Thunderbirds Are Go (1966)

Original title

Thunderbirds Are GO

Directed by

David Lane

Genre

action film, science fiction film, spy film

Country

United Kingdom

Runtime

1h 30m

Rated

G

Rating

6.4 of 10 from 60 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A crewed spacecraft called Zero-X heads to Mars on the first human mission. When re-entry systems fail, International Rescue must deploy their Thunderbird machines to save the trapped astronauts before the ship crashes.

fast-pacedadventurouslight-heartedretro-futuristicoptimisticfamily-friendlypuppet animation1960s style

What happens

Thunderbirds Are Go is a 1966 British science fiction puppet film based on Thunderbirds, a Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Written by the Andersons and directed by David Lane, the film follows the spacecraft Zero-X as it carries the first human mission to Mars. When Zero-X suffers a malfunction during re-entry, it is up to life-saving organisation International Rescue, with the help of its technologically advanced Thunderbird machines, to activate the trapped crew's escape pod before the spacecraft hits the ground. Filmed between March and June 1966 at AP Films's (APF) studios on the Slough Trading Estate, and on location in Portugal, Thunderbirds Are Go features guest appearances by puppet versions of Cliff Richard and The Shadows, who also contributed to the film's score. It was the first film to be shot using an early form of video assist called "Add-a-Vision". The special effects sequences, directed by Derek Meddings, took six months to complete. Although early reviews praised the film as a successful cinematic transfer of the TV series, box office reaction was muted and the film proved to be a commercial failure. Later reviews criticised the film for its lack of characterisation, time-consuming effects shots, and inclusion of a dream sequence involving Richard and The Shadows. Surprised by the film's failure, and confident that Thunderbirds still had cinematic potential, distributors United Artists ordered a sequel: Thunderbird 6. This too received a lukewarm critical and commercial response and plans for further sequels were abandoned. Zero-X later appeared in the first episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, the Andersons' follow-up to Thunderbirds. TV Century 21 magazine ran a Zero-X comic strip until 1969. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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