Red-Barracuda Thunderball is the fourth in the 'James Bond' series and the final of those directed by Terence Young. It was actually the most successful Bond of its time, yet it seems to have a mixed reputation. When I watched it as a little kid, I used to think this too, finding it less engaging than the other Bond movies of its era, however, having seen it a couple of times in recent times I now find I to be among the best of the series. In this one a member of the nefarious espionage organisation SPECTRE, the criminal mastermind Emilio Largo, concocts a plan to steal nuclear warheads from NATO and to then threaten to detonate them unless a huge ransom is received. As per usual, the plot-line is merely a means to an end, simply a way of allowing us access to all of the usual Bond ingredients we know and love.Sean Connery is very much at the height of his powers here and gives another witty performance full of sarcasm and one-liners, while fully convincing as an action hero. His nemesis here Largo is played by Italian actor Aldolfo Celi who appeared in many notable movies and he is suitably memorable here as the eye-patch sporting evil genius who even has a pool of sharks at his villa where those who displease him are forced to take a swim. Blofeld himself gets in on the act too by disposing of a traitorous associate by eliminating him via a trap door to a fiery demise, only to be replaced with a smoking chair. There is even a Bond Girl villainess in the assassin Fiona Volpe played with some gusto by Luciana Paluzzi. A more traditional Bond Girl comes in the form of the utterly gorgeous Domino, played by the very sexy Claudine Auger. She is a bikini wearing babe in the same general mould as Honey Ryder from Dr. No (1962), which quite frankly can never be a bad thing.This could be thought of as the underwater Bond film. The beautiful stylish opening credit sequence plays on this with silhouettes of slinky ladies swimming to the terrific Tom Jones title song. The setting of the Bahamas is a chance for the series to return to the same general vicinity as that used in Dr. No and which had the added advantage of being a part of the world which was both associated with the real major Cold War incident the Cuban Missile Crisis, while at the same time being sun-kissed, exotic and a place for pure escapism, i.e. a perfect location for a glamourized spy film. A few people seem to find the copious amounts of underwater action as being excessive and a bit tedious but I actually really appreciated all of it. I thought that it gave the film a flavour all of its own, while the elaborate battle was expertly executed and really showcased the high production values. What took all of this stuff up to another level was the really rather excellent soundtrack from John Barry, the incidental music here is some of his best individual Bond scoring work and really accentuated the underwater feel I thought. If I had to add one bit of criticism it would probably have to be the speeded-up boat finale does seem a little ropey nowadays. But, overall I found revisiting this one to be another very pleasant experience and it goes down as yet another out-and-out classic Bond film from the 60's era. In 1983 Connery returned to the Bond role after a long absence in the film Never Say Never Again, which was a remake of Thunderball. It was a sadly very poor film indeed and showed that the magic of great cinema is not so easy to reproduce, but what it did indicate was just how much better Thunderball was by direct comparison.

