Thunderbirds are Go (1966)
Starring the voices of: Peter Dyneley, Sylvia Anderson, David Graham, Shane Rimmer
Director: David Lane
Synopsis: Lady Penelope, Parker and the Tracys save another doomed situation
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

 

The Thunderbirds "Supermarionation" series never made quite the same impact in the United States as it did in Britain and Japan, where it became enormously popular and eventually developed a fiercely loyal cult following. Conceived by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, it remains one of the quirkiest products of the 1960s—a puppet series filmed with all the scale and ambition of a feature film.

Its popularity can best be measured by the fact that two feature-length spin-offs were produced for theatrical release and, more than thirty years later, the original television series resurfaced amid enormous fanfare as a magnificent DVD box set. Almost overnight, a fresh wave of Thunderbirds nostalgia swept across Britain. Shops such as Forbidden Planet suddenly found themselves overflowing with Thunderbirds merchandise, while rumours even began circulating of a Hollywood remake, with Uma Thurman reportedly being considered for the delicious role of Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward—quite possibly the most sought-after woman in television history and the role model for an entire generation.

For the uninitiated, Thunderbirds is set in the year 2065 and follows the adventures of the immensely wealthy Tracy family, who possess a fleet of extraordinary rescue vehicles unlike anything else on Earth. Operating under the banner of International Rescue, they monitor distress calls from every corner of the globe—and occasionally beyond it—and spring into action whenever disaster strikes.

No mission is considered too trivial or too dangerous. Whether rescuing astronauts stranded in space or retrieving somebody's unfortunate pet cat from Mars, International Rescue is always ready to answer the call.

The organisation is headed by billionaire philanthropist and former astronaut Jeff Tracy, assisted by his sons Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon and John. Completing the team are the brilliant young inventor Brains, the loyal Kyrano and his charming daughter Tin-Tin, who surely seems destined to marry one of the Tracy boys sooner or later.

Meanwhile, the European side of the operation is handled with impeccable efficiency by the incomparable Lady Penelope, the elegant, ice-cool aristocrat who resides at Creighton-Ward Mansion just outside London. Rejecting the empty frivolities of high society, she devotes herself entirely to International Rescue with the invaluable assistance of her faithful butler Parker—a gentleman of many talents and a former safecracker of considerable distinction.

The story begins with the giant Zero-X spacecraft preparing for its ambitious mission to Mars. The launch proceeds flawlessly until a latex-masked saboteur hidden aboard the vessel accidentally becomes entangled in the control mechanisms while attempting to tamper with the wiring. The resulting malfunction forces the mission to be aborted, and when Zero-X is finally ready for a second attempt, International Rescue is called in to provide security against any further acts of sabotage.

Jeff Tracy assigns each of his sons a specific role, while the crucial task of uncovering the saboteur falls to Lady Penelope. Naturally, she proves more than equal to the occasion. Parker pursues the villain while Lady Penelope, displaying her customary coolness under pressure, calmly delivers one of the film's best lines:

"I don't think there's much point in looking for survivors, Parker."

Mission accomplished, Scott and Virgil accompany Lady Penelope for an evening on the town while poor Alan, left with nothing to do, sulks off to bed. There he drifts into a wonderfully surreal dream in which he and Lady Penelope enjoy a romantic adventure among the stars, complete with a guest appearance by Cliff Richard, before reality rather abruptly intrudes as Alan tumbles out of bed.

Once Zero-X finally reaches Mars, all initially appears calm...perhaps a little too calm. Before long, the planet's bizarre snake-like rock formations spring to life and unleash complete mayhem upon the unsuspecting explorers. Although the crew narrowly escape, disaster strikes again during the return journey to Earth, forcing International Rescue into one final race against time.

Standard Thunderbirds fare, in other words.

There are wonderful futuristic gadgets, magnificent vehicles, spectacular explosions and enough daring rescues to satisfy any admirer of Gerry Anderson's wonderfully imaginative universe.

The greatest pleasure, however, remains the presence of Lady Penelope. Every time she appears on screen, she effortlessly steals the film through sheer elegance, charm, wit and quiet intelligence. She remains one of television's most delightful creations.

I doubt this feature-length adventure will recruit many newcomers to the world of Thunderbirds, but for those of us who have long been addicted to Gerry Anderson's wonderfully eccentric universe, it hits the spot perfectly.

It is only a pity that The Hood failed to make an appearance.