Thunderball [Blu-ray]

Sorry Sean has passed but lives on in his movies

Move was as great as it ever was, with one small complaint:The sound level for voice was too low, and too loud for effects. So, one volume setting would not work, without voice being to quiet, or effects being too loud. A sound balance with a louder voice channel would fix it.

Another excellent James Bond film looking at men of international crime. A very realistic villain emerges here in this fourth James Bond film. Bond's crime nemesis Emilio Largo has a seaside home in Nassau out of which he runs a nuclear weapons theft operation. His small crew are able to conceal the warheads easily, and almost escaped detection if it weren't for Bond's excellent tracking instinct and bravery.True to the 007 film franchise formula, this movie has all the gizmos and equipment that 1950's and 60's Westerners were convinced would be in high demand such as hydrofoils and jetpacks and that sort of thing. Unfortunately the jetpack has fallen into disfavor as a mainstream idea. Though a lot of the tech in Thunderball has fallen into disfavor, still it was very cool nonetheless to journey back through the era before I was born and see how people embraced the future.In summary, this 007 movie follows on the heels of other excellent ones that set the bar very high. Also, the underwater photography and ensuing action sequences are really excellent, which adds immensely to the enjoyment of the move. I would consider watching this again after a short time just for the shocking diving action sequences the end of the film alone. However, there are other aspects of this movie that kept my attention as well, such as the feeling that Ian Fleming's work inspires us not to underestimate the deviousness and creativity of criminal minds. Though we sent a man to the moon, and are optimists by nature, the plot stays grounded in the reality that Bond almost doesn't prevail at several junctures against a nuclear madman. To Fleming, Broccoli, and Saltzman's credit, they seem to convey an important subtlety well: though the MI6 team thought failure was unimaginable, it also doesn't mean mission accomplishment was guaranteed, or failure is impossible.

This is my favorite Sean Connery Bond film. Thunderball is loaded with style, slick action, great stunts, beautiful scenery, beautiful women, and Sean Connery. This film continued the practice of great opening action sequence, a 'larger-than-life' villain in Largo/ AKA No. 2 (Adolfo Celi), a collection of vicious henchmen and woman - Count Lippe, Fiona, Vargas and Janni (played by Guy Doleman, Luciana Paluzzi, Philip Locke and Michael Brennan), an elaborate plot and a beautiful leading lady (Claudine Auger who plays Domino) Bob Simmons, the main Bond stuntman opens the film as the villainous aCol. Jacques Bouvar AKA SPECTRE No. 6 who is dispatched by Bond. The scape by jetpack sets the stage for the great action film that follows. Largo and SPECTRE have downed a UN Vulcan fighter and stolen two nuclear warheads and hidden them in the Caribbean. Bond must intervene before the UN pays a ransom to SPECTRE. Along the way, Bond romances, fights on land and underwater, and finally squares off on a hydrofoil. The one change here is that the villain is not killed by Bond - someone else (Domino)does that that favor. The cast of British actors (Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell) return as the MI-6 crew with Rik Van Nutter playing Felix Leiter in this film. The hi-lights of this film include the incredible underwater photography and action sequences, the villainous and voluptuous Fiona, the Vulcan crash and cover-up, and the incredible fight on the hydro-foil, the Disco Volante. There are two quintessential Bond scenes: SPECTRE's HQ and MI-6' briefing room which are a treat for all Bond fans. This loud, action-filled and very entertaining Bond film raised the level that future Bond films would have to meet. This one is great!

Bond, James Bond is alive and well, over 50 years after this film was done up for us as preteens. He has grown from the iconic Male chauvinist to the evensteven partner and sometimes even the lady's victim...ouch.Thunderball - this film's undersea battle is still rated among the top ones of all time - but I liked the "moments" - remembering how everyone on campus had a mink glove or access to one, after this film - fun memory.And how many of the "gimmicks" were brand new at the time - the amazing jet pack flying suit is still a topic of conversation and excitement for those who now chase the hoverboard; and then neat "discipline" gimmick for the embezzling Spectre agent #9 - and Domino's brother's lookalike surgery, and the bombs and their robbery, and the famous " Do you mind if my partner rests here for a moment - she'd "Just DEAD" when the villainess is shot by her own men aiming for Bond - and then Domino's " I killed him - I'm glad I killed him" line when she gets Largo . A perfectly perfect take from " you killed him - I'm glad you killed him" quoted from Melanie in Gone with the Wind , to Scarlett, when she shoots the home invading soldier as he tries to harm her - "right between the eyes" as her paw would have taught her.Yes - we are amused.

It's James Bond, what else needs to be said? Yes, watch it. I have a few times.

