Thunderball
1965
Suspense/Thriller, Action
2h 10m
James Bond heads to The Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by SPECTRE agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.
Directed by:
Franchise:
Genres:
Country:
Your probable score
?
Thunderball
1965
Suspense/Thriller, Action
2h 10m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 48.02% from 2633 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
(2633)
Compact view
Compact view
Show
Sort
Rated 14 Aug 2007
6
70th
Ah, the classic "villain steals nuclear warheads and holds the world ransom" scenario. Sean Connery is as cool as ever and it's got some gorgeous location shooting in the Bahamas and Fiona Volpe, one of my favorite villainous femme fatales in all of classic cinema. But endless and meandering underwater "action" scenes do it no favors and hold it well back from the heights of the rest of Connery's first five Bonds. (Ytadel's series ranking: #20 of 24)
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 21 Oct 2008
50
38th
Not as good as the first three films by far. It's just mediocre.. The underwater action is somewhat dull. Connery is obviously great but the supporting cast isn't outstanding in any way. The plot feels a bit forced, and it's certainly not very fluid. Has the expected amount of good one-liners and wittiness, and a few memorable enough scenes for it to be worth watching. However, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger will give you much more.
Rated 21 Oct 2008
Rated 27 Nov 2015
75
65th
The nonstop underwater footage is totally eclipsed by the deluge of shots of Connery's own thunderballs trying to explode out of those flimsy shorts.
Rated 27 Nov 2015
Rated 28 Oct 2008
72
55th
It's a good action movie but not as good as the other Sean Connery Bond movies in my opinion. There's just too many underwater fight and action scenes and most feel "off," probably due to the fact they're almost all sped up using obvious fast forwarding to counteract how anything done underwater appears in slow motion relative to out of water action. The blue screening on the boat looks off as well. Still Connery is fantastic, Luciana Paluzzi is gorgeous and it has some great one liners.
Rated 28 Oct 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
35th
Bond movies are best when they keep moving, and Thunderball, like Dr. No, just doesn't have enough variety in the locations. Far too much time is spent in Nassau. The underwater stuff wears out its welcome as well. I also noticed a number of small flaws... bad edits, poor dubbing, other little things. Nothing major, but more than there should be in a production of this scale. However, the film has some entertaining moments, including some of the best one-liners.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 12 Oct 2012
55
56th
Jetpacks! Bond sexually assaults a nurse and blackmails her into blowing him. Claudine Auger is stunning. Not much else is successful here. The underwater scenes were probably a huge logistical and technical challenge, but they don't play out that well onscreen. Again, Bond triumphs due to blind luck. What happened to the brown-shirted henchman at the end who saved the girl and stopped the villain? They just left him floating in the ocean while Bond and Domino get winched away.
Rated 12 Oct 2012
Rated 06 Dec 2012
55
56th
"Underwater fight scenes are like the drum solos of movies"
Rated 06 Dec 2012
Rated 01 Sep 2017
75
75th
James Bond Project 2017: The first Bond movie in the series that really feels like a sequel, and that's with the derogatory connotation of the word in mind. Full of the familiar ingredients for a Bond film, but something is off with this particular martini's mixture. The movie's pacing feels way off with its bloated script and awkward scuba "action". However for the most part, as long as we aren't underwater, the movie is an entertaining enough Bond movie.
Rated 01 Sep 2017
Rated 10 Dec 2011
67
21st
Mostly forgettable. It's disjointed and poorly paced, also lacking a strong villain and climax. The underwater battle is weird; it's ridiculous and campy, and if it had come earlier in the film, it would be cool, but being the biggest moment in the movie, it's really awkward and off-putting. There are some great shining moments that show there's still a lot of magic there, but they're too few.
