U.N. Owen Kids (and grown ups) always wonder - how previous generations' could've 'survived' without.. (fill-in-the-blank: cellphones, video games, electricity, automobiles, aeroplanes, etc., etc.)The thing we all know is, that not having these things, one can't' miss not having them.I grew up in the late 60's, early 70's (shh!), and I thought we were the coolest, most 'futuristic' we would ever be.Saturday mornings for me involved grabbing a bowl of cereal (they were all named 'sugar' - something, i.e., Smacks, Pops, etc., and whilst the recipes for those cereals haven't changed, they removed the 'sugar' from the name - but not the product) and plonking down to watch the fantastic shows of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, in particular, Thunderbirds, and l8r, Captain Scarlett.People writing reviews here now are constantly mentioning the effects,, good, bad, etc., but, the thing is, I know when I was a kid - and I was a damn smart kid - I didn't even think about the quality of the effects, I just thought the shows, the adventures were cool.As most 'Fandersons' know, there were 2 Thunderbird movies made - this one, and Thunderbirds are Go!I 1st saw this film in the late 70's, when I was a late teen, and I watched it because I wanted to reconnect with my childhood.I was riveted.I'm now in my early adult years (A-HEM!), and I just watched - for the 1st time since the late 70's - Thunderbird 6, and I had a blast with my heroes of my youth.Like many of you, I am in awe of the hard work and craftsmanship which went into building the intricate models and then filming them, and not because I want to 'shatter the illusion,' but, rather, because I am just amazed at this talent - I try to spot those shots where live action and model work are intercut, as well, and there are quite a few where I am left scratching my head; 'was that a model, or was it live?'Incredible.The gang - the Tracy Clan, (plus Brains & Tin-Tin), as well as the glamorous Lady Penelope and Parker are all here for what amounts to a 90 minute long Thunderbird episode, but, it never feels padded, and unlike many movies 'costing many, many times the budget of this, you actually see where the budget was spent.As the saying goes, 'no expense was spared,' and it wasn't.'The sets, the special effects - you see where the money for this love letter to the kids (now adults) and their kids, and their…, well, it's a love letter to us from the fabulous Anderson's.I did hear though, that Lady Penelope was supposedly 'difficult' to work with on the set, but, in truth, it was she wanted to make sure her 6-wheeled Rolls was fine-tuned, and, I guess Gerry & Sylvia had to pitch in, since 'Lady P' is such an important part of Thunderbird lore.For all those of us who never fully grew up, Thunderbird 6 is a lot of fun, and I think it's something I'd share with any kid today, as times may change, we still love to explore with our minds, and the sky IS the limit with the Anderson's,.Thunderbird 6 are GO!

johnstonjames if you watched this movie you're hopelessly shameless. if you even bother to remember this stuff you're probably kind of shameless too. my mother never heard of this and didn't even remember or know my brother and i were avid watchers and fans of this Saturday morning brain mush. i've even met other baby boomers who barely took note of this show and others who were embarrassed by it to the point of denial. so it's not retro nostalgia for everyone. this kind of thing is not always for everyone's taste.do i like this? well, yeah, i guess. but i'm not sure that my opinion isn't a little warped or damaged about movies like this. i was a brain washed kiddie consumer like most of my generation and i was always partial to cartoons and fantasy shows and TV shows with puppets.i think the main question to be asked of any cinema buff or student, is whether 'Supermarionation' is a pure cinema process that makes any real contribution to the techniques and art form of cinema. i mean nobody even uses marionettes in movies these days except in farce or to purposely freak people out. i don't even know how much i actually warm up to the technique here. when i was a child i was both strongly drawn and simultaneously repelled by the whole thing. the marionettes kind of scared me and i even remember having nightmares about this show. i guess i also equated the show a little with the whole 'Curse of the Doll People' thing.whether or not you find 'Supermarionation' disturbing or scary or just plain kitschy, this is the place it started and pretty much perfected it. the 'Marination' here is equally as good as the 'Team America' spoof decades later, but the plot and concept here are much simpler and corny. you do have to be somewhat "hardcore" to even like this.

arch29 These films have a certain style and flair, helped greatly by Barry Gray's music. The plot is simplistic and cliché, but has a dash of originality. There is the ongoing Thunderbirds obsession with the form and function of ships and other vehicles. The biplane acrobatics were very well done, and the music playing when the biplane first appears is comical and appropriate. Every scene and transition seems lovingly crafted and there is no doubt that this film is a work of art.

Thomas E. Reed Like the "Thunderbirds" TV series and the film "Thunderbirds Are Go", this movie covers the adventures of the Tracy family of super-secret rescue agents. But although the effects are as good, this time plot defects injure the story.The characters pretty much ignore their "secret" status when they openly sign on as passengers for an experimental antigravity ship, which turns into a Titanic-style disaster when a crew of saboteurs take over. They did cute things with the "Supermarionation" marionets (like skiing scenes). But the plot holes finally drag down the film.Even Anderson's generally-excellent special effects suffer; in place of elaborately staged scenes with a model, the film's rescue craft (a biplane) is often shot as a radio-controlled model plane shot in reality, buzzing a real castle instead of Lady Penelope's soundstage set. It's not convincing. Republic's movie serials were able to mix real-world buildings with props well; Century 21 Productions didn't do it here.