117. Thunderball; movie review

THUNDERBALL
Cert PG
130 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild language, violence and innuendo

Perhaps it was because I was looking forward so much to re-watching some Bond classics that I found Thunderball such a disappointment.
From its confusing plot, to its jerky edit and Benny Hill-like misogyny, this Bond certainly does not pass the test of time.
That's right I am even going to have a dig at Sean Connery. How can anyone say he is a better Bond than Daniel Craig?
Connery's Bond is far more one-dimensional than I remember and I can now comprehend why the actor was at pains to say how different he was personally from him.
Anyway, the plot, as much as I could make out, surrounds Bond's missions to find two atomic bombs stolen from a downed RAF plane by Spectre.
The search ends up in the azure waters of the Bahamas where he comes up against the eye-patch wearing Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), Spectre's number two who has a swimming pool filled with sharks.
Among the many women with whom Bond's dallies, is Largo's mistress Domino (Claudine Auger) who has a vested interest in finding out what happened to the plane.
Terence Young's film will be most remembered for its many underwater scenes including its climax battle between goodies and baddies.
But while the latter is an epic movie moment, there so too much time spent under the waves during Thunderball that it feels as if the moviemakers have discovered a new toy.
And then there are the women and women and women and Bond setting about getting them into bed at every opportunity.
Were the 1960s really this superficial? Here's me thinking it was the best decade to be alive.

Reasons to watch: It's Sean Connery as Bond
Reasons to avoid: It doesn't pass the test of time

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? The Bell Rocket Belt used in the film’s opening sequence was a real working jetpack and two qualified pilots were flown to France to operate it for the moment when Bond lifts off. Bill Suitor, who flew the jetpack on camera, was initially asked if he would mind flying without a helmet so that Bond could look cooler. Suitor refused for safety reasons which is why Connery wore a helmet in the film.

The final word. Production designer Ken Adam: "We had to use special effects, but unlike special effects today, they were real. The jet pack we used in Thunderball was real - it was invented for the United States Army. Bloody dangerous, and it only lasted a couple of minutes. The ejector seat in the Aston Martin was real and Emilio Largo's boat, the Disco Volante, was real."

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