Rated 10 Dec 2011
Rated 12 Dec 2011
80
73rd
I don't think I've ever fully understood why Thunderball doesn't work. Connery is still great as Bond, but the action and the characters around him seem uninspired, especially after the glory that is Goldfinger. In fact, I'd say there really isn't much memorable from this movie other than the precredit sequence (with the jetpack!) and the "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" theme. It might also be a problem of too many baddies - characters like Bouvar and Lippe and Vargas all sort of blend together.
Rated 12 Dec 2011
Rated 03 Jun 2012
78
47th
THUNDERBALL, for all its lavishness, lacks the real spark that the best Bonds bring to the table; the core story isn't too bad, but the main villain, Largo (Adolfo Celi), is fairly dull, while the overlength and flabby script hamper it further. Still, there's a lot to enjoy here, including Ted Moore's fine cinematography, John Barry's superb score, Luciana Paluzzi as a true femme fatale, and Terence Young's direction--of the series' directors, he was perhaps the best at making them thrillers.
Rated 03 Jun 2012
Rated 20 Oct 2012
60
50th
In need of an editor and a step down compared to the three flicks that came before but it's pretty decent entertainment still. Maybe someone should remake it... wait a minute! .. that turned out to be an all-round horrible idea, didn't it?
Rated 20 Oct 2012
Rated 04 Dec 2019
82
65th
Having seen the 83 remake first, part of what held my interest was seeing the parallels, but there's some stand-out stuff (the opening twist; the funniest joke in any Bond film "Pass me something to wear"; an unforgettable pool trap) & a good amount that's ok but unmemorable (the villain; the romantic lead; the action at the spa - albeit not Bond's quid pro quo for sex). The finale is a long underwater battle which is impressive, but mostly on a mental level - as in "Must've been hard to shoot".
Rated 04 Dec 2019
Rated 21 Aug 2022
64
50th
Thunderball's noticeably higher budget enables its ambitious & extensive underwater scenes, but missteps on several other technical aspects. Uneven pacing that sees the film start with prolonged panning over ocean vistas but end as if someone had accidently flicked the fast-forward switch. The sound editing has consistently been poor, but is somewhat worse here, with an ill-fitting score to pair. The plot calls out the ludicrous from Goldfinger, but has Bond commit twice as many sexual assaults.
Rated 21 Aug 2022
Rated 20 Mar 2007
84
70th
Great Bond film that is action packed and full of memorable scenes.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
36th
Not the strongest Bond flick but quite respectable. Good villain and a great chase scene if my memory serves me correctly.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 23 Jul 2008
55
44th
Thunderball contains the most underwater scenes out of all Bond movies and quite possibly in action movie history. The action is a bit of a bore (not much tension when the hero is invincible) but the romance actually withstands the test of time, it's cheeky and (literally) bubbly and Claudine Auger as "Domino" is one of the hotter Bond girls.
Rated 23 Jul 2008
Rated 07 Apr 2009
69
53rd
The underwater battle royale made for a great climax but the hundred minutes before it dragged for what seemed like forever. Connery is still in fine form, though!
Rated 07 Apr 2009
Rated 18 May 2009
75
52nd
the bulk of it is slow and uneventful, for the most part all the good action is at the begining and end. the underwater fights are simply not exciting, and only the final fight scene on the boat is of excellent quality. has some witty remarks here and there, but not enough to fix the wrong turns this one made.
Rated 18 May 2009
Rated 04 Dec 2009
50
67th
Commercially the most successful Bond, but certainly not the best despite a plethora of action sequences.
Rated 04 Dec 2009
Rated 09 Jan 2010
56
57th
I barely remember anything about this except for lots of underwater harpoonists and the fact that Claudine Auger is the most attractive Bond girl in the whole franchise.
Rated 09 Jan 2010
Rated 10 Jul 2012
78
66th
Connery was cruising by this point and the movie doesn't quiet match the swagger of Goldfinger, but still effortlessly plies the glory Bond years, concluding with a stunning underwater battle.
Rated 10 Jul 2012
Rated 30 Aug 2013
52
47th
It's enjoyable enough; it is Sean Connery Bond after all. But the underwater fight scenes are less entertaining than the writers thought they would be.
