Sunday, April 1, 2012

Thunderbirds Review








Thunderbirds


Release Date: 16th September 2004 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (present)
StudioCanal (present)
Working Title Films
Tracy Films (Uncredited)

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Family/Sci-Fi
Action/Adventure

Rating: PG

Runtime: 95 minutes


Budget: $57,000,000

Box Office Gross: $28,283,637 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Former astronaut/
entrepreneur Jeff Tracy has been running a top-secret organisation named International Rescue. He and his four older sons are a team of heroes called Thunderbirds that pilot five incredible machines. Together, they have been saving people's lives amid ongoing disasters.

But today, their home, Tracy Island, located around the Pacific Ocean, has come under siege by a criminal mastermind known as the Hood, who has trapped them in space and intends to use their hi-tech rescue vehicles and technology for his evil plot. Only the youngest son, Alan Tracy, is left on the island to stop the Hood and his plans, but has he got whatever it takes to save his
family and the world?


Cast
Brady Corbet - Alan Tracy
Bill Paxton - Jeff Tracy
Vanessa Hudgens - Tintin
Anthony Edwards - Ray
"Brains" Hackenbacker
Ben Kingsley - The Hood
Sophia Myles - Lady Penelope
Phillip Winchester - Scott Tracy
Lex Shrapnel - John Tracy
Dominic Colenso - Virgil Tracy
Ben Torgersen - Gordon Tracy
Soren Fulton - Fermat Hackenbacker
Rose Keegan - Transom
Ron Cook - Parker
Bhasker Patel - Kyrano
Harvey Virdi - Onaha
Genie Francis - Lisa Lowe
Deobia Oparei - Mullion
Johannes Zadrozny - Panhead
Nicola Walker - Panhead's Mother

Crew
Director - Jonathan Frakes
Based on the TV Series - Gerry &
Sylvia Anderson
Story/Screenplay - William Osborne
Story - Peter Hewitt
Screenplay - Michael McCullers
Executive Producers - Liza Chasin
and Debra Hayward
Producers - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
and Mark Huffam
Co-Producers - Jo Burn and Chris Clark
Casting Directors - Fiona Weir
and Mary Selway
Production Designer - John Beard
Vehicle Designer - Mike Trim
Supervising Art Director - Thomas Frankish
Set Decorator - Joanne Woollard
Costume Designer - Marit Allen
Assistant Costume Designers - Jacqueline Durran
and Jane Petrie
Hair & Makeup Designer - Peter Swords King
Director of Photography - Brendan Galvin
"A" Camera Operator - Des Whelan
Steadicam Operators - Rupert Power and
Roger Tooley
Unit Production Manager - Angus More Gordon
Unit Manager - James Grant
First Assistant Director - Tommy Gormley
Second Unit Director/Director of Photography:
Second Unit - Shaun O'Dell
Action Director/Stunt Coordinator -
Paul Jennings
Special Vehicle Supervisor - Graham Kelly
Special Effects Supervisor - Paul Corbould
Special Effects Coordinator/Buyer -
Jess Lewington
Visual Effects Supervisors - Mike McGee
and Mark Nelmes
Model Shop Supervisor - Bill Pearson
CGI Supervisor - Craig Lyn
Lead Effects Technical Director - Nordin Rahhali
Editor - Martin Walsh
Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer -
Glenn Freemantle
Re-Recording Mixers - John Hayward,
Richard Pryke and Andrew Caller (Uncredited)
Foley Artists - Phil Heywood and
Adrian Medhurst
Music - Hans Zimmer
Additional Music - Ramin Djawadi
Additional Arrangements - James Dooley
and Mel Wesson
Music Supervisor - Nick Angel
Recording Engineer - Geoff Foster


Review
I watched a few episodes of Gerry Anderson's classic Supermarionation TV series THUNDERBIRDS and the first movie. However, the live-action adaptation by director Jonathan Frakes failed to live up to my expectations. The sound effects were more for a cartoon than live-action, and the movie felt similar to Spy Kids. Because it only focuses on the younger characters like Alan Tracy, Tin-Tin and Fermat instead of all five Tracy brothers. And worst of all, this film changes the Thunderbirds' nemesis, The Hood, from being a master of disguise to having strange powers. The positives include the acting of Bill Paxton, Sophia Myles, Ron Cook and Ben Kingsley and the emergency teapot. The CGI effects are decent, and the music score is terrific.

THUNDERBIRDS could have been a more faithful live-action film adaptation. The movie is a no-go for fans of the original TV series. It might appeal to those unfamiliar with the original classic show.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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3 comments:

  1. Maybe the new movie will be better since Jon Favreau is directing. He is one of my favorite directors.

    -James

    ReplyDelete
  2. You'll fell for it, there is no new Thunder-birds movie by Jon Favreau it's just an April Fools prank.

    ReplyDelete
  3. thunderbirds is one of my favourite movies and i've seen it 100 times but it never gets old its one of the greats may i also recommend A-team,Armoured,Red,I Robot.you've got one of the best blogs yet

    ReplyDelete