Grease Review

Grease


Release Date: 3rd August 1978 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Robert Stigwood Organization (RSO)
Allan Carr Production

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Musical/Romance/

Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 110 minutes


Budget: $6,000,000

Box Office Gross: $396,271,103 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

In the summer of 1958, greaser Danny Zuko and Aussie girl Sandy Olsson met at the beach and fell in love. As they part ways, neither realises they will meet again at the same high school, with Danny leading the black-leather-jacket-wearing greasers, the T-Birds, while Sandy hangs out with an all-girl group, the Pink Ladies. Will their romance rekindle?

Cast

Principal Cast
John Travolta - Danny Zuko
Olivia Newton-John - Sandy

Olsson
Jeff Conaway - Kenickie
Stockard Channing - Betty Rizzo

The T-Birds
Barry Pearl - Doody
Michael Tucci - Sonny LaTierri
Kelly Ward - Putzie

The Pink Ladies
Didi Conn - Frenchy
Jamie Donnelly - Jan
Dinah Manoff - Marty Maraschino

School Staff/Other Characters
Eve Arden - Principal McGee
Frankie Avalon - The Teen Angel
Joan Blondell - Vi
Edd Byrnes - Vince Fontaine
Sid Caesar - Coach Calhoun
Alice Ghostley - Mrs Murdock
Dody Goodman - Blanche Hodel
Susan Buckner - Patty Simcox
Dennis C. Stewart - Leo Balmudo
Annette Charles - Charlene "Cha-Cha"
DiGregorio
Eddie Deezen - Eugene Felsnic
Fannie Flagg - Nurse Wilkins
Lorenzo Lamas - Tom Chisolm
Dick Patterson - Mr. Rudie
Darrell Zwerling - Mr. Lynch

Ellen Travolta - Waitress

Johnny Contardo - Johnny Casino (Uncredited)

Sha Na Na - The Gamblers (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Randal Kleiser
Based on the Stage Musical/Music and Lyrics -
Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Screenplay - Bronte Woodard
Adaptation/Producer - Allan Carr
Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Neil A. Machlis

Producer - Robert Stigwood
Casting Director - Joel Thurm

Production Designer - Phillip M. Jeffries

Set Decorator - James L. Berkey
Costume Designer - Albert Wolsky

Makeup Artists - Edwin Allen and

Daniel C. Striepeke
Dance Consultant - Tommy Smith
Dance & Musical Sequences Staging

and Choreographer - Patricia Birch
Director of Photography - Bill Butler

Location Managers - Alan B. Curtiss

and Marty Eli Schwartz (Uncredited)

Assistant Director - Jerry Grandey

Second Assistant Directors - Paula Marcus

and Lynn M. Morgan

Stunt Coordinator - Wally Crowder
Editor - John F. Burnett

Assistant Film Editor - Robert Pergament

Re-Recording Mixer - Bill Varney
Songs & Lyrics "You're the One That I Want"
& "Hopelessly Devoted to You" - John Farrar

Creative Consultant/Music Adaptor/

Music: "Sandy"/Performer: "Mooning" &

"Rock 'N' Roll Party Queen" - Louis St. Louis

Music - Michael Gibson


Awards

1979 Academy Awards
Best Music, Original Song "Hopelessly Devoted

to You" - John Farrar (Nominated)


Review
GREASE is a fun, extraordinary musical that perfectly captures the spirit and nostalgia of the 1950s. The filmmakers, including director Randal Kleiser and the choreographers, captured the period's vibrant, lively atmosphere through stunning visuals and cinematography. The lead actors, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, deliver strong performances, with Newton-John in a career-defining role. Their on-screen chemistry is simply electrifying, making the movie a true classic.

The energetically choreographed dance numbers, such as "Summer Nights" and "Grease Lightning," are a visual treat that will have you tapping your feet. The film's soundtrack is an absolute delight. "You're the One That I Want" is my favourite of the iconic songs included. I appreciate how its songs weave into the narrative, adding to the film's charm and making it an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Forget its sequel, Grease 2, and all the High School Musical movies as they walk in its shadow. GREASE is the word, and it will always be my favourite singing-and-dancing feature of all time. If you're looking for a musical that relives the swinging '50s, here it is.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Happy Gilmore Review

Happy Gilmore

Release Date: 8th August 1996 – Australia

Production Companies

Brillstein-Grey Entertainment

Robert Simonds Productions

Universal Pictures (presents)

Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 92 minutes

 
Budget: $10,000,000

Box Office Gross: $41,205,099 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Rejected many times, Happy Gilmore is a failed hockey player. Adding insult to injury, his girlfriend leaves him, and his grandmother is evicted from her home because she didn't pay her taxes. He winds up playing golf and enters a pro golf tournament to earn money to get his grandmother's house back, but he has to compete against Shooter McGavin, the tour favourite and his rival.