Rated 30 Aug 2013
Rated 04 Dec 2015
7
68th
It's tough to imagine that Terence Young won't be remembered as the best Bond director. A lot more of what you have come to expect: a lot of fun, a lot of girls, a lot of great one liners. The underwater scenes were not cinematic at all, probably looked better on paper. It's odd because the Bond fight on the boat immediately after is arguably the most cinematic thing Young did in any of his 3 outings. The villain is pretty forgettable but the Bond girl is gorgeous and underrated.
Rated 04 Dec 2015
Rated 02 May 2016
60
71st
Another very decent Connery 007, Thunderball gets the tone right throughout - until it decides to throw in an overlong, tedious, lets-see-how-many-ways-we-can-kill-a-diver-with-a-harpoon action climax that threatens to wipe out all the good that came before it. Bond himself glides through the film effortlessly, even if some of his lines become eye-rollingly cheesy. Claudine Auger is a pretty tasty bird, although telling her apart from the other two Bond girls here takes a while.
Rated 02 May 2016
Rated 01 Oct 2016
78
54th
A slight improvement over Goldfinger in my mind. It strikes a very similar tone but the slight campiness is more consistent making it less jarring and more enjoyable to me. Like the others it has some moments of bloat, but is largely well paced with fun Bond moments and a few more action scenes than it's predecessors.
Rated 01 Oct 2016
Rated 09 Dec 2017
61
27th
Just like no one really likes the swimming levels in Super Mario. Slow moving water ballets stop the momentum like no other.
Rated 09 Dec 2017
Rated 29 Aug 2020
7
57th
In many ways reminiscent of Casino Royale, from its opening fight scene, to the excellent pacing and undeniable entertainment value. Would've rivalled the excellent Goldfinger had the ending been trimmed down a bit but I still had a blast with this one. Gets extra credit for arguably the hottest bond girls so far.
Rated 29 Aug 2020
Rated 29 Aug 2020
99
90th
Members of the cast and crew were interviewed several times about this movie while it was being shot, due to the immense popularity of the Bond film franchise. Sir Sean Connery, however, consented to just one interview, and it was with Playboy Magazine.
Rated 29 Aug 2020
Rated 22 Jan 2007
68
88th
After somewhat lighter Goldfinger which was directed by Guy Hamilton, series original director Terence Young returns with a more serious Bond-film. It's a bit too occupied with showing off the underwater cinematography which now seems outdated and could have used some trimming. But, it still contains a lot of cool scenes and interesting characters played by Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi et co.
Rated 22 Jan 2007
Rated 24 Feb 2007
57
31st
As much as I love Connery, especially as Agent 007, he just can't do much to save this clunky outing from inducing boredom, seeming to sleepwalk through his performance without the charisma and panache that had served him so well in the three previous Bonds.
Rated 24 Feb 2007
Rated 01 Mar 2007
50
35th
Good film.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
Rated 13 Jul 2007
87
52nd
Fairly good Bond flick.
Rated 13 Jul 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
63rd
Not one of the best, but these are all great
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
58th
Oh he got the point!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
76th
Overlong, but my favorite 007.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
73rd
Great Bond movie with Connery in top form.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
77th
Hate it that Sean Connery got too old to play Bond.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 18 Aug 2007
75
47th
One of the best of the early Bond movies. Thunderball has some of the cooler gadgets and a great bad guy.
Rated 18 Aug 2007
Rated 26 Oct 2007
74
47th
This movie was okay, but it was a little too Cold War.
Rated 26 Oct 2007
Rated 02 Jan 2008
76
44th
Quintessential bond and arguably Connery at his best in this role.
A strong script and the rise of Ernst Stavro Blofelt brings something else to this incarnation. The usual scattering of exotic locations, glamour and danger means this is formulaic but entirely believable.
Rated 02 Jan 2008
Rated 22 Jan 2008
75
56th
Connery is great and the special effects are amazing considering the time. Has that old school Bond feel.
