James Bond DVD collection review #4. After a breather, Thunderball marks Terence Young's return to the franchise, but it was also his last Bond outing. Clearly at the top of his game, and having nothing left to prove, Young's Thunderball (with its groundbreaking underwater cinematography) would smash worldwide box-office records and truly cement James Bond as a pop culture icon. Ian Fleming had no idea how his creation was going to turn out.

Thunderball (1965) - Terence Young
The Plot
SPECTRE bares its fangs anew, as a British jet carrying 2 nuclear missiles is daringly hijacked. With the British and US governments faced to pay the ransom (yes they think big, don't they?), Bond must find the bombs quickly, assuming he can tear himself away from all the female distractions.
Grade: A

Locales
Eure-et-Loir, France; Nassau, Bahamas. And mostly underwater.
Grade: A-

The Man
Sean Connery. Eschewing the Beatles in Goldfinger, Connery becomes a Beatle, garnering unwanted global adulation (thus sparking the papparazzi revolution.
Grade: A

The Villain(s)
Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi) - eyepatch-wearing #2 in the SPECTRE org, plans and executes the hijacking operation. Owes his success for being a hands-on manager. Spoofed by Robert Wagner ("Number Two") in Austin Powers series.

Jacques Bouvar (Bob Simmons) - SPECTRE #6, whose opening "funeral" doesn't fool Bond at all and is dispatched to the grave minutes after, for real this time.

Of course, the mysterious pussy-stroking (*lol*) #1 makes an appearance, by chairing a SPECTRE meeting and makes a point by eliminating a wayward #9 for fund embezzlement.
Grade: A

The Girl(s)
Domino Derval(Claudine Auger) - Largo's kept woman, but of course you know Bond keeps stealing his enemy's chicks. One of the best Bond girls. Auger was Ms France 1958.

Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) - beautiful and deadly SPECTRE assassin. Managed to seduce Bond (like that's difficult). Also managed to get shot in the back while dancing. Oh you poor dear.

Patricia Fearing (Molly Peters) - health farm masseuse. Owns one of the two sexy scenes in this movie.

Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick) - Bond's female assistant in Nassau. Heh. Nothing happened. I swear. 60's sexpot Beswick has the distinction of appearing in 3 of the first 4 Bond films, though this was her most prominent role.
Grade: A

Gadgets
The jetpack (I seem to recall this was going to be reused in a later Bond film) used to gain entrance to and provide escape from Bouvar's mansion.

Leave it to Q to arrange for some suitable and coincidentally-necessary gadgets for the mission at hand. Geiger counter watch (and camera), underwater infrared camera, mini breathing apparatus, and underwater jet pack. The Aston Martin doesn't get much screen time.
Grade: B

Bond Moments
From the moment Bond meets Domino, you know they're gonna hook up. But underwater? Allegedly, they were gonna shoot some uh, wardrobe floating up after they hide behind a rock, but instead it became a massive burst of bubbles. Goooooaaaaaaaaal!

Bond, trapped in the pool, is missed all those golden grotto sharks, supposedly the deadliest of the species.

After being shot in the leg, Bond manages to elude Fiona and the thugs until he is trapped on the dance floor. Still he's able to grab a dance with Fiona and use her as a shield (of course, she's shot)...

... this, after scoring on her in his hotel room, and tells her later she wasn't all that. Nyahahaha. Gooooooooooaaaal!!
Grade: A-

One Liners
(after killing a Largo henchman with a speargun)
Bond: I think he got the point.

Ms. Moneypenny: In the conference room. Something pretty big. Every 00 man in Europe has been rushed in. And the Home secretary too.
Bond: His wife probably lost her dog.

Q (on his gadgets): It is to be handled with special care!
Bond: Everything you give me ...
Q: ... is handled with equal contempt. I know!
Grade: A-

Overall
The daring plot, combined with then-revolutionary underwater scenes, make this a winner.
Grade: A-


"let me peek at his digicam ... why - that Bond pervert!"