Cast

Adam Sandler – Happy Gilmore

Christopher McDonald – Shooter McGavin

Julie Bowen – Virginia Venit

Frances Bay – Grandma Gilmore

Carl Weathers – Chubbs Peterson

Allen Covert – Otto

Robert Smigel – IRS Agent

Kevin Nealon – Gary Potter

Richard Kiel – Mr. Larson

Bob Barker – Himself
Dennis Dugan – Doug Thompson
Joe Flaherty – Jeering Fan

Lee Trevino – Himself (Cameo)

Verne Lundquist – Announcer
Jared Van Snellenberg – Happy's Waterbury Caddy
Ken Camroux-Taylor – Coach
Rich Elwood – Assistant Coach

Nancy Hillis – Terry

Helena Yea – Chinese Lady

Will Sasso – Mover
Dee Jay Jackson – Mover

Ellie Harvie – Registrar

Ian Boothby – Guy on Green

Andrew Johnston – Crowd Guy – Waterbury

Kim Restell – Crowd Guy – Waterbury

Fred Perron – Waterbury Heckler

Helen Honeywell – Crazy Old Lady

Paul Raskin – Starter #1 - Waterbury

William Samples – Starter #2 - AT&T

John Shaw – Daniel Lafferty

Ted Deekan – Auctioneer

John Destry – Zamboni Driver

James Crescenzo – Shooter's AT&T Caddy

Brett Armstrong – Shooter's Tournament Caddy

Peter Kelamis – Potter's Caddy

Stephen Tibbetts – Pro Golfer

Ed Lieberman – Pro Golfer

Donnie MacMillan – Young Happy
Louis O'Donoghue – Happy's Dad
Lisanne Collett – Happy's Mom

Stephen Dimopoulos – Italian Guy

Douglas Newell – Starter #4 – Pro-Am

Frank L. Frazier – Blue Collar Fan

David Kaye – Reporter

Zachary Webb – Batting Kid

Simon Webb – Doctor

Mark Lye – Himself (Cameo)

Betty Linde – Elderly Woman

Dave Cameron – Reporter #2

Louis Kioman – Reporter #3

Brent Chapman – Official

Jessica Gunn – Signed Chest Woman

Phillip Beer – Cowboy Joe

Fat Jack – Jack Beard

Michelle Holdsworth – Babe on Green

Charles L. Brame – Abe Lincoln

Jack Giarraputo – Sportscaster (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Ben Stiller – Hal (Uncredited)

Crew

Director – Dennis Dugan

Writers – Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler
Executive Producers – Bernie Brillstein,

Brad Grey and Sandy Wernick
Producer – Robert Simonds
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager –
Warren Carr
Co-Producer – Jack Giarraputo

Golf Consultant – Mark Lye
Alligator Handlers – Gina & Jim Brockett
Production Designer – Perry Andelin Blake
Co-Production Designer – William Heslup

Art Director – Richard Harrison
Set Decorator – Mark Lane
Costume Designer – Tish Monaghan

Director of Photography – Arthur Albert

Camera Operators – David Crone and

Joel Ransom

Location Manager – Greg Jackson
Stunt Coordinator/Stunts – Brent Woolsey

Animatronics – Tony Gardner

Special Effects – William H. Orr,

Clay Scheirer and Keith Wardlow

Visual Effects Supervisor: Available Light Ltd. –

John T. Van Vliet

Visual Effects Producer: Available Light Ltd. –

Katherine Kean

Film Editors – Jeff Gourson

and Steve R. Moore

Supervising Sound Editor – Bruce Nyznik

Re-Recording Mixers – Chris David,

Paul Massey and Tom Perry

Foley Artists – John Roesch,

Hilda Hodges and James Moriana

Music – Mark Mothersbaugh

Music Mixer & Producer – Bob Casale

Review

HAPPY GILMORE is a hilarious, one-of-a-kind golf comedy that was a hole-in-one for Adam Sandler. This feature began when Sandler's film acting career took off following the success of Billy Madison. It shows how Sandler developed his signature lowbrow comedy style.

