THUNDERBALL (1965 - BOND FLICK # 4 / ACTION / THRILLER / ESPIONAGE) **** out of *****
(Bond in a scuba suit - heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!)
CAST: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Luciana Palluzzi, Adolfo Celi, Rick Van Nutter, Martine Beswick, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewellyn, Lois Maxwell, Paul Stassino, Molly Peters, Rose Alba.
DIRECTOR: Terence Young
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some soaking wet Bond-Scuba antics straight ahead...
IT'S LIKE THIS: I've always said that scuba diving is probably the best sport there is. Due, mainly to three reasons: (1) it's exciting as hell and you always see something new each time you go underwater; (2) you get to see a lot of hot half-naked people in tight neoprene suits; and (3) you get to see a lot of hot half-naked people in tight neoprene suits. Par-tay! So, given that the Bond Franchise is about activities that are exciting as hell and also about hot half-naked people in tight neoprene suits, it's only natural that scuba diving would figure prominently in many of its movies. The first time, however, was in THUNDERBALL in 1965.
After riding Honey Ryder in DR. NO, plowing Tatiana Romanova in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, and curing Pussy Galore of pesky lesbianism in GOLDINGER, Bond decided he wanted to mack on some tropical pussy - and headed over to the Bahamas to get wet. And so for this fourth adventure, we find Bond trying to thwart good ol' SPECTRE again as they try to detonate a nuke off Nassau to kickstart World War 3. Which, frankly, makes no goddamn sense because who would be left to rule and be ruled if we're all reduced to vapor? Whatever. I don't write these things. I just go along for the ride – like a Happy Ending soccer game. It’s like a Happy Ending massage, but even dirtier. Ahem.
But I digress. Anyway, Bond's mission gets complicated by a few folks: (1) Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), jackass who is trying to recover a NATO warhead from a sunken plane wreck offshore; (2) Domino Derval (Claudine Auger), Largo's girlfriend who wonders why the fuck she took up with this asshole in the first place; and (3) Fiona Volpe (Luciana Palluzzi), baddie chick who can't decide whether to shoot Bond - or fuck him first THEN shoot him – or SHOOT him first THEN fuck him. Which is just gross. Fortunately, after three adventures, Bond is getting pretty savvy on this whole secret agent thang and navigates his way through the tricky plot with the ease of a guy who's become an expert at trimming his pubes. And if you scoff at that skill, let me remind just how nerve-wracking it is to have a power razor right next to your dick. Respect, folks… respect.
So... will Bond be able to recover the nuclear warhead from the sunken place before Largo does? Or will Largo and his team of super-duper divers beat him to it? Will Domino discover that Largo actually killed her brother, a NATO official, in order to steal the warhead? Will Fiona fuck Bond - and then fuck him up? Or will Bond beat her to it? And the most important question of all: how hot does Sean Connery look in that scuba suit? Siiiiiiiizzzzzzllllleeee!
Par-tay!
BUT, SERIOUSLY: After setting the tone with DR. NO, establishing roots with FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, then setting the template with GOLDFINGER, the Bond franchise really exploded with the release of THUNDERBALL. To date, THUNDERBALL remains the Bonf Franchise’s highest grossing film, adjusted for inflation. SKYFALL may or may not take that title after it finishes its run, but THUNDERBALL will always be one of the most financially successful Bond movies ever. And it's easy to see why: the series really hit its stride with this movie. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE will always be my favorite Connery Bond movie (my # 2 Bond Movie of all time), but THUNDERBALL is my second favorite Connery Bond movie because of its confident, assured tone and snappy, biting dialogue. Bond has a real edge here that is both alluring and intimidating. GOLDFINGER might have set the template, but THUNERBALL cemented it.
The setting of Nassau, Bahamas is a vibrant backdrop for the plot to unfold against, which is essentially a chase/race against time to retrieve the stolen/sunken nuclear warheads before they are used for nefarious purposes. The underwater scuba diving scenes are all vivid and galvanizing (especially for a film from 1966), and the climactic boat chase is fairly energetic and "modern-feeling" for an older action film. This further serves to remind us just how much the Bond Franchise paved the way for the other action films. They truly were ground-breaking.
As for Sean Connery, by now, the role of Bond fits like a perfectly tailored suit and he moves with grace and ease in it. His exchanges with series regulars like M, Q, and Moneypenny have the ring of old familiar friendships, while his interactions with Bond Girls Domino and Fiona have some real spice. His testy relationship with Fiona Volpe, in particular, is a forerunner to Bond's equally sexy cat-and-mouse games with Xenia Onatopp in GOLDENEYE, Elektra King in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, Miranda Frost in DIE ANOTHER DAY, and Severine in SKYFALL.
As for the Bond Girls, well, they may not rank in my TOP 10, but they are certainly vivid and memorable and sit comfortably around #14 and #15. Claudine Auger is the right mix of enigma, strength, and fragility, and in keeping with the Good Bond Girls of the 60's, is more on the passive and vulnerable side, but Auger plays her with such an air of mystery that you can't help but be entranced by her. Conversely, Luciana Palluzzi gives Fiona Volpe just the opposite: an aggressive and deadly relentlessness that is like the flip side of Domino's cool feline allure. As they say, a cat can be both fiery and icy at the same time, and Domino and Fiona appear to be essaying those two different sides. Both actresses to their roles proud.
As for Emilio Largo, he's a solid villain who occupies the mid-range within the Bond Villain pantheon. He may not be as outre and colorful as Blofeld or Max Zorin, nor as complex and fascinating as Elektra King or Franz Sanchez, but he is still a creditable baddie who is equal to the task of being a threat to James Bond and the rest of the world. Adolfo Celi more than holds his own with the rest of the accomplished cast, and turns Largo into a solid villain.
Ultimately, THUNDERBALL really cements the template that the Bond franchise would run with for the next 45 years. It is often overlooked because the first three Bond Movies usually get lavished with attention - but it is more than worthy of being celebrated.