Rated 22 Jan 2008
Rated 17 Mar 2008
73
76th
Massive underwater battle scenes!? That's a can't miss. Bond-timey goodness.
Rated 17 Mar 2008
Rated 06 May 2008
4
55th
On a second watch, I find that if you take out the water bits, mostly at the end, this is one of my favorite Bonds. Nice.
Rated 06 May 2008
Rated 13 Jun 2008
68
40th
Underwater battle of the villains and the good guys is worth to watch
Rated 13 Jun 2008
Rated 07 Oct 2008
70
61st
Remade in 1983 as "Never say never again" with the man himself
Rated 07 Oct 2008
Rated 29 Dec 2008
70
54th
Classic bond with some good scenes, but somehow, this one just kind of bores me a little.
Rated 29 Dec 2008
Rated 25 Jan 2009
87
86th
I liked the underwater scenes, even if they were sped up.
Rated 25 Jan 2009
Rated 05 Mar 2009
71
50th
An exciting James Bond adventure.
Rated 05 Mar 2009
Rated 21 May 2009
60
46th
Certainly, the worst of the period's Sean Connery, although he was the best. The premise of the story is good, but the maritime scenes, although well filmed, are dry and tiresome, and this undermines the film somewhat.
Rated 21 May 2009
Rated 12 Jun 2009
68
65th
JB's fourth mission (on film), the last one before the comedians started writing the scripts.
Rated 12 Jun 2009
Rated 01 Aug 2009
40
29th
One of the better Bond movies I guess. Not that that's saying much.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
Rated 06 Sep 2009
74
85th
Gorgeously shot and terrific underwater scenes makes this an underrated Bond entry despite a weak 1/4 and rather lukewarm villians. Domino is one of the most stunning Bond girls ever. Oh, it has sharks too!
Rated 06 Sep 2009
Rated 26 Oct 2009
70
18th
James Bond movies are always fun to watch if you're in a secret agent mood.
Rated 26 Oct 2009
Rated 13 Dec 2009
40
24th
Excruciating
Rated 13 Dec 2009
Rated 16 Feb 2010
30
1st
I remember this being one of my least favorite Bonds. Must rewatch because I was young when I saw it.
Rated 16 Feb 2010
Rated 12 Mar 2010
75
63rd
One of the most iconic of the Connery Bonds, beginning to lean away from Fleming and towards ever larger setpieces. Still wonderfully entertaining, with its eerie underwater battle scenes and its array of gadgets, gals and locales. Also the best opening sequence in the entire series, bar none. Look up! Look down! Look out! It really was the biggest Bond of all, until You Only Live Twice.
Rated 12 Mar 2010
Rated 05 Apr 2010
50
52nd
Mistake - A mask changes colour between shots in a scene shot underwater.
Rated 05 Apr 2010
Rated 03 Sep 2010
70
69th
"Thunderball" continues the form set by "Goldfinger". It is characterized by a very intriguing plot and several suspenseful sequences, including a very memorable prolonged underwater climax. Funny one-liners, more Bond girls than you'd care to count and an in-the-field visit by Q spice things up. Also, no matter how blown out of proportion everything is, it is pretty evident that Bond couldn't carry out this mission all alone and that's a nice variation.
Rated 03 Sep 2010
Rated 27 Sep 2010
54
22nd
thanasis veggos used stock footage from this film!!!!!
Rated 27 Sep 2010
Rated 27 Sep 2010
57
35th
One of the more tedious Bond entries but a big boxoffice success. Tom Jones sang the title song. Remade as "Never Say Never Again" in 1983 with Connery reprising his role as Bond after a 12-year absence.
Rated 27 Sep 2010
Rated 17 Dec 2010
67
69th
Some really memorable scenes in this. I'm watching the bond films from the beginning, and this is the best one so far. Great finale, but a 40 minutes could easily have been cut from the rest of the film.