I loved everything in the movie, including the quotable lines and the hilarious, subtle performances of Adam Sandler, Carl Weathers, and Christopher McDonald. I also enjoyed Ben Stiller's funny uncredited cameo as the mean orderly. The film includes a scene where Happy fights Bob Barker. Guess who won?

GILMORE is the best yet funniest of all Sandler features and one of my favourites. It is one of those films viewers consider pure comedy gold. I will publish my review of the 1978 musical Grease, which stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, tomorrow. Don't you forget it.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Dante's Peak Review

Dante's Peak


Release Date: 27th March 1997 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (presents)
Pacific Western

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Adventure/Thriller

Rating: M

Runtime: 109 minutes


Budget: $116,000,000

Box Office Gross: $178,127,760 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
A volcanologist named Harry Dalton gets sent to the small town of Dante's Peak. There, he begins investigating some unusual activity on a long-dormant volcano. Dalton's theories are proven correct when the volcano is about to erupt, and it will soon destroy the entire town. Can anyone survive the destructive impact of its fiery inferno?

Cast
Pierce Brosnan - Dr. Harry Dalton
Linda Hamilton - Rachel Wando
Charles Hallahan - Dr. Paul

Dreyfus
Elizabeth Hoffman - Ruth
Jamie Renee Smith - Lauren Wando
Jeremy Foley - Graham Wando
Grant Heslov - Greg
Kirk Trutner - Terry
Arabella Field - Nancy
Tzi Ma - Stan

Brian Reddy - Les Worrell

Lee Garlington - Dr. Jane Fox

Bill Bolender - Sheriff Turner

Carole Androsky - Mary Kelly

Peter Jason - Norman Gates

Jeffrey L. Ward - Jack Collins

Tim Haldeman - Elliot Blair

Walker Brandt - Marianne

Hansford Rowe - Warren Cluster

Susie Spear Purcell - Karen Narlington

David Lipper - Hot Springs Man

Heather Stephens - Hot Springs Woman

R.J. Burns - Man at Helicopter

Tammy L. Smith - Town Meeting Woman

Christopher Murray - Pilot

Justin Williams - Paramedic

Donna Ostrom - Road Block Newsperson

Tom Magnuson - Road Block Newsperson

Marilyn Leubner - Babysitter

Ed Stone - Technician

Crew
Director - Roger Donaldson
Writer - Leslie Bohem

Associate Producer/Second Unit Director -

Geoff Murphy
Executive Producer - Ilona Herzberg
Producers - Gale Anne Hurd
and Joseph Singer
Co-Producer - Marliese Schneider
Volcanology Advisors - David H. Harlow,

John P. Lockwood and Norman MacLeod

Casting Directors - Allison Cowitt

and Mike Fenton

Production Designer/Aerial Unit Director -

J. Dennis Washington

Art Directors - Francis J. Pezza

and Thomas T. Taylor

Set Decorator - Marvin March
Costume Designer - Isis Mussenden

Makeup Department Head - Kenny Myers
Director of Photography - Andrzej Bartkowiak

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Raymond Stella

First Assistant Camera: Second Unit -

Clyde E. Bryan and Larry D. Davis

Unit Production Manager - Marie Cantin

Unit Production Manager: Second Unit -

David Womark

First Assistant Director - David Sardi

Second Assistant Director - Maggie Murphy

Second Second Assistant Directors -

L. David Silva and Christina Stauffer

Location Manager: Second Unit - Mike Fantasia

Aerial Coordinator - Cliff Fleming

Stunt Coordinator - R.A. Rondell

Stunt Coordinators: Second Unit - Troy Brown,

Jeff Imada and Michael Runyard

Assistant Stunt Coordinator - Thomas Robinson Harper

Special Effects Coordinator - Roy Arbogast
Special Effects Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Dean W. Miller and Richard Stutsman

Visual Effects Supervisor - Pat McClung

Visual Effects Producer - Lori J. Nelson

Graphics Supervisor: BFTRE - Van Ling

Directors of Photography: Digital Domain -

Tony Cutrono, Christopher Duddy,

Les Bernstein, Philipp Timme and

David R. Hardberger

Lava Development Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Dennis Blakey

