Thunderbirds Are GO (1966)

Director:

David Lane

Writers:

Gerry Anderson (writer)
Sylvia Anderson (writer)

Release Date:

July 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Zero-X, a manned exploration mission crashes during lift-off on its maiden flight. Two years later an...

Plot Keywords:

Puppet | Supermarionation

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 (voice)
David Graham	...	Gordon Tracy / Brains / Aloysius 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)

Also Known As:

Thunderbirds Are Go (UK) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

USA:93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | UK:U

Company:

Associated Television (Overseas) Limited

Trivia:

Although very distinctly different, the appearances of both Scott Tracy and Paul Travers were based on Sean Connery by their respective modellers.

Goofs:

Continuity: At Assembly Control, the name of the Zero-X launch site on the map is given as "Glenn Field". However, when Lady Penelope drives into the car park, there is a sign on the gate of the press enclosure that reads "Glenfield".

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in All About 'Thunderbirds' (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Thunderbirds Are GO

Pure Hollywood

I have just been watching this movie and felt that as the only other comment on it was some excuse for a review by some person with rather questionable views above, i thought i'd lend my opinion (after all, i couldn't be any worse). "Thunderbirds Are Go", the first full-length feature film version of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's top fantasy series of the 60's is quite a landmark indeed.

Landmark (?), i hear you ask. Well, yes. The whole Thunderbirds series was nothing but pure Hollywood at it's best; and this movie - as well as the one that came afterwards - only served to expand that tradition, whilst still maintaining the elements and formula that made it famous in the first place in 1965. The movie, has style, wit, incredible drama, and for its time, an astonishing view of the mid-21st.Century. Of course, most of it was pure fantasy and could never ever be real. The amount of times i've heard it said that the Thunderbirds machines couldn't even get off the ground is enormous. But that's ok, it's fantasy. And what good would a decent adventure be, if it didn't transport you out of reality and into a fascinating fantasy world where everything was different! As i say, the best Hollywood tradition. And of course, what made these productions so very special (at least to us Brits), was that 1. it was British, and 2. the heroes were all Puppets! Unbelievable to this day, i know. Yet as we are soon to be confronted by a million dollar live-action Thunderbirds epic, i think it is true to point out, that the main charm in the Thunderbirds adventures WAS the fact that they were acted by Puppets. So charming, so much a throwback to our own innocence (let alone a throwback to a much more innocent time when it was made); how could that be improved upon? The model work and special effects, especially the Zero-X Space-probe, are all extremely effective (as you would expect from Derek Meddings), and whether you are a Thunderbirds fan or not, it will be hard to knock this piece of Movie/TV history off it's perch. This movie being years ahead of its time, a great piece of fun and a fine addition to a classic series.