Rated 17 Dec 2010
Rated 26 Feb 2011
65
46th
Would have gotten a higher rating if it weren't for the last 5 minutes. Woof.
Rated 26 Feb 2011
Rated 30 Apr 2011
85
54th
really like pre-credits thing
Rated 30 Apr 2011
Rated 29 May 2011
50
23rd
I don't have anything against Bond movies, but this one wasn't very good. There is a ridiculous jet pack scene within 10 minutes of the beginning which sets the stage for a pretty ridiculous film overall. There are numerous underwater action scenes that all devolve in the same way, two guys wrestling each other while they grab the others wrists. Add to the fact that they blatantly maimed/killed sharks on screen and it's a movie I can feel safe in telling anyone not a Bond fan to avoid.
Rated 29 May 2011
Rated 08 Jul 2011
73
31st
Proof positive that any action scene set underwater is inevitably doomed to be boring, no matter how short Sean Connery's swimsuit's shorts are.
Rated 08 Jul 2011
Rated 10 Jul 2011
3
43rd
This one lacks suspense... And I couldn't tell the women apart. NB: I'm a huge fan of JB but I don't like when he forces himself on the women and kisses them without their consent. Wouldn't have been ok today.
Rated 10 Jul 2011
Rated 06 Aug 2011
82
56th
Some spectacular underwater sequences and and compelling villains make up for the crushing tedium of the health spa sequence.
Rated 06 Aug 2011
Rated 12 Sep 2011
60
37th
Should reassess.
Rated 12 Sep 2011
Rated 17 Nov 2011
61
30th
Mostly boring, but Connery makes it better.
Some weird dubbing and editing going on here and there.
Rated 17 Nov 2011
Rated 20 Mar 2012
45
38th
This is perhaps the best Bond performance by Connery. But the film is not among his bests. The buildup is great with meeting at both SPECTRE and MI6, but the final hour is very weak. The worst part is the insane amount of slow, boring and bad underwater scenes.
Rated 20 Mar 2012
Rated 06 Nov 2012
70
54th
Great under water battles & the codename 'thunderball' in which all the 00's participate was really a cool plot. Oddly enough it's James Bond who's always in the right place at the right time to deal with the badguys (Number 2 - just love the name).. GREAT QUOTE:
"James Bond: That gun, it looks more fitting for a woman.
Emilio Largo: You know much about guns, Mr. Bond?
James Bond: No, but I know a little about women. "
Rated 06 Nov 2012
Rated 17 Nov 2012
70
53rd
Very entertaining and....those beauties...miau!!
Rated 17 Nov 2012
Rated 05 Dec 2012
49
26th
Well too long and with a plot stretched excruciatingly thin, Thunderball doesn't really continue rolling where Goldfinger left off. The underwater scenes could have been a nice touch but they are severely overdone (and the final one of them is just utterly silly). It is sad too because the film had a lot of momentum after the action-packed opening scene and the initial set-up. At least Sean Connery delivers the best Bond yet. But they actually kill an actual shark. Yeah, not a big fan of that.
Rated 05 Dec 2012
Rated 16 Dec 2012
76
55th
slows down at some parts but the underwater fight scenes definitely worth watching, very well shot
Rated 16 Dec 2012
Rated 24 Feb 2013
50
7th
Inoffensive, but uninteresting, there just wasn't any tension.
Rated 24 Feb 2013
Rated 04 Apr 2013
79
55th
If you can get past the sexism, the issues with editing and consistency, and the fact that it's really long, Thunderball is a very enjoyable, entertaining, exciting Bond film. The humor is great, the action is amazing and though I sort of hate to admit it...underwater espionage actually works really well. Very drawn out, but beautifully choreographed movie.
Rated 04 Apr 2013
Rated 10 Apr 2013
75
59th
Gets a bit too goofy at times, though it does end up an entertaining whole and another fun Bond adventure.
