this was by far the easiest way for them to approach it. As for a nod to the original series, the Bill Paxton puppet looks almost there

[MartinImber]

I'm afraid the Fords and the dire TB2 put me off completely!

[Gary D]

i fav childhood program - ripped apart, destroyed. They'll tell me Captain Scarlet can die next. I'm going home to watch Fireflash.

EDIT: I was being an arse when i wrote this - sorry all. (21/07/2004)

Gary

Originally Posted by Garyd

i fav childhood program - ripped apart, destroyed. They'll tell me Captain Scarlet can die next. I'm going home to watch Fireflash.

Gary

Have you seen it? I thought totally the opposite...there was a lot of hommage paid to the original series...aimed squarely at a NEW audience.
Saw an excelent write up in Sunday magazine from the Daily Mail...explained the differences in the vehicles between new and old. Normally, when I read something like that, I look at as an excuse a to why the studio have cocked it up...this actually made sense, and it convinced me that they had actually CORRECTED a lot of mistakes made in the original, particularly with regards to the scale of Thunderbird 2...I mean really, in the original series, T2 was at least 20 feet taller than the palm trees...and did you listen to the Firefly...? The engine sound effect was taken straight from the original series...subtle things like this meke up for a weak (not poor) script & story...I think Riker did a half decent job of bringing Thunderbirds into the 21st century...now if only Joey Boswell could write a decent script, we could be up for a half decent sequel...

[Gary D]

Army, it goes like this, i go to the pictures about 6 times a year (hey why spend 5G's on a HC then go out to see films) the list of things to see at the moment is huge (spiderman, shrek, 9/11, etc etc) TB has dipped down the list as it evolved into spy kids 6. i'm sure it has its plus points, but the tracy brothers like so much like a boy band it makes me want to cry.

i have a friend who is the worlds biggest gerry anderson fan and i trust his opinions. Hes told me its a sham, ok in its own right but as the remake of the greatest TV show of the 60's its a sham. so i'll be waiting for the DVD.

i've already wasted one trip to the pictures by seeing "School of Rock" - pitiful pile of steaming doggy plop.

Gary

[the_pauley]

Originally Posted by Garyd

i fav childhood program - ripped apart, destroyed.

Er, wouldn't it be an idea to actually see the film first before forming an opinion?

[Gary D]

pauley, one way or another we all form opinions about films before we have seen them, based on tv programmes, trailers, other peoples opinions etc. so far nothing has changed my opinion.

comments like "aimed at 4 year olds" dont exactly instill confidence. unlike almost every other program i watched as a teenager or a small boy, Thunderbirds is the only one that has stood the test of time, i dont watch it and think "this is pants" - like i do when i see the A team, Knight Rider et al.

in short i think most people form an opinion before they see something. after all thats why you go and see it, or avoid it (as in this case), the opinion is then either reinforced or destroyed by viewing the movie. i simply choose to not see it but based on what ive seen and been told. when i see it on DVD it may become my fav film of all time but i doubt it, i certainly wouldn't go and see this over say, shrek or 9/11 or spiderman. i dont have any young whippersnappers to take so its just me and the wife and films aimed at 4 years olds are not her bag.

Gary

[the_pauley]

We all form opinions about whether we want to see a movie or not before we've seen it.

However I have never, ever said anything like "...this film is rubbish..." or "...ripped apart, destroyed...", without first having seen it. Just strikes me as somewhat bizzare...

And re. who it's aimed at, I would think that the "Thuderbirds" movie is aimed at EXACTLY the same age group that the original series was aimed at, wouldn't you?

[Gary D]

i do agree with you that i may have been abit over the top, but its not just 4 years that will see it. there is a generation of 40 year olds that quite like it too (hense this thread). but on the logic your using isn't spiderman aimed at ten year olds? or what about Batman? (something i guess is very close to your heart judging by your avitar).

which is best version of batman? the films or the animated cartoon of the early 90's or the camp adam west version of the 60's? My choice would be the 90's cartoon which doesn't talk down to kids or patronise adults.

Gary

[Garrett]

Wasn’t Thunderbird the series that the word kiddult coined for? Well at lest it was described as one anyway. Meaning it was aimed at both could easily watch it without the young ones getting confused or the adults having there intelligence insulted.

[the_pauley]

but on the logic your using isn't spiderman aimed at ten year olds? or what about Batman? (something i guess is very close to your heart judging by your avitar).

Not at all. It is quite clear that "Thunderbirds" in both incarnations is clearly aimed at children (in the series the Tracys are puppets and in the movie they are muppets ). If adults enjoy it too then fine. What you have to realise is that when we watch "Thunderbirds" the series today as adults, we are automatically pre-disposed to liking it as it is a great nostalgia trip, evoking as it does strong childhood memories / feelings.

Doubtless there will be a generation of children wowed by this "Thunderbirds" movie that will watch it 30 years later as adults with the same nostalgic glow, and probably be on this very forum cursing the latest 2034 revival that has ruined their beloved childhood favourite.

