from The Times Picayune in N.O.
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| Huntsman 30 Jul 2004 17:20:32 |
This is a review from the Times Picayune in New Orleans, La. about the movie Thunderbirds... Jonathan Frakes' "Thunderbirds," an adaptation of the mid-'60s British television series created by Gerry Anderson, offers family fun with no strings attached. This is quite a feat, since the original series -- "filmed in supermarionation" -- starred a bunch of marionettes. Frakes, director and co-star of "Star Trek: Insurrection" and "Star Trek: First Contact," beautifully captures the look and spirit of the "Thunderbirds" series in his live-action adaptation. In the film, former astronaut Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) and four of his sons run an outfit called International Rescue from their remote island in the South Pacific. Youngest son Alan (Brady Corbet) is tired of being stuck at boarding school while his father and brothers travel the globe to save people in crisis. Among Alan's friends are Fermat (Soren Fulton), son of gadget guru Brains Hackenbacker (Anthony Edwards), and Tin-Tin (Vanessa Anne Hudgens), daughter of the Tracys' faithful house servants. When a rescue mission proves to be a trap set by criminal mastermind The Hood (Ben Kingsley), Alan and his friends unite to save the Tracy men with the help of secret agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward (Sophia Myles) and her resourceful chauffeur Parker (Ron Cook). The story drags a bit as the three teens dash around Tracy Island, trying to evade The Hood. But it's a brief lull in an adventure tale bound to appeal to young movie-goers. The Thunderbirds' five rescue vehicles are faithfully rendered in bright colors perfect for toy store shelves. If only their pilots were half as colorful. The older Tracy brothers are an undifferentiated group of cocky young men with plastic smiles and Jimmy Neutron-inspired hairstyles. No wonder Alan resents them. Luckily, they spend most of the movie on the sidelines along with their bland single father, who possesses all of the fatherly wisdom of Mike Brady from "The Brady Bunch." It's also a bit disappointing that The Hood is stuck with feckless henchpeople. Rose Keegan has a couple of amusing moments as the brainy Transom, but Deobia Oparei's Mullion is a stock muscle character. Kingsley ("House of Sand and Fog") fares better as The Hood, even getting through a bit involving mind control without making it seem too silly. (The "Catwoman" eyes are a bit much, however.) Children will relate to the three young heroes. Corbet, Fulton and Hudgens give natural performances and never mug for the camera. For the parents, there's Myles' delightful work as saucy Lady P, a spy with the perfect pink outfit for any occasion -- and a flying convertible to match. She is strongly supported by a hilarious Cook as her Cockney protector, whose favorite expression is, "Yes, m'lady." Speaking of favorite expressions, the Tracys' battle cry remains "Thunderbirds are go!" And they still sign off their communications with "F.A.B." instead of "Over and out." According to a number of fan Web sites, "F.A.B." doesn't stand for anything. It's just a shortened form of "fabulous," a term popularized back in the day as part of the Beatles' nickname -- the Fab Four. Of course, the movie chooses to ignore more contemporary connotations of the term. Production designer John Beard ("Hackers") and cinematographer Brendan Galvin ("Behind Enemy Lines") deserve praise for creating a film that uses child-friendly colors as cleverly and as confidently as the "Stuart Little" movies. Meanwhile, sharp-eyed movie-goers who are fans of the series will especially appreciate a brief shot of Alan and Fermat's hands reaching for the controls of Thunderbird 1 as they go after The Hood. _________________________ THUNDERBIRDS (STAR)(STAR) Plot: A teenager struggles to prove himself worthy of joining an unconventional family business -- saving the world. What works: The movie beautifully captures the look and spirit of the mid-'60s television series and provides a central conflict to which most children can relate. What doesn't: The story drags in a couple of places, and some of the characters fail to make an impression. Not TOO bad of a review...it actually makes me wanna see it now... |
| Huntsman 02 Aug 2004 16:36:41 |
Thunderbirds Are NOT GO!!!!! Ranked 12th this past weekend. Took in about $2.7 million... And people wanna believe that a Space:1999 could survive on its' own... |
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