Thunderball
United Artists | Release Date: December 22, 1965
6.8
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 84 Ratings
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Positive:
51
Mixed:
31
Negative:
2
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2
imthenoobNov 10, 2019
Thunderball isn't necessarily a bad film but it is one that desperately needed a trip to the editing room. All of these underwater sequences were so overly long and boring. There were put in to do nothing but pad the runtime and they simplyThunderball isn't necessarily a bad film but it is one that desperately needed a trip to the editing room. All of these underwater sequences were so overly long and boring. There were put in to do nothing but pad the runtime and they simply didn't need to be as long or as numerous as they had to be. It's just total filler to me and it kills the movie because it's an over 2-hour movie that could have easily been cut down another 20-30 minutes.

Now would this editing have saved the movie? Not really because the story is very similar to what we have already seen before and the villain is too generic but I would have at least increased my overall score a few points.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
kheasFeb 26, 2019
Overall it is a very solid entry into the Bond Mythos (minus the rapey bits), and probably one of the best in terms of cinematography and script. It is one that I still enjoy time and again, even though I use some of the lengthy underwaterOverall it is a very solid entry into the Bond Mythos (minus the rapey bits), and probably one of the best in terms of cinematography and script. It is one that I still enjoy time and again, even though I use some of the lengthy underwater segments as a time to grab a snack.https://latetothegame.blog/2019/01/24/key-movies-of-my-life-james-bond-edition-thunderball-1965/… Expand
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5
TyranianApr 11, 2019
A very average Bond film, especially last half hour which is a messy affair.
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8
tontoOct 17, 2021
Thunderball is the fourth installment of the James Bond franchise starring Sean Connery as the titular character. It's a fun movie, with the plot being that the insidious SPECTRE organization headed by Number One, Ernst Stavro Blofeld,Thunderball is the fourth installment of the James Bond franchise starring Sean Connery as the titular character. It's a fun movie, with the plot being that the insidious SPECTRE organization headed by Number One, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, steals two NATO atomic bombs and holds the world for ransom of £100 million in diamonds under its threat to destroy an unspecified metropolis in either the United Kingdom or the United States (later revealed to be Miami). Bond searches for the bombs in the Bahamas, where he encounters Emilio Largo, the card-playing, eye patch-wearing SPECTRE Number Two. Backed by CIA agent Felix Leiter and Largo's mistress, Domino Derval, Bond's search culminates in an underwater battle with Largo's henchmen. The underwater fight scenes are exciting but a little too lengthy. There are some good action scenes, and Bond uses some classic gadgets like a jetpack. Number One or Ernst Stavro Blofeld's face is never shown, and he strokes a white Persian cat which is a trope parodied in mainstream culture. He wears a Mao suit and kills subordinates with a control switch that drops them from their chairs at the desk to a pit of fire. Emilio Largo, or Number Two, kills subordinates in a similar fashion, by feeding them to sharks. These are classic Bond tropes I enjoyed seeing in the movie.… Expand
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7
Compi24Jul 30, 2018
Its first half may be overencumbered with exposition, buildup, and the occasional head scratcher of a scene/moment/line/etc, but as soon as we arrive in the Bahamas, "Thunderball" immediately becomes a more fun and dramatically ironic spyIts first half may be overencumbered with exposition, buildup, and the occasional head scratcher of a scene/moment/line/etc, but as soon as we arrive in the Bahamas, "Thunderball" immediately becomes a more fun and dramatically ironic spy actioner filled with some of the more recognizable elements that we all know Bond films for. It still has nothing on "Dr. No" and "Goldfinger," but it's also nowhere near bad or even overrated.… Expand
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7
gracjanskiSep 11, 2021
The budget is clearly higher than in the previous movies. But the story is superficial, because the outdated actions scenes are dominating. The girls are beautiful as always and Bond is convincing.
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0
VidyaBumOct 21, 2021
Having recently seen all Bond movies + Never say never again, I made a list of the movies from best to worst.

Thunderball is at the bottom. This is hands down the worst Bond movie. It's also the only movie of the franchise that literallyHaving recently seen all Bond movies + Never say never again, I made a list of the movies from best to worst.

Thunderball is at the bottom. This is hands down the worst Bond movie.

It's also the only movie of the franchise that literally angered me beyond any desire to even talk about it.