Probably will be one or two cursing it without seeing it too, no doubt!

"Spiderman" and "Batman", while I'm sure their producers hope to catch children in their target demographic, are much more dark and adult in tone, particular the Burton "Batman". Clearly not kiddy-fare.

And don't forget both of these movies had age restricted certificates.

which is best version of batman? the films or the animated cartoon of the early 90's or the camp adam west version of the 60's? My choice would be the 90's cartoon which doesn't talk down to kids or patronise adults.

The answer to your question I would say depends on what kind of "Batman" you want. The only "Batman" that I've seen that ever talked down to people was the last Schumacher atrocity. The first three movies, particularly 1 and 2 were fine. As for the '90s animated revival there's not too much to separate its approach from Burton's.

The Adam West series and film are comedy gems, that in their visual style (particularly the series), are a damn fine attempt at putting the look of "Batman" comics circa mid-sixties on the screen.

They use a deadpan approach that was incredibly sophisticated for 1966, and still delivers the laughs today. This it was why it was such a universally popular series. The kids got off on the comic book adventure and the adults got the joke that went straight over the kids', and it must be said some adults', heads.

Don't forget - for many years "Batman" was far from "The Dark Knight" of today that we love so well. Those who blame the West series for juuvenilizing, "camping-up" or otherwise ruining The Caped Crusader, really don't know their comic book history.

For example this ain't exactly Frank Miller territory is it? Or this? (hope he's wearing his Bat-Y-fronts under that kilt!) Or - gawd help us - Bat-Mite! And all pre-Adam West...

And to answer Garrett's query, the term "kidult" was coined not for "Thunderbirds", but for the '90s animated "Batman" series in response to its crossover appeal.

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by the_pauley

And to answer Garrett's query, the term "kidult" was coined not for "Thunderbirds", but for the '90s animated "Batman" series in response to its crossover appeal.

Your pulling my leg now, as it was in use way before then, as at the time either Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet was being originally shown they were being called kidadult at least by me and my mates.

Tracked it down to at least 85: And in the background, on a much less lavish scale, is LBS communications, which doesn't own its own stations but provides a lucrative stream of 'kidult' — children, teenager and young adult — programming to independents.
—Peter Martin, "Coming Soon: TV's New Boy Network," The Times, August 11 1985

[Gary D]

pauley, i bow to your knowledge of Batman. Furthermore yesterday i was being a complete arse. No one can make a definative statement as i did when i haven't even seen it.

I'm not even going to attempt to argue as i'll get slapped - a man needs to know when he's whipped and move on.

Gary

(i'm am of course not suggsting that you want to whip or slap me. Indeed if you do then you will have to speak to her-in-doors as she has a contractual commitmernt to providing such services )

[the_pauley]

I's about that era. The first I heard it in widespread use was after the "Batman" series started to get evening repeats so adults could watch it.

They may well have used it to refer to "Thunderbirds" in one of its recent revivals, but I don't think you'll find it was used as far back as the '60s or '70s and certainly not in the UK, where we very primly refered to any youth programming as "children's television".

[Garrett]

We were using the term long before Batman in the 90s and before the example I found from 85. It just may be one of those words that never crossed over to the main media but I was using the term even before 85. As I read a lot of fandom magazines maybe that’s where I first heard it.

[Sick Note]

And the winner of the biggest pile of toilet ever to be commited to film is Thunderbirds!!!

What the hell did they use for the SFX a Sinclair ZX81 or an etch-a-sketch??

One of my fave shows as a kid has been raped and turned into an episode of The Famous Five saves the world
How they had the nerve to make this film is beyond me

Massive massive disappointment

Hope it wins at the Golden Raspberry awards
marks out of 10 ..... -100

[johnscarlet]

Well I saw this today with my six year old.His first words as credits rolled -

"that was great"
(he must of enjoyed it , first film he has sat through without needing to go to the loo )

My 29 year old brothers first words were -

"who was Lady P "

I think too many people forget the fact that this was a remake of a 60's childrens tv show for 90's kids .Yes my 6 yr old loves the original , but they couldn't remake it exactly the same ,just live action, they needed to bring it up to date , and I don't think they did a bad job. (Except for all the F**D product placement , just like watching Skysports )

If you don't like it dont watch it stick with the original , I'm sure it will be at the top of my boys list at xmas , after all its him it was aimed at , just like the original was aimed at those who are now 30somethings

[Wasabi]

Thunderbirds has totally flopped in the US.

Took in even less than Around the world in 80 days during premiere weekend.

Only $2.7million which equals only $1345 per theater, and thats the lowest average so far of all major and medium films.

Even "Around the world in 80 days" pulled in $2704 per screen.

So I doubt very very much there will be a sequel.

Wasabi

[Miyazaki]

I quite liked Around the world... .

But then i'll sit through any tripe of Chan's, coz he's my man

[Wasabi]

Well my man - Games Guru,

Being Chinese - I'll always support Chan despite he's done a few bad films.

But I also thought Around, was ok.

May Rush Hour 3 be a mega hit.

Wasabi