Rated 10 Apr 2013
Rated 02 May 2013
8
76th
Thunderball raises the bar of expectation and it lives up to the excitement & escapism of it's predocessor 'Goldfinger'. Sean Connery is on top form once again with some of his most memorable Bond moments and one liners. The underwater battles in particular are impressive. Silliness has undoubtedly begun to creep into the films as the set pieces get bigger and the gadgets become increasingly outlandish. That said, it's Bond films like Thunderball that have comfortably stood the test of time.
Rated 02 May 2013
Rated 30 Jun 2013
80
78th
Wallows in its opulent budget with its baroque underwater photography, but it works.
Rated 30 Jun 2013
Rated 23 Jul 2013
65
66th
Too many underwater scenes ruin any chance of this movie being as great as the first 3 Bonds.
Rated 23 Jul 2013
Rated 27 Jul 2013
20
19th
The opening scene with the jetpack is delicious post-Goldfinger Bond camp. The rest of the film is bafflingly boring with its painfully long and sluggish underwater scenes and three Bond girls who all look like the same girl in a different wig. (2/5)
Rated 27 Jul 2013
Rated 06 Aug 2013
69
49th
I'm amazed that they were able to crank out one of these movies every year, given how much was involved in the production. They were shooting in exotic locations, like the Bahamas, they had to orchestrate an elaborate parade scene, and I'm sure a lot of shark-wrangling was involved. Not to mention a huge underwater fight scene that must have taken ages to stage and shoot. Also, this one was fortunate enough to receive possibly the coolest title of any Bond movie.
Rated 06 Aug 2013
Rated 21 Aug 2013
84
55th
Many would state Goldfinger has it all for a Bond film, but I'd argue Thunderball takes the cake for the Connery era. It has gadgets, but they don't get too silly. It has action that lingers too long sometimes, but is still great stuff you won't find anywhere else. Yes, the film drags more than it should in places and can feel disjointed and aimless, but by the climax everything checks out, and it never actually gets boring.
Rated 21 Aug 2013
Rated 22 Sep 2013
50
13th
So far this is the worst Bond film I've seen. You know something is wrong when the most interesting part of the film is the man-eating sharks. The end isn't bad, but with about two almost dull hours before it, there is little that could be done to change my mind.
Rated 22 Sep 2013
Rated 06 Dec 2013
75
57th
Auger was good, as was the central villain. Unfortunately though all those underwater sequences proved rather draggy, especially the (anti)-climactic battle royal at the end. It's like everything is going in slow motion, plus everybody is wearing all this goofy equipment, so it's practically like watching some ballet troupe try to stage an action film.
Rated 06 Dec 2013
Cast & Info
Directed by:
Franchise:
Genres:
Country:
Collections
(30)
Compact view
Show
Sort
Moderated by Gregzilla
Last updated on with Rear Window
Moderated by PeaceAnarchy
Last updated on with Zulu
Moderated by somnivore
Last updated on with The Lost Okoroshi
Moderated by kubricksucks
Last updated on with Perfect Days
Moderated by Filligan
Last updated on with No Time to Die
Moderated by fanfic
Last updated on with The Last Witch Hunter
Moderated by BeeDub
Last updated on with Avatar: The Way of Water
Moderated by Phantom Nook
Last updated on with Batman: Assault on Arkham
Moderated by fanfic
Last updated on with Babylon A.D.
Moderated by mwgerb
Last updated on with Wild Wild West
Moderated by horrorjames
Last updated on with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Moderated by wokelstein
Last updated on with You're a Big Boy Now
Moderated by Strive
Last updated on with You Only Live Twice
Moderated by kangadoodoo
Last updated on with 4 Ever
Moderated by Ag0stoMesmer
Last updated on with Enigma
Moderated by ribcage
Last updated on with 300: Rise of an Empire
Moderated by Farzan
Last updated on with The Royal Tenenbaums
Moderated by cheapthrills
Last updated on with The Time Machine
Showing 1 - 24 of 30 results
Similar Titles
Loading ...
Statistics
Loading ...
PSI
?