This is a decent Bond film. It's got Sean Connery as Bond and he hasn't lost any of his appeal. It's also close to the book which I really like. And yet, it's never been one of my favourites in the series. Having seen it less often than most of the other Bond films, I decided to give it whirl last night. It kept me nicely entertained, especially the first half of the film with some of the more memorable moments of the franchise. There is the pretitle sequence with Bond attending his own funeral, the epic getaway with the jet pack, and who could forget Fiona Volpe on her golden motorbike, played by the bewitching Luciana Paluzzi? The scenes in the spa where Bond is whipped back into shape are fun to watch, Adolfo Celi makes a decent adversary, the Spectre lair is suitably intimidating. All good so far.What doesn't work quite so well for me is the second half of the film. Not the story line, mind you. That's solid enough. And the Bahamas locations are glorious. But there are these endless underwater sequences, and I can't help finding them just a bit dull. I'm sure technically they're brilliant, and back in the 60 probably novel and exciting, but I found them too long and too slow and was wishing for a good fast paced chase on land. Or some dialogue. But maybe that's just me.The DVD is good. Excellent picture and sound, subtitles for those who may need them and any amount of extra material (this latter refers to the 2 disc Ultimate Edition I purchased).

Hindsight is marvellous is it not. We can see things just the way they are.I have read the bond books four times over my lifetime and I'm just finished with 'Casino Royale' starting my fifth round with them. I mention this to impress you dear reader with my love of Ian Fleming's books.But I can't remember watching a bond film from beginning to end. Always a snatch here or there on Xmas or bank holiday. I did not think any film could match the stories. Bit snobbish of me really, guilty as charged.Anyway, I recently decided to watch them starting at the beginning with 'Dr No' then 'From Russia with Love' then 'Goldfinger' and now 'Thunderball'.I really enjoyed the first three. They are what they are a sort of timepiece in cinema history.But what has happened in 'Thunderball'? I struggled to watch it. It's all there just like the first three but something is missing.Hindsight informs me. Overdone is the word. Was the budget too big allowing over the top scenes? All that underwater stuff I didn't really have a clue what was going on. The clichés were just too sad.I could go on. Shame. I am going to continue the journey along the bond films 'you only live twice' is next.I hope they learnt the lesson from 'Thunderball' and get it right.

James Bond goes The Bahamas to investigate why two nuclear warheads were stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E..Connery's forth film is one of his most disappointing. Staring with the positives, Connery again impresses in particular the action scenes, Adolfo Celi makes for a formidable adversary and Luciana Paluzzi is a memorable Bond girl. The John Barry soundtrack and Tom Jones's theme are suitably big and dramatic (it would have been interesting to see & hear Dionne Warwick's alternate song Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang used in the film) & the pre-credits sequence is excellent one of the most memorable in the film. However the best thing about the film is the action and effects by John Stears, there are incredibly well made and put together.There are a few downsides though, Claudine Auger as the leading lady "Domino" is one of the least memorable Bond girls and is totally out shined by the villainous Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi), director Terence Young making last Bond has a few difficulties in keeping the pace up, in particular underwater stuff and quite a few other scenes which last a little too long. The main weakness is for me though the above mentioned underwater sequences, they go too long and in turn it does become confusing as too what's going on at times and I also thought that the climax could've been edited together a bit tighter.Given the 3 films that went before, this doesn't stand out nearly as much but, overall this is still a very and enjoyable good action adventure that's easy to watch. 3.5/5

The last of the truly great 60's Connery outings, 1965's 'Thunderball' was the first aquatic bond of the series, and is still one of the very best. The welcome return of director Terence Young makes it feel much like the first two instalments, though there is definitely an emphasis on 'bigger'. The movies finale, a huge underwater battle sequence was ground breaking stuff, and still impressive today. This title was one of Ian Fleming's best literary adventures, and at this stage the movies were still following the books closely. In the years ahead 007 movies of this standard were to become increasingly sporadic, however in this glorious vintage, it was the fourth classic in a row. The blu ray transfer is quality too, for this one my own favourites.

This is review of the HD quality. Well worth the upgrade from the Ultimate Edition DVD . Picture is sharp and the colours vibrant, but not quite as good as Dr No . We know Laury labs did an excellent job of cleaning and restoring the bond movies to perfection, within the capability of DVD. This is the only scene i have found a flaw on the Blu Ray . It’s not on the Laury make over UE DVD. The HD quality is that enjoyable, that you quite taken a back when you see the obvious flaw. Don’t be put off, it makes you realise how much work had gone into cleaning this film up.Again as I said before, you are probably viewing this film better now than when it was first released