'Thunderball' (1965)
130 min THX Dolby Surround
4 discs CAV/CLV
2 commentary tracks
3 featurettes
Still galleries
Trailers
Other supplements'Thunderball' came after the worldwide feverish peak of 'Goldfinger', and the commentary on this brilliant Special Edition of 'Thunderball' goes as far as claiming that around Christmas 1965, 'Thunderball' was the most eagerly awaited motion picture in history. While 'Thunderball' is a great 'James Bond' in its own right, I can see why 'Goldfinger' still towers as the definitive Bond. The former seems interested in making an epic spy extravaganza than adding something new or interesting to the myth and lingers too long on expensive set-pieces (the underwater scenes go on forever). On the other hand 'Goldfinger' seems able to combine a more dizzying mixture of supenseful action, pure menace (the sight of a gold-covered Jill Masterson is still creepy), clever lines, and a more intriguing (and functional) array of gadgets within its less than 2-hour time frame.
Sean Connery seems so overwhelmed by the scale of the production design here, that he almost ceases to be the seductive, ultra-suave Renaissance Man that he is in the previous Bond films.
And what do people say about 'Star Wars' being the one that is responsible for turning movie into a big merchandising event? Well, 'Thunderball', I think, was the one that practically, albeit unintentionally, invented the notion of those bloated, overhyped summer blockbuster 'event' movies we are more familiar with today.
Nonetheless, the film is a great showcase of 1960s style of action filmmaking and, as the documentary and commentary show us in this laserdisc set, the degree of professionalism committed into making this movie is quite staggering. And Connery still shines and charms in his fourth outing as a virile and venerable 007.
The THX assured quality of video and audio (remastered for Surround) of this set is simply smashing. The vibrant color lends the movie that comic book quality that is necessary for a Bond adventure. Contrast, sharpness and fleshtone rendering are absolutely first rate. Pressing quality is excellent with no artifacts whatsoever throughout. This clean, pristine transfer of a 30-year old film is nothing short of...I let you fill in the blanks yourselves because I am running out of superlatives. The sound effects of this film is dated but reasonably pumped up through the remastering but what is more striking is the score by John Barry, which probably sounds better here than it did in 1965.
The endless wealth of supplementary materials is what makes this Special Edition a most satisfying buy. The film is spread over 5 CAV sides with a pair of running commentaries by various creative artists (editor, director, writer, cast among others) involved and hosted by John Cork, a James Bond enthusiast who also oversees the special edition materials and mostly provides a wide range of informative commentary on technical details, inside gags in the film, discussions of character design & motivations, and a other seemingly endless insights of the 'behind-the-scenes'. You can also listen to the original title song "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" on analog 2, which was ultimately replaced by Tom Jones' 'Thunderball'. Also included are bits of dialogues and music cues restored exclusively in this edition. Side breaks are carefully chosen and therefore does not interrupt your viewing significantly. The end of side 5 continues in fade-out to accomodate the running radio promo on analog channels. There are a mind-boggling 117 chapters and the very thoughtful producer includes a color insert which not only provides a descriptive directory on the chapters but also for the two commentaries. It also provides an essay discussing the essential Bond elements and a brief history of 'Thunderball'. Absolute professionalism.
Side 6 (CLV) contains a 1965 TV promo which is practically a glorified collection of grainy trailers from the first four movies edited to commercial efficiency. Die-hard Bond fans would find this indispensable while, for this viewer, it is rather extraneous. It should also be of note that this featurette (and the trailers on side 8) are of the original prehistoric material so it looks really terrible. 'The Making of Thunderball' and 'The Thunderball Phenomenon' are both produced in 1995 by John Cork, of the Ian Fleming Foundation, and presented in CLV on side 7. I found the pair of featurettes more intriguing than the TV promo as you listen to Ian Fleming, Terence Young (director), Ken Adams (production designer), Peter Lamont and others comment on the production, its difficulties and challenges and on set scenes of Terence Young directing Connery & Co. for the stunts abroad the Disco Volante. Side 8 (CAV) contains the stills, trailers, and a chapter devoted to comparison of scenes/lines of different versions released over the years. For example, the line: "The thing I would do for England", uttered when Connery was undressing a femme fatale, was considered too cheeky and was deleted from the final cut (a shame).
This Box Set proves once again that if put together by people who are true enthusiasts of the film concerned accompanied with commitment to quality, the high price tag ($124.95 for this set) seems justified. And this one ranks up there with the best of Pioneer Special Editions ('T2', 'Amadeus') and a testament that MGM is the ONLY major studio which champions the laserdisc platform.
Hendri Liato
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