Review of Thunderball (1965) by Russell G — 01 Dec 2015

Following Goldfinger in the 007 series is not an easy task, but Thunderball is up for it. The Spetre terrorist organization reemerges by hijacking nuclear missiles, and it is up to James Bond to save the world.

It understands the value of keeping the plot simple and letting the action, location, and visuals of the adventure be the focus. This could be the most imaginative of the entire Bond series. It features jetpacks, submarines, bomb-detecting watches, and villains that disguise themselves with plastic surgery.

It is a bold, expensive, beautiful, and fantastic; everything a Bond movie should be. A mid-60s aesthetic along with the underwater scuba diving and exotic and festive Bahamas beach setting gives this an amazing sense of style.

Terence Young deserves a great deal of credit in making this an icon of its time. The inspired undersea action scenes make this a significant technical achievement alone. Savor Sean Connery's performance; this is the last movie James Bond where he is fully engaged and his highest form.

He has his trademark style, charm, humor and grit in his prime. Aldolfo Celi makes for a strong villain and his beautiful but deadly henchwoman Luciana Paluzzi is excellent. Paluzzi's character does not to fall for Bond's good looks and charisma; she has charm herself, but she is a killer at her core.

Even now, she stands out as one of the most formidable and interesting henchmen in the series. It does not have a relentless high pace, but the actors have a magnetism and the director has the flair and intelligence to make it great.

This is a standout in the 007 cannon and one of my personal favorites.