Thunderbirds Are GO (1966)

Zero-X, a manned exploration mission crashes during lift-off on its maiden flight. Two years later an investigative committee finally concludes sabotage, and decides to call on the services... See full summary »

Director:

David Lane

Writers:

Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson

Stars:

Sylvia Anderson, Ray Barrett, Alexander Davion

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sylvia Anderson	...	Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward (voice)
Ray Barrett	...	John Tracy / The Hood (voice)
Alexander Davion	...	Space Captain Greg Martin (voice)
Peter Dyneley	...	Jeff Tracy (voice)
Christine Finn	...	Tin-Tin Kyrano (voice)
David Graham	...	Gordon Tracy / Brains / Parker (voice)
Paul Maxwell	...	Captain Paul Travers (voice)
Neil McCallum	...	Dr. Ray Pierce (voice)
Bob Monkhouse	...	Space Navigator Brad Newman / Swinging Star Compere (voice)
Shane Rimmer	...	Scott Tracy (voice)
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Dr. Tony Grant / Angry Young Man / Public Relations Officer (voice) (as Charles Tingwell)
Jeremy Wilkin	...	Virgil Tracy / Space Exploration Center President (voice)
Matt Zimmerman	...	Alan Tracy / Messenger (voice)

Storyline

Zero-X, a manned exploration mission crashes during lift-off on its maiden flight. Two years later an investigative committee finally concludes sabotage, and decides to call on the services of International Rescue to oversee security at the impending second launch. The second Zero-X successfully reaches its destination, but encounters unexpected hazards, ultimately leading to another call for assistance on its return to Earth. International Rescue respond, and once again Thunderbirds are GO!

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Plot Keywords:

marionette | supermarionation | marionettes with real hands | puppet | 

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Taglines:

Excitement is GO! Adventure is GO! Danger is GO!

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Feuervögel startbereit

Company Credits

Production Co:

Associated Television (Overseas) Limited,Century 21 Television

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Thunderbird pilots were named after astronauts Scott Carpenter, Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Alan Shepard, Gordon Cooper and, John Glenn.

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Goofs

When Zero X is on its first launch attempt, as it pitches over due to the failure of the controls, the position of the shadow of the upper lifting body does not change.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Glenn Field Controller: This is Assembly Control calling all Zero X units. Assembly Phase One - go!

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Crazy Credits

Characters and organizations who are depicted in the movie are thanked: "The producers gratefully acknowledge the co-operation of: Space Colonel Harris of the Martian Exploration Center Cape Johnson Jim Glenn President of the New World Aircraft Corporation Designers and Manufacturers of the Zero X Commander Casey Commander in Chief Glenn Field without whose help this motion picture would not have been possible."

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Connections

Referenced in Screen Two: The Snapper (1993)

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Soundtracks

Shooting Star
Sung by Cliff Richard
Written and Accompanied by The Shadows
(Brian Bennett, John Rostill & Hank B. Marvin)

User Reviews

A disappointment

A curiosity for fans only. Thunderbirds was an early 60's UK TV show (50 mins format). It was original because it used marionettes (mechanised puppets) and superb models of aircraft, spaceships, nuclear powerplants and the like, usually exploding at some point.

The first 10 minutes of this movie sets the tone - the slow and boring construction of a martian spaceship just before it takes off from earth (although it is amazing to think it predated the current space shuttle concept by twenty odd years). The rest of the movie plays like an overextended TV episode. The reduction of well-loved characters to caricatures is a disappointment. For instance, Jeff Tracy (the father and chief of the International Rescue organisation) is just plain cranky and unreasonable (and annoyingly keeps saying Thunderbirds Are Go even when no-one else is around). Scott and Virgil (the brothers who are the main pilots) are bossy and a walking doormat respectively. Gordon Tracy seems to be channeling Adam Sandler, and Alan (the hero of the piece) is so petulant he'd put your 12 year old sister to shame. Other characters have had personality enemas (particularly Lady Penelope).

But there are three really outstandingly bad parts. Alan has a dream sequence where Cliff Richard and the Shadows do a little music ‘video'. Forget about the 60's being the decade of rebellion – even by Sir Cliff's standards this song is terrible. Then there is the crash of the giant spaceship into the earth. The crash looks like a model hitting cardboard ‘houses'. Even the TV episodes got the explosions right (by filming at high speed and then slowing down to make the bangs look ‘real' and ‘heavy'). Finally, the last scene is just bone cringingly embarrassing, even for kids. I suppose things have changed in the last forty years, but are we really suppose to believe that a 21year old astronaut is still treated by his family like he's 12? And if so, why was he given the central task to complete a dangerous rescue instead of one of his older brothers? (And why did he use a screwdriver to secure wires when twisting the ends together would have done?).

See the TV show instead.