Plot:
Bond's in a spa(no particular reason). Someone tries to kill him with a back stretcher(ditto). He then decides to act upon it by banging the hot nurse. Coming out of bed after that, he coincidentally finds a corpse. Several people try to kill him. He decides to then not call the police, or MI6, and goes back to bed.

He then comes home to MI6, and nuclear bombs have been stolen. In the dossier for the mission to retrieve them, codename Thunderball, he coincidentally finds a picture of the guy he saw dead at the spa, and a coincidental hot girl. He says he's going after the hot girl.

The hot girl is coincidentally the mistress of the big villain of the movie. When Bond finds the villain, he says "I thought I saw a Spectre on your shoulder".

The villain says yes.

Now if you think that randomly finding a corpse in a spa and getting attempted twice, then by pure luck the corpse is that of a pilot of bombs that are being coincidentally stolen that very night, then he coincidentally gets a picture of some random girl, who coincidentally happens to be with the villain, who freely admits to being the villain, if you thought that was poor writing, you're not wrong, but you're barely touching the surface yet.

The movie then follows a pattern of incomprehensibly terrible writing and plot points. Villain sends two assassinations on Bond, and then his second in command tells him "we can't kill Bond, or MI6 will know something's up". He says "I KNOW" angrily. He then sends two more assassination crews.

The villain and Bond's interactions are some of the most egregiously terrible stuff I've ever seen in the franchise. When Bond literally visits him, in his home, surrounded by dozens of henchmen, and nobody but Bond knows he's there, the villain just offers him a drink, right after Bond pretty much said he was interested in his mistress. This is AFTER trying to kill him several times, and right before sending more people to kill him.

If only the general plot and dialogue were absurdly terrible and nonsensical, maybe this wouldn't be so bad. But it's also some of the worst direction I've ever seen. Some scenes are soooooooo long, like the plane landing to indicate Bond has arrived takes 3 times longer than it should. The final battle is an extended 5 minute underwater fight where 25 goons in full suit (no visible faces) fight another 25 goons in full suit. It's a painfully long and pointless mess with realistic sounds, so all you hear is the sound of water. And to top it all, to make Bond recognisable, they put him in a big orange dive suit...

Direction, dialogue, logic, plot, speed, are all so absurdly bad that I can't believe this movie followed the brilliant Goldfinger. I watched all these movies with a friend, and at the end, all I could say to this one was "fu**, I don't even want to talk about this, what an absolute s**t". It crosses beyond incompetent and goes into outright infuriatingly bad.… Expand
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6
Kai82Dec 10, 2020
The fourth James Bond movie. While it is by no standard a bad movie in the franchise I find it a bit underwhelming especially after Golfinger raised the bar for James Bond movies. Maybe it is the curse of being the follow up movie to one ofThe fourth James Bond movie. While it is by no standard a bad movie in the franchise I find it a bit underwhelming especially after Golfinger raised the bar for James Bond movies. Maybe it is the curse of being the follow up movie to one of the best and most acclaimed entry in the franchise.
The story is enjoyable as SPECTRE sets up their biggest coup (Wont go into details as it pretty much spoils half of the movie). It is however also nothing special or original enough to raise my rating while I admit that it has its moments. I always return to comparing it with other James Bond movies and it lacks an interesting villain like Goldfinger, Scaramanga, Jaws or Blofeld (More screentime / main villain as he is in the movie). Later I learned that this was planned as episode of a TV series and expanded to a movie. This explained a lot. Other than the story we get some cool gadgets from Q and some solid action. For the actors there are no missteps. Sean Connery is good as always, Claudia Auger does a good performance and while I don't have Emilio Largo on my top villains list I think he did a good job. I think I finish my review here with my conclusion. It is an enjoyable James Bond movie but nothing in it will be remembered well or land on a top 10 list easily. Worth watching but fast forgotten. It was the curse of being in the middle of 2 better James Bond movies.… Expand
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8
NBFCJan 9, 2018
I don’t know what it means to “strike like thunderball” but when it comes from the pipes of someone like Tom Jones…it sure sound badass!!

My personal favorite of the Connery flicks due to it’s gorgeous underwater sequences and Fiona isI don’t know what it means to “strike like thunderball” but when it comes from the pipes of someone like Tom Jones…it sure sound badass!!

My personal favorite of the Connery flicks due to it’s gorgeous underwater sequences and Fiona is probably my favorite villainous Bond girl. I also think this movie contains John Barry’s finest score for the series.