R&D Lava Development: Digital Domain -

Matthew E. Butler and John Michael Courte
Film Editors - Conrad Buff IV,
Tina Hirsch and Howard E. Smith

Sound Designer/Editor (Uncredited) -

Michael Giesler

Sound Designer - Geoffrey G. Rubay

Supervising Sound Editors - Richard L. Anderson

and George Simpson

Sound Effects Editors - Ezra Dweck,

Julia Evershade, Donald Flick, Avram D. Gold,

Charlotte Haupt, Elliott Koretz, Eric Lindenmann,

Marvin Walowitz and David Lewis Yewdall

Sound Mixer - David Macmillan

Additional Sound Mixers - Gary Gegan,

Steve Pederson and Brad Sherman

Re-Recording Mixers - Ron Bartlett,

Chris Jenkins and Mark Smith

Composer: Theme Music - James Newton Howard
Music - John Frizzell

Review
DANTE'S PEAK is a mind-blowing spectacle from start to finish. Director Roger Donaldson has produced a realistic, natural disaster movie that is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Part of the movie's appeal lies in the suspense of wondering if the main characters will escape danger. It is promoted as being scientifically accurate and closely resembles how a disaster of this scale would unfold and affect hundreds of people. The film showcased excellent acting performances by Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton, as well as impressive visual effects. It's a shame that its visuals didn't get nominated for an Oscar, especially how amazing they were.

DANTE'S PEAK is for people who have studied volcanoes, as they will appreciate the film's realism.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Hop Review

Hop


Release Date: 7th April 2011 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (presents)
Relativity Media (in association with)
Illumination Entertainment

Distribution
Universal Studios Australia


Genre: Family/Comedy

Rating: G

Runtime: 95 minutes


Budget: $63,000,000

Box Office Gross: $184,367,665 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
E.B. is the son of the Easter Bunny, who wants nothing more than to follow in his father's footsteps and become a drummer instead. He runs away from home and is injured when an unemployed slacker named Fred accidentally runs him over, and he must take him in as he recovers. But E.B. soon takes advantage of his hospitality and becomes the worst house guest, which is too much for Fred to handle. Both will learn what it takes to grow up.


Live Action Cast
James Marsden - Fred O'Hare
Coleton Ray - Young Fred
Kaley Cuoco - Samantha "Sam" O'Hare
Gary Cole - Henry O'Hare
Elizabeth Perkins - Bonnie O'Hare
Tiffany Espensen - Alex O'Hare
David Hasselhoff - Himself
Chelsea Handler - Mrs. Beck
Russell Brand - Production Assistant (Cameo)

Voice Cast
Russell Brand - E.B.
Django Marsh - Young E.B.
Hugh Laurie - Mr. Bunny
Hank Azaria - Carlos & Phil
Hugh Hefner - Voice at Playboy
Mansion (Cameo)


Crew
Director - Tim Hill
Story/Screenplay - Cinco Paul and

Ken Daurio
Screenplay - Brian Lynch
Executive Producer - John Cohen
Producer - Christopher Meledandri

Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Michele Imperato

Production Designer - Richard Holland

CG Set & Prop Lead Designer- Philip A. Cruden

Illustrators - James Hegedus,

Patrick Von Janice and Carol Police

Art Director - Charlie Daboub
Character Designer - Peter DeSeve

Designer: "Young E.B."/Animation Supervisor -

Chris Bailey

Set Decorator - Don Diers

Property Master - Emily Ferry

Costume Designer - Alexandra Welker
Director of Photography - Peter Lyons Collister

First Assistant Director - Michele Panelli-Venetis

Second Unit Director/Director of

Photography - Thomas E. Ackerman

Stunt Coordinator - John Moio
Special Effects Supervisor - Alan E. Lorimer
Visual Effects Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -
Raymond Chen

Digital Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues - Michael Conelly

