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Thunderbirds

Nothing disappointed me more than the knowledge that the new Thunderbirds movie would be done in live action. I mean really, no one would have watched that show if it wasn't fully produced with marionettes! None of the people who made the legendary 1960's movies and shows cared about making it look real"¦everyone loved it because it was such a trip. How could a bunch of wholesome, family-oriented, adventure seeking puppets on strings not touch the heart of kids around the world?

HOLLYWOOD"¦sometimes you steam my clams!

With that being said"¦Excitement is GO! Adventure is Go! Danger is GO! The new and improved twenty first century Thunderbirds are coming to the rescue"¦no strings attached. From their secret island to their surveillance space station, the Tracy family has always prided itself on good morals, hygiene, and saving people in need. Their leader and father, former astronaut Jeff Tracy, has assembled a team of his own sons and close family friends to save the world from his home and base on Tracy Island. Not only do they possess bravery and courage, the Tracy's are armed with a fleet of the most technologically advanced equipment courtesy of their resident genius, Brains. From rocket ships, space stations, hover bikes, and big land drillers, the Thunderbirds are always ready to rescue.

You can't just expect to be a part of the Thunderbird team if you're a Tracy, no sir. Alan Tracy (Brady Corbet) found that out the hard way. While all of his older brothers are out making the news every night, he has to stay in the class room only dreaming about their adventures. Sometimes his dreams get him into trouble, but his trusty friend Fermat (Soren Fulton) is usually there to keep his head out of the clouds and into his books. After the Thunderbirds get in a close call at an oil rig fire, Alan and Fermat head to Tracy Island for a break from school. Soon things start going bad left and right when Thunderbird 5 is hit in space. Was it a meteor, or something more evil? The Thunderbirds can't waste a minute to save their brother. The Thunderbirds are GO for action"¦but once again without Alan. As Alan and Fermat mope around, a man with mysterious powers tries to take over Tracy Island to carry out his evil plot! He is sinister, he is despicable, he is The Hood (Ben Kingsley). Can Alan and Fermat save the Tracy's all by themselves? Not without the help of their friends Tintin (Vanessa Hudgensand the beautiful Lady Penelope (Sophia Myles) who can spot trouble a mile away. Together they have to save the Tracy's, the Island, and

maybe even the world. Yikes!

Luckily, one of the greatest aspects of the original Thunderbirds made it into the new version, the vehicles. The vehicles in this movie are amazing and are a lot of fun to watch in action. Most are made to look just like the old ones, with only a few 2004 modifications. All of the Thunderbirds settings like Tracy Island are remarkably similar to the original as well. Alright"¦alright"¦I guess I can forgive and forget about the whole marionettes thing.

Director Jonathan Frakes really took the time to make this what it should be at its core, a light hearted, funny adventure story with some killer rocket ships. Ben Kingsley surprises us once again as The Hood. His stiff and evil demeanor had its own marionette like qualities that were a pleasure to see onscreen. Parents shouldn't be worried about taking their kids to this one. The violence is all practically slap-stick and the adventure is as wholesome as sweet potato pie. One thing that will leave you wondering when you leave the theatre is "What in the world does F-A-B mean?". They say it a million times and I don't have the slightest clue"¦but gosh is it catchy!

Movie Grade: B"¦F-A-B that is!

Synopsis:

Having narrowly averted a major disaster on an oil rig, the Thunderbirds have just returned home to their secret base when TB5, their space based station, is critically damaged in a suspected meteor strike. Unbeknown to them, the attack on TB5 is a deliberate ploy by international master criminal Aristotle Spode to get them off the island. He takes over the island and drugs Brains into submission. But Spode has overlooked one key factor: Alan, Fermat and Tin Tin are still on the island.