I loved this movie, but I am aware it has its detractors, even among Bond fans, who often prefer Goldfinger. Goldfinger was great, but I think Sick Boy in Trainspotting summed up Pussy Galore well. (I can't do it justice here, just see Trainspotting) Goldfinger's final fate was also more ludicrous than anything people complain about in Thunderball. In Thunderball, Largo may not be one of the best Bond Villains, but he is a good tough guy and a rare dose of grittiness in the elegant world of James Bond. Domino is without a doubt my favorite Bond Girl, sexy, voluptuous, and strong. She is also one of the few women with whom Bond seemed to form an actual emotional connection.
More than anything else, though, I absolutely loved the underwater battle sequence. As it started, with the para-troopers arriving, I felt this great rush of energy. That is what I look for in a Bond film, or any film for that matter, not some intellectual exercise. Yes, it was the old Calvary arriving to save the day, but Bond films have always excelled at re-inventing cliches. As far as I'm concerned, Thunderball's finale is up there with the D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan or the helicopter scene in Apocalypse Now as one of the greatest battle scenes ever.
It also features one of the great dry Bond lines- "You're glad?" You have to see the movie for it to make sense, but in the context of the scene, and with Connery's delivery, it was very funny.
I hate to admit it, but I even liked the Tom Jones song.
More than anything else, though, I absolutely loved the underwater battle sequence. As it started, with the para-troopers arriving, I felt this great rush of energy. That is what I look for in a Bond film, or any film for that matter, not some intellectual exercise. Yes, it was the old Calvary arriving to save the day, but Bond films have always excelled at re-inventing cliches. As far as I'm concerned, Thunderball's finale is up there with the D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan or the helicopter scene in Apocalypse Now as one of the greatest battle scenes ever.
It also features one of the great dry Bond lines- "You're glad?" You have to see the movie for it to make sense, but in the context of the scene, and with Connery's delivery, it was very funny.
I hate to admit it, but I even liked the Tom Jones song.