ivo-cobra8 This is the best Bond with Sean Connery his fourth film. It is my second favorite James Bond 007 Sean Connery film. This is my all time favorite Bond film. It has everything: great villains, awesome gadgets and beautiful women. It is Connery at his best. The first one will always be Goldfinger this one will be the second one. Underwater Bond seriously one of my favorite James Bond 007 film from Sean Connery I grew up watching this movie even as a kid. This movie is underwater Bond seriously a classic one of the best Sean Connery films ever. I love Goldfinger to death this movie in my opinion is a classic! It is really, really a good movie I have enjoy it every minute. It is a fun film I only wish it wouldn't have been so long.Thunderball (1965) the fourth James Bond 007 film and the fourth Sean Connery film. Seriously this movie is my second favorite Sean Connery film I had a blast with this film. It is in my top 10 James Bond films.The film follows Bond's mission to find two NATO atomic bombs stolen by SPECTRE, which holds the world to ransom for £100 million in diamonds, in exchange for not destroying an unspecified major city in either the United Kingdom of Great Britain or the United States of America (later revealed to be Miami). The search leads Bond to 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.This movie is awesome it is real Bond film I have enjoy it. SPECTRE's Number Two has a house in which he has two poles. One pole is empty the second one has sharks in it. In which he push the button and kills one of his informants sharks eats him. You have in the beginning scene in which James Bond kills Colonel Jacques Bouvar, a SPECTRE operative.Bond uses for a escape a jetpack. We see a jetpack in this movie. SPECTRE's Number Two and his henchmen hijack the plane and they put it right above the sharks. Movie reminds me on Deep Blue Sea I love movie about Sharks I love them. That is why this movie is so interested. Bond goes to Nassau for searching two stolen warheads. Here he meets sexy babe girl Domino Derval (Claudine Auger) in which he later reveals to her that her brother is dead and he was ordered by Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celli) to be killed now she want's revenge and she helps Bond to recover those two stolen warheads. She later kill's Largo with a harpoon. There is another girl Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) who is a SPECTRE agent and she follows James Bond around. There is another girl Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick) Bond's CIA ally.The movie has a huge impact on me it has incredible underwater scene including climatic action packed battle between US Air Force and Largo's henchman. James Bond has much more to do then in the first two movies.Adolfo Celi as Emilio Largo SPECTRE Number Two was a bad-ass he was actually really more smart then Dr. No. He was a great villain I miss movies like this. He had a two poles one with sharks and one without it. He had a yacht and the hatchet how could they all steal nuclear warheads.Claudine Auger as Domino Derval Bond's girl was a sexy hot beautiful babe I miss girl's like this. Bond had such a luck to find such a babe. She wanted revenge when she find out Largo killed her brother François (Paul Stassino). She was more French but areal classic babe.Fiona Volpe's introduction while wearing a sheer negligée in Derbal's (Paul Stassino) bedroom was definitely an early highlight of "Thunderball." Luciana Paluzzi is a very sexy ruthless villain Definitely one of the better female characters in the series. We also see a motorcycle launching a rocket-propelled grenade to kill Lippe and it was Fiona Volpe as masked rider driving a motorcycle.I love the sequence in which Fiona and her henchman kidnap Paula and Bond goes to SPECTRE Number Two's house to save the girl but he find's her dead. Then he flee's from his house and he battle's Largo's henchman they both fall's in to the pool in which Largo shout's the door and he let's shark's from the second pole to eat Bond and his men of course Bond kill's him and he escapes sharks.You have a great explosion in which marines destroy the yacht. Reall practicable effects. The underwater scene really never bothered me like some other people did.I love this flick to death it is my second favorite Sean Connery's Bond films. Sean Connery him self was a classic Bond he was really the best of this film. When he was in clinic and Nassau he was a bad-ass.Thunderball is a 1965 British spy film and the fourth in the James Bond series to be produced by Eon Productions.10/10 I love this film to death even as a kid it was guilty pleasure of mine.

Zio Pino Did anybody notice, what tragedy could have happened in the very last scene of this movie? When Bond and Domino are in the dinghy and he loosens the inflatable arrow, he does a lot of movements and finally embraces the girl ... If that scene were to continue uncut, Bond would loose - at least - an arm, if not worse ... In the scene before they are both lifted by the plane, the cable ends up under Bond's armpit which in turn embraces Domino ... He will be hanged by his shoulder an get shredded by the sudden tear of the wire ... He was luckier than ever ...

wkozak221 This is my favorite bond. The sequence were you get see members of Spectre. The sequence were bond is at the funeral and kills the colonel. The jet pack is fun also. I like this because even it has some light spots there are serious overtones. The bad guy is classic bond. You also have two of the most attractive bond girls ever. The underwater sequence is really top notch. The gadgets are held to a minimum. This film moves along well. There are no lag time.I wish the Aston Martin was in the film more. I think it is only in the opening. When I want to watch a bond this is the one I watch. I either pop popcorn or order a pizza. This film has my favorite ending of all the bonds. Where he hooks a line to his wet suit and they yanked up by the plane. I don't think it has never been topped.