Thunderbirds are go!

[RosscoPCole]

Can I remind everyone that it is a children's programme. So it should be treated like one.

[MarkRSi]

TBH I found it a bit crap as well - the model/puppet style graphics were great no question, but it just seems to be all trying a bit too hard to be cool, fake/forced suspense etc.

Hey, maybe that's what the kids want these days (or perhaps the original was just as bad? Been a few years since I last saw it...)

[Roo]

RosscoPCole said:

Can I remind everyone that it is a children's programme. So it should be treated like one.

True. But they were clearly aiming it at nostalgic oldies. Why else would they put it on at 5pm on a Saturday? Hardly prime kids tv viewing time.

[Ovaltine]

Watched some of it and the some more just now on ITV Player. I liked the homages to the original but that’s about it.

The CGI characters whilst 3D, look almost 2D on the backgrounds, Agree about box ticking for the PC world, Brains does sound like Raj in TBBT, Rosamund Pike’s voice sound’s almost butch compared to the demure very posh original. It is rushed, like Virgil going down some amazing long tube and thrown into TB2 and picking a pod looked like it was on fast forward.

OK, I’m picking holes and I’m sure new viewers will like it. But unlike the original, there is no empathy for the characters, I wonder if we will see them sweat? Using tricks like real hands in close up just makes it closer to reality, all the scenes have some believability to them. I wonder if they will inject the humour when the the Hood is looking stupid in some wreckage after his failed plot with the music going 'Whah, whah, whah’…

I suspect the reason why they haven’t improved over the original, despite technological advances, is that the guys producing this are in their 20’s have been brought up on a diet of ninja turtles, fast and furious and boy bands. The faster anything goes, the better…. apparently....

Lost opportunity, but what it does show is how utterly brilliant the original was! So my hat is off to the puppeteers and model makers and attention to detail of the original!

The original launch sequences, how it should be done, Scot’s chair moving to horizontal flight, the detail of Virgil being placed in his chair, the uniform popping up, the whole sofa going down in TB3…. Wonderful stuff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1faTFQ-5LQ

Also love Wallace and Gromit’s homage in Were-Rabbit

[Mr GrimNasty]

Garbage. Predictable PC nonsense making Brains Indian, some others suspiciously darker skinned, a woman pointlessly shoved in to a front-line role with a completely incongruous new vehicle. Dreadful script writing. What else can you say. Ruined.

[Athlon]

Right just watched the sequence above and re-watched todays effort.

The new one on reflection is crap. Watch the original again, tension building, fantastic music, stunning detail to every part of the clip.

New one, speech does not lip sync with the character, no tension at all, no real detail, as I said, the nods to other series was nice but man, just watch one episode of the original series, it's fking awesome!!!

[Athlon]

And, Thunderbird two has weapons? I am certain there are big fk off guns on the nose of T2? This is a rescue vehicle and it is armed to the hilt? It's like fitting out a lifeboat with torpedoes you know, just in case like....

[longshot]

Watching the clip ovaltine posted you forget that the old Thunderbirds, especially 2 and 3 were huge.
You don't get that with the new one.

It shows how things have changed how in the old one, they were happy to blow a couple of minutes on a launch.
You wouldn't get that now.

[Vipers]

Surprising how a kids programme gets so much attention from so many adults.






P.S. Yes me as well, but I enjoyed it.

[ecsrobin]

Vipers said:

Surprising how a kids programme gets so much attention from so many adults.






P.S. Yes me as well, but I enjoyed it.

I consider it family entertainment. It was always sit down as a family and watch it. And I know numerous adults who own all the originals as it's about £10 on iTunes.

[longshot]

The originals were made for an adult audience iirc.

[fatboy69]

The few minutes, thankfully, that I watched were utter ste. Crap of the highest order.

I have all of the original episodes on DVD. Great stuff considering the limited budget that Gerry Anderson had at his disposal.

The story lines were good, most of the episodes gave the viewer a feeling of suspense and above the series was enjoyable.

Somehow I doubt that people will watch this crap in years to come.

[croyde]

I thought it much looked better than I expected and although I do love the original, being that it's almost as old as me, this new one was ok. I enjoyed it and I didn't think I would.

Shame they didn't use the original music and sound effects.

[Matt_N]

Roo said:

True. But they were clearly aiming it at nostalgic oldies. Why else would they put it on at 5pm on a Saturday? Hardly prime kids tv viewing time.

That slot was just for the pilot though, the rest are going to be on at 8am and are half hour episodes.

I agree with the pacing, way too quick, even the 5-4-3-2-1 countdown was rushed!

Some bits I really liked, the sound wave around TB1 was cool but I agree with other's comments regarding pacing, dialogue (way to go bro?) and some of scenes - the first chase scene with FAB1 and the black car was dreadful!

[croyde]

Yep! The car chase did look like a scene from the current series of Noddy

[Smollet]

croyde said:

Yep! The car chase did look like a scene from the current series of Noddy

There's a new series of Noddy??!! I hope Big Ears is called something else or else the PC brigade will be up in arms.

[kowalski655]

Athlon said:

And, Thunderbird two has weapons? I am certain there are big fk off guns on the nose of T2? This is a rescue vehicle and it is armed to the hilt? It's like fitting out a lifeboat with torpedoes you know, just in case like....

I thought they might be for in flight refuelling,but they may be guns yet.
IIRC in the original,TB1 had a gun.
And why didn't the scientists just swim to safety? Not too deep there to cause problems with pressure surely. Although the base also reminded me of the tree logging machine in 1 of the original episodes

[telecat]

I liked it. Bit rushed story wise but that could be down to it being shown as one episode whereas the rest will be 30 min.

[marshalla]

Athlon said:

And, Thunderbird two has weapons? I am certain there are big fk off guns on the nose of T2? This is a rescue vehicle and it is armed to the hilt? It's like fitting out a lifeboat with torpedoes you know, just in case like....

I'm sure that TB1, at least, used to have a cannon fitted.


As for the new series - blew all the budget on the CGI and "homages" to the original series and forgot to get decent writers, as usual.

[Flip Martian]

I enjoyed it for what it was. I have fond memories of the original. I thought the opening titles were really good - the countdown, the reveals on the craft, the music building - Gerry Anderson would have approved, I thought.

The modelling looked well dodgy at times (TB 1 and 2 wobbling more than in the original!) but impressive at others. I had trouble working out what was CGI and what were models at times. Faces are a bit bland and the pace way too fast - but I enjoyed it for what it was. And there were enough nods to the original to show it was a remake done with respect and thought for the original, I think.