hdcinema
Summary: Thunderbird 6 was the second feature spin-off from the hit Gerry Anderson puppet-animation TV series Thunderbirds, and revolved around a new addition to the lineup of International Rescue's five emergency craft. The plot sees Lady Penelope, Alan, Tin-Tin, and Parker as the only passengers on the maiden, round-the-world flight of a futuristic airship, which is hijacked in a bid to capture Thunderbirds 1 and 2. From the moment Alan arrives on a Bond-style jetpack, the film veers away from the TV show into espionage adventure territory, and while the only people International Rescue rescue are their own members, they kill a fair number of bad guys. The global tour means there are more locations than ever, and though the story takes a long time developing, the Die Hard-on-an-airship finale delivers the most explosive set piece of Gerry Anderson's career. As for Thunderbird 6, opinion remains divided as to whether it's an ingenious twist or a disappointing gimmick, but the movie's blend of model and live-action footage results in two superbly staged stunt sequences. It was preceded by Thunderbirds Are Go (1968), and the Andersons would make one further feature film, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969). --Gary S. Dalkin
Summary: This live-action feature follows the adventures of a golden retriever puppy who chafes under his given name of "Muffin" (much preferring his own choice of "Napoleon") and who travels through the Australian outback in search of his canine roots. Plopping, as puppies will do, into a basket suspended by balloons one day, Napoleon drifts from the home of his mother and human family, eventually landing on the rocky shore of Sydney Harbor. There he becomes acquainted with a chatty parrot named Birdo Lucci (say the name aloud, you film buffs) and encounters all manner of animals in the wild: a cagey koala, a maternal kangaroo, an irritated lizard, and the dingoes with whom he wants to bond. The film was produced with an eye toward pleasing young audiences practically anywhere on earth, and the sight gags and visual thrills have a broad, universal appeal, while the many creatures in this film are given human voices on the soundtrack (any language would do, but the English-language actors include Joan Rivers and Dame Edna). On the downside, the dialogue can be a bit coarse ("shut up," "stupid," that sort of thing), though it's never obscene. And while no animals were hurt during the making of the movie, some of them certainly look as if they're placed in stressful situations. --Tom Keogh
Cinema (101): Thunderbird 6 ** (1968, SciFi)
Summary: Thunderbird 6 was the second feature spin-off from the hit Gerry Anderson puppet-animation TV series Thunderbirds, and revolved around a new addition to the lineup of International Rescue's five emergency craft. The plot sees Lady Penelope, Alan, Tin-Tin, and Parker as the only passengers on the maiden, round-the-world flight of a futuristic airship, which is hijacked in a bid to capture Thunderbirds 1 and 2. From the moment Alan arrives on a Bond-style jetpack, the film veers away from the TV show into espionage adventure territory, and while the only people International Rescue rescue are their own members, they kill a fair number of bad guys. The global tour means there are more locations than ever, and though the story takes a long time developing, the Die Hard-on-an-airship finale delivers the most explosive set piece of Gerry Anderson's career. As for Thunderbird 6, opinion remains divided as to whether it's an ingenious twist or a disappointing gimmick, but the movie's blend of model and live-action footage results in two superbly staged stunt sequences. It was preceded by Thunderbirds Are Go (1968), and the Andersons would make one further feature film, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969). --Gary S. Dalkin
Cinema (101): Napoleon ** (1995, Action / Ad)
Summary: This live-action feature follows the adventures of a golden retriever puppy who chafes under his given name of "Muffin" (much preferring his own choice of "Napoleon") and who travels through the Australian outback in search of his canine roots. Plopping, as puppies will do, into a basket suspended by balloons one day, Napoleon drifts from the home of his mother and human family, eventually landing on the rocky shore of Sydney Harbor. There he becomes acquainted with a chatty parrot named Birdo Lucci (say the name aloud, you film buffs) and encounters all manner of animals in the wild: a cagey koala, a maternal kangaroo, an irritated lizard, and the dingoes with whom he wants to bond. The film was produced with an eye toward pleasing young audiences practically anywhere on earth, and the sight gags and visual thrills have a broad, universal appeal, while the many creatures in this film are given human voices on the soundtrack (any language would do, but the English-language actors include Joan Rivers and Dame Edna). On the downside, the dialogue can be a bit coarse ("shut up," "stupid," that sort of thing), though it's never obscene. And while no animals were hurt during the making of the movie, some of them certainly look as if they're placed in stressful situations. --Tom Keogh
