Thunderball-1965

Director Terence Young

Starring Sean Connery, Claudine Auger

Scott’s Review #364

Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

By 1965, the James Bond franchise was embarking on its fourth segment and the budget reflected the success of the preceding films.

Thunderball reaps the benefits of an enormous budget and is, as a result, a grand, epic film. Its sheer magnitude makes it one of my favorite Bond films simply because of its look.

The special effects are a marvel.

By this time, Sean Connery had comfortably immersed himself in the role of Bond with his charms and ability to exude charisma.

In this story, two NATO atomic bombs have been stolen by SPECTRE and hold the world to ransom for millions in diamonds. They are threatening to detonate one of the bombs in a major city in either the United States or England. Mr. Bond must race against time to deter this from happening.

For starters, the opening sequence is one of my favorites. Bond attends the funeral of a deceased SPECTRE agent (number 6) at a lavish chateau in France. The agent is disguised as his widow, but Bond is not fooled.

This sets the stage as a dramatic fight scene ensues between the two “men”.

The main villain of Thunderball is Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), a handsome, suave, SPECTRE agent (number 2). He is rich and sophisticated which mirrors the whole of the film.

His grand estate is set and filmed in the Bahamas giving most of the film a steamy, posh look, with bluish-green waters, and white crispy sand.

It’s the most gorgeous backdrop.

Largo is a great Bond villain and on par with Bond. He also has charm, good looks, and charisma.

The main Bond girl is Domino, played by Claudine Auger. She is Largo’s mistress and is typically clad in black and/or white, hence her name. Auger has the perfect balance of beautiful looks, sophistication, and intelligence and is an ideal match for Bond. The chemistry between Connery and Auger is apparent and a major part of the success of the film.

What sets Thunderball apart from some other Bond films is the major portion of the film, mostly in the second half, taking place underwater.

In a clear example of showing off the modern technology of the time (1965), some complained that these sequences went on too long and did not further the plot.

These points may contain some validity, but oh are they so gorgeous to look at? The exotic underwater world is majestic.

Thunderball has it all and is one of the most gorgeous Bond films. It is big, bombastic, and filled with bright colors.

It contains all of the elements of a great Bond film, and why it holds up incredibly well all these years later.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Special Visual Effects (won)