Animation Supervisors: Rhythm & Hues -
Ryan O'Donoghue, Kevin Jackson,

Rebecca Ruether, Chad Shattuck, Adam Yaniv
and Matt Shumway

Senior Animation Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -

Andrew Arnett

Crowd Animation Lead - C.J. Sarachene

Animation Layout Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -

Colbert Fennelly
Previsualisation & Layout Supervisor -

Pepe Valencia

Sequence Supervisors: Rhythm & Hues -

Harry Brutsche IV, Walt Jones, Perry Kass,

Yogesh Lakhani, Josh Saeta and Jeff Wells

Editors - Peter S. Elliot and Gregory Perler

First Assistant Editor - Matthew Schmidt

Supervising Sound Editor - Richard L. Anderson

Sound Designer - Ann Scibelli

Sound Editors - Mike Chock and John Dunn

Re-Recording Mixers - Tom Johnson

and Gary A. Rizzo

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker and

Catherine Ross

Music - Christopher Lennertz

Music Supervisor - Julianne Jordan

Additional Music & Arrangements/

Choir Conductor - Philip White

Review
Nearly a perfect family movie in the season, HOP did a decent job of bringing the Easter Bunny to the big screen. It manages to have sugar-coated some of the humour, which makes it entertaining for young adults. While this movie could have been better without the live-action integration, the animation is fantastic. E.B. steals the show, especially when he plays the drums. E.B.'s voice is Russell Brand, who also appears in a live-action cameo.

Who needs the first Alvin and the Chipmunks movie when the director's latest film, HOP, is way better than the other feature? Young people must watch this Easter film, available on Blu-ray or DVD.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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The Hunger Games Review

The Hunger Games

Release Date: 22nd March 2012 - Australia

Production Companies
Color Force

Lionsgate

Distribution 

Roadshow Distribution

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 142 minutes

Budget: $78,000,000

Box Office Gross: $694,394,724
(Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Katniss Everdeen, 16, lives

in what remains of North

America in the future. She

lives in one of 12 districts,

all run by the Capitol. When

her father dies, she struggles

to keep herself, her mother

and her little sister alive. 

Even thought she learns to 

hunt and trap and which 

plants are edible, they're 

always on the point of 

starvation. Annually, one

boy and one girl between
the ages of 12 and 18 are
chosen by lottery from each
district to participate in the
televised Hunger Games, in
which the 24 children try to
kill each other. The last one
left alive is honoured by the

Capitol and his or her family

is rewarded with plenty of

food. When her sister's name

is drawn, Katniss steps up to

take her place in the

competition. (Source - Metro Cinemas)

Cast

Jennifer Lawrence - Katniss Everdeen

Josh Hutcherson - Peeta Mellark

Liam Hemsworth - Gale Hawthorne

Woody Harrelson - Haymitch
Abernathy

Elizabeth Banks - Effie Trinket

Lenny Kravitz - Cinna

Stanley Tucci - Caesar Flickerman

Donald Sutherland - President Coriolanus Snow

Wes Bentley - Seneca Crane

Toby Jones - Claudius Templesmith

Alexander Ludwig - Cato

Isabelle Fuhrman - Clove

Paula Malcomson - Mrs. Everdeen

Willow Shields - Primrose Everdeen

Jacqueline Emerson - Foxface

Dayo Okeniyi - Thresh

Amandla Stenberg - Rue

Jack Quaid - Marvel

Leven Rambin - Glimmer
Paula Malcomson - Katniss' Mother
Sandra Ellis Lafferty - Hob Vendor
Raiko Bowman - Peeta's Mother
Dwayne Boyd - Peacekeeper #1
Anthony Reynolds - Peacekeeper #2
Judd Lormand - Peacekeeper #3
Kimiko Gelman - Venia
Nelson Ascencio - Flavius
Bruce Bundy - Octavia

Crew

Screenplay/Director - Gary Ross

Based on Novel "The Hunger
Games"/Screenplay/

Executive Producer - Suzanne Collins

Screenplay - Billy Ray
Executive Producer - Robin Bissell
Executive Producer/Unit 

Production Manager - Louise Rosner

Producers - Nina Jacobson & Jon Kilik

Co-Producers - Diana Alvarez, Martin Cohen, Louis Phillips, Aldric La'auli and Bryan Unkeless

Casting Director - Debra Zane

Production Designer - Phillip
Messina
Set Decorator - Larry Dias

Costume Designer - Judianna Makovsky

Makeup Department Head/

Designer - Ve Neill

Director of Photography - Tom Stern

Second Unit Director/

Additional Visual Effects
Supervisor - Scott Farrar
Second Unit Directors - Jon Kilik, Peter Rodger, Steven Soderbergh & Chad Stahelski