Even though the previous year’s Goldfinger set the standard for the “Bond formula”, this one and the sequel You Only Live Twice are the entries that are often the source of parody for the Austin Powers series.… Expand
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4
amheretojudgeMay 7, 2019
Third time's not the charm, Young fails and Connery takes the blame, while the banner might still be happy with the result.

Thunderball Young is in charge again. And the vacation he took seems like, it was definitely an unaffordable one.Third time's not the charm, Young fails and Connery takes the blame, while the banner might still be happy with the result.

Thunderball

Young is in charge again. And the vacation he took seems like, it was definitely an unaffordable one. The price this franchise faces, this time, is that it is the first upset of so many to come. But what's ironical is that while this film was pitched or presented with spectacular suggestions, it frankly would have seemed like the best of all. Using their budget to its best, what the creators have tried to pull off in such a scale is surely admirable. But tested with time, and it unfortunately doesn't hold up to the promises it has to offer. And mind you, it is not the inadequacy on technology or creativity, it is the execution itself.

With a narration so ambiguous and execution so precarious, there was always very little chance for it to ever make it into the big leagues. The director Terence Young is giving his all, from brimming his scenes with catchy one liners to levity and from brutal action to more fire blazing in the background, but while doing so, he left out a key ingredient: romance. The romance between Sean Connery and whoever the antagonist is this time, there is no dance between them for us to care about, frankly, either of them.

Connery playing this character for the fourth time, seems natural by now, flirting shamelessly and drinking carelessly, his unbiasedness towards his likes and dislikes has gone habitual to us. This longest chapter of the franchise, up till then, seems like a literal waste of time, for as far as brain is concerned, it doesn't have the ability to provoke us in using it. This Thunderball won't let you have a ball, it may not be even considered as an entertaining one, let alone a gritty thriller which so it blatantly claims to be.… Expand
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8
FilipeNetoFeb 17, 2018
Directed by Terence Young, produced by Kevin McClory, Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli and with a screenplay by Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins, this is the fourth film in the franchise 007. In this film, the franchise reaches the maturityDirected by Terence Young, produced by Kevin McClory, Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli and with a screenplay by Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins, this is the fourth film in the franchise 007. In this film, the franchise reaches the maturity after the consecration with "Goldfinger". The participation of McClory seems strange but, in fact, it's the result of a legal conflict, prior to the production.

In this film, the British secret agent is admitted to a nursing home when he finds out, by sheer luck, a conspiracy to rob a French jet with two nuclear bombs. Not having been able to prevent it, Bond is sent to the Bahamas in order to contact the sister of the late pilot of the missing plane and obtain more information. It turns out that the girl is also the lover of Emilio Largo, the responsible for the disappearance. Bond escapes all assassination attempts and find the missing plane, as well as the enemy's plans and his connection to the terrorist organization SPECTRE, the same that Bond had already been fighting since the previous films.

In this film, Sean Connery got a perfect interpretation of his James Bond. Rude, a little hard with the opposite sex but always seductive, he marked for decades the idea of the public on how Bond should be. In addition to the idyllic scenery of the Caribbean, the film brings us some curious machines, continuing a tradition which was closely associated to the 007 imaginary. It is the case of the jet-bag used in the opening scenes, the armored-boat used by the villain in the final chase or the respiratory device used by Bond in some of the underwater scenes that made this movie famous. However, in my opinion, one of the reasons why this movie has reached excellence is the relevance of its central subject, a subject that, at that time, was very present in society: the danger of a nuclear attack. We must have in mind that the missile crisis in Cuba happened a few years before the film was released and the whole society, both in the US and in Europe, lived under the imminent danger of a missile war.

James Bond and the characters M, Q and Monneypenny were embodied by the same actors from the previous films. To these artists joined Claudine Auger (in the role of bond-turned, Domino), Luciana Paluzzi (in the role of assassin Fiona Volpe) and Adolfo Celi (in the role of villain, Largo).… Expand
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8
RobwinzAug 2, 2020
Thunderball is a pretty good James Bond movie, it's got a great plot and it's about a certain SPECTRE agent who steals two atomic bombs from a plane.

So, James Bond (Sean Connery) is assigned on this mission to recover the warheads and forThunderball is a pretty good James Bond movie, it's got a great plot and it's about a certain SPECTRE agent who steals two atomic bombs from a plane.

So, James Bond (Sean Connery) is assigned on this mission to recover the warheads and for him to also put a stop to the evil plans from the criminal organisation.

