James Bond: Thunderball (Ultimate Edition) (2 Discs)

Connery takes to the sea in the epic underwater adventure. The thrills never stop as Bond goes above the call of duty, and below the sea. To track down a villanious criminal who's holding millions hostage and threatening to plunge the world into nuclear holocaust ! From the start of the film, you can tell this is going to be a much bigger movie than the previouse outing. The stealing of the nuclear warheads is excellently staged. But the film does get bogged down in the middle. as usual Connery is brilliant. and the exotic settings are perfect.but this is a slight step back from the excellence of From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. It's as if the films budget has taken over, but they missed the some of the plot. This is still a very good movie, and better than anything Roger Moore ever did !

"Thunderball", the fourth James Bond film, was the first made from the position of the character having become a cultural phenomenon following "Goldfinger". In many ways, it is a transitional Bond film, with one foot in the world of Ian Fleming and the other in the realm of the spectacular epics that we now associate with Bond.

"Thunderball" is wonderful stuff, one of the most atmospheric of all the Bonds. John Barry's underwater music is dramatic and menacing, the Nassau locations look absolutely ravishing and Connery still looks the business. Compared with the lean efficiency of the previous three Bonds, however, "Thunderball" collapses slightly under its own weight. The story meanders and the film is too long, running out of steam long before the end.

Luciana Paluzzi is fantastic as the bad girl, though. Her scenes with Sean Connery positively crackle.

By this outing Connery had mastered the role of 007 and had made it his own. This meant upon it's release it may have been seen as a triumph once more. However, if one was to watch it alongside both his and all the other Bonds (in a bank holiday Bondathon for example) it becomes clear that it struggles to keep pace with both his and other's portrayals of Bond.

It saunters along at a fairly plain speed thankfully peppered with a few one liners to keep the more jovial Bond fan amused. It flirts with the farcical (underwater fight) and suffers from too much padding - it could have been a good 15 mins shorter.

The story is however fairly good and so i can't help but feel that had this been left in the Moore (apologies on the pun) capable hands - a few extra one liners here and a raising of the eye brow there - then it maybe have been rather more enjoyable. For Connery's best moments stick to Goldfinger and From Russia With Love.

If ever you buy one Bond DVD, make it this one - it has everything! The pace doesn't slacken, there are many trademark BUMPS - and the villain Largo is exceptional.

There are many action scenes - the most memorable being the denouement aboard the out of control Disco Volante. And as for John Barry's memorable score - it's fabulous! You must also own the CD soundtrack - it's also beautiful, mesmerising, exciting, and menacing.

I give this famous film 20 out of 10. Exceptional!