Revisiting Thunderball

I have no intention of reviewing every James Bond movie, but after watching Goldfinger with a less than complimentary eye, I became curious about other older James Bond flicks. Are they all as poorly acted with cliched lines, superficial delivery, weak plot, and a general lack of action? Are they full of predictable puns and eye-rolling sexual innuendos? I was convinced I would not enjoy Thunderball and would hereafter reject all early Bond attempts. In fact, I had about decided to revisit the Ian Fleming books and give up on the movies.

As the show began, I was immediately drawn into the world of espionage and intrigue, enhanced by some of the most striking music I have heard from this genre. While the story itself is not necessarily new, a powerful organization called Spectre seeking money or it will blow up part of the world with nuclear bombs, it is handled realistically with a combination of investigative techniques and personal infiltration of the organization. With an excellent balance of action, repose, reflection, and determination, Thunderball delivers a solid punch both physically and emotionally.

Aside from the occasional pun, after shooting a harpoon into an advancing villain, Bond says "He got the point," and the too many young, attractive women (is there a place for women over the age of 30 in a Bond movie?), the acting is solid and the lines are delivered with realism and honest concern. Sean Connery seemed sincere in his quest for truth and to complete the mission plus having compassion for those in plight. Admittedly, the confusing and oddly stilted underwater battle scene was not really believable, and the absurd speeding of the action was silly and unnecessary, making the movie seem too long and predictable at times; yet the film moved well and the exciting fights included guns, fists, and various weapons.

For me, the best thing about Thunderball is the music. It is a wildly inventive score requiring extreme range, technical, and tone demands from all the players. The music enhances and improves the scenes, catapulting John Barry's score into one of the finest of the spy genre. There is no question that a weak score can ruin a movie, but in this case, the score is almost stronger than the film itself.

In spite of the flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed Thunderball and place it in much higher category than Goldfinger in terms of its story, acting, and cinematography. It is worth watching and Bond fans should consider it as one of the best. Mention should be made of the intense and exciting performance of Tom Jones in the main title, setting the tone for an engaging and intense movie.