Also, the acting throughout this movie is good and it mainly goes to James Bond (Sean Connery) he's honestly really good.

The action sequences throughout this movie can be quite hilarious at times and some of them can be quite clever and amazing.

There's some stupid moments throughout this movie, especially that jetpack scene, it's so weird but it's funny at the same time.

James Bond has got some cheesy jokes throughout this movie, which are honestly so bad that they're funny.

Finally, the shark scene is pretty good but you can sort of tell that they're behind some protective glass when James Bond puts his hand on the protective glass, I felt like that sort of ruined the scene from looking realistic.

Overall, Thunderball has got a pretty good plot, some really good acting, some hilarious but clever action sequences and some really cheesy jokes from James Bond.… Expand
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7
Gamepro3093Aug 19, 2020
If you fast forward the underwater segments it’s actually not bad. It has what you’d want in a Bond movie:beautiful women, stunning locations, great music, Sean Connery in his prime and cool gadgets. Emilio Largo is not a good villain. HeIf you fast forward the underwater segments it’s actually not bad. It has what you’d want in a Bond movie:beautiful women, stunning locations, great music, Sean Connery in his prime and cool gadgets. Emilio Largo is not a good villain. He lacks any menace and looks like a stout upper executive than a proper villain as played by Adolfo Celli. Otherwise a solid entry.… Expand
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5
Onlyclassicvg1Jul 29, 2022
hunderball isn't necessarily a bad film but it is one that desperately needed a trip to the editing room. All of these underwater sequences were so overly long and boring. There were put in to do nothing but pad the runtime and they simply
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7
SoapNuggetAug 18, 2021
Thunderball doesn't quite reach the heights of Goldfinger but is an extremely entertaining and good film
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7
MrPajamasFeb 17, 2021
Thunderball may not surpass the legendary Goldfinger, but it's not bad at all. On the contrary, he is good. Again an excellent villain with great locations, mostly underwater. Someone's location will fit even better, but I personally leanThunderball may not surpass the legendary Goldfinger, but it's not bad at all. On the contrary, he is good. Again an excellent villain with great locations, mostly underwater. Someone's location will fit even better, but I personally lean more towards Goldfinger. But the film is good, so I recommend it.… Expand
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7
511andahalfFeb 5, 2021
By no means a bad film, but it's a step down compared to the greatness of FRWL and Goldfinger. The theme song is definitely one of the best of the series, and Connery gives a great performance as always, but the cracks with boredom areBy no means a bad film, but it's a step down compared to the greatness of FRWL and Goldfinger. The theme song is definitely one of the best of the series, and Connery gives a great performance as always, but the cracks with boredom are starting to show a little at times. Largo and Domino are decent characters, I wish they got more characterization. The underwater scenes are what really kill this film, they're long, boring, and confusing to follow, had they been fixed, I think this would have been a better film.… Expand
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10
freerideartsMar 4, 2021
James Bond is awesome!James Bond is awesome!James Bond is awesome!James Bond is awesome!James Bond is awesome!
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7
HeroicAge616Oct 26, 2021
While a step down from Goldfinger, Thunderball's underwater antics are still a great 007 adventure.
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6
liamexeNov 11, 2022
Compared to the other Bonds I have seen, I have a much tougher time believing this one. Particularly in the final moment where he has virtually run out of air. His tiny tube's maximum capacity of 4 minutes would not allow him to continueCompared to the other Bonds I have seen, I have a much tougher time believing this one. Particularly in the final moment where he has virtually run out of air. His tiny tube's maximum capacity of 4 minutes would not allow him to continue fighting continuously for more than 10 minutes. But since it's Bond, everything makes sense. Overall, the plot was uncomplicated and not really enjoyable to try and follow as some are. Additionally, it violated a number of Bond formula conventions. This might be interpreted both ways. Although this Bond was fine, it wasn't really enjoyable.… Expand
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9
GDsReviewsJun 6, 2022
Fun absurdity is what describes Thunderball as a movie. The plot and climax is ridiculous, but still is fun to watch and enjoyable after all these years due to being the least sexist and racist of the Sean Connery Bond movies along with FromFun absurdity is what describes Thunderball as a movie. The plot and climax is ridiculous, but still is fun to watch and enjoyable after all these years due to being the least sexist and racist of the Sean Connery Bond movies along with From Russia With Love.… Expand
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