Stunt/Fight Coordinator - Allan Poppleton

Fight Coordinator - Jon Valera
Special Effects Coordinator - Steve Cremin

Visual Effects Supervisor - Sheena Duggal

Visual Effects Supervisors: Rhythm & Hues Studios - Victor Grant & Betsy Paterson

Visual Effects Producer - Jacquie Barnbrook
Visual Effects Art Director: Rhythm & Hues Studios - Mike Meaker
Animation Director/Supervisor - Dino Athanassiou

Film Editors - Christopher S. Capp,

Stephen Mirrione & Juliette Welfing
Sound Designer/Supervisor - Lon Bender

Music - T-Bone Burnett & James

Newton Howard

Review
The movie 'THE HUNGER GAMES' is a little bit frightening, but manages to bring action, cleverness and drama. To be fair, I never read the first book, but I find its premise of teenagers hunting and killing each other on a televised arena to be a bit interesting and brutal for a post-apocalyptic/dystopian action thriller. The well-acted performance by Jennifer Lawrence does work in the movie, but the only thing that I criticise is the shaky camera-style which I think is in most scenes.

The film adaptation of 'THE HUNGER GAMES' may be a little overrated, it certainly will be appreciated by teens who might be fans of the book series. 

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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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 leading a top-secret organisation called International Rescue. He and his four older sons form a team of heroes known as Thunderbirds, who pilot five incredible machines. Together, they have been saving people's lives amid ongoing disasters.

However, today their home, Tracy Island, located in the Pacific Ocean, is 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 does he have what 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

Stewart Howson - Engineer

Mark Nelmes - Ice Cream Man

Julian Spencer - Henchman

Andy Smart - Henchman & Oil Rig Worker

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

Supervising Art Director - Thomas Frankish

Art Directors - David Allday, Ray Chan,

Paul Cross, Matt Gray, Rod McLean,

Stephen Morohan, Stuart Rose and

Mark Harris (Uncredited)

Assistant Art Directors - James Foster,

Paul Inglis and Iain McFadyen

Concept Artists - Dominic Lavery,

Mike Trim and Tony Wright 

Set Decorator - Joanne Woollard

Prop Making and Modelshop Supervisor - James Enright
Costume Designer - Marit Allen

Assistant Costume Designers - Jacqueline Durran

and Jane Petrie

Hair & Makeup Designer - Peter Swords King

Hair and Makeup Artists - Tamsin Dorling Barbosa,

Sarah Pickering, Janine Schneider, Petrona Winton

and Jeremy Woodhead 

Director of Photography - Brendan Galvin

"A" Camera Operator - Des Whelan

"A" Camera Operator: Additional Shooting -

Trevor Coop 

Steadicam Operator - Rupert Power (Uncredited)

Steadicam Operator: Additional Shooting -

Roger Tooley

Unit Production Manager - Angus More Gordon

Unit Manager - James Grant

Location Manager - Emma Pill 

First Assistant Director - Tommy Gormley

Production Manager/First Assistant Director:

Second Unit - Terry Bamber
Second Unit Director/Director of Photography:

Second Unit - Shaun O'Dell

Stunt Coordinator - Paul Jennings
Special Vehicles Supervisor - Graham Kelly

Special Effects Supervisor - Paul Corbould
Special Effects Coordinator - Jess Lewington
Visual Effects Supervisors - Mike McGee
and Mark Nelmes
Model Shop Supervisor - Bill Pearson
CGI Supervisor: Framestore - Craig Lyn

2D Supervisors: Framestore - Jonathan Fawkner

and Matthew Twyford 

Lead Effects Technical Directors: Framestore -

Louis Dunlevy, Ian Frost, Mark Hodgkins,

Nordin Rahhali and Ben Schrijvers
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

Executive in Charge of Music: Universal

Studios - Kathy Nelson 

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, directed by Jonathan Frakes, did not meet my expectations. The sound effects were more suited to a cartoon than a live-action film, and the movie came across as similar to Spy Kids. Because it focuses only on the younger characters, such as Alan Tracy, Tin-Tin, and Fermat, rather than all five Tracy brothers. And, worst of all, this film changes the Thunderbirds' nemesis, The Hood, from being a master of disguise to someone with strange powers. The positives include the acting of Bill Paxton, Sophia Myles, Ron Cook, and Ben Kingsley, as well as 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, but it might appeal to those unfamiliar with the classic show.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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