Thunderball

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Thunderball

PG

1965

2h 10m

Action

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Popcornmeter

85%

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54 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Led by one-eyed evil mastermind Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), the terrorist group SPECTRE hijacks two warheads from a NATO plane and threatens widespread nuclear destruction to extort 100 million pounds. The dashing Agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery), is sent to recover the warheads from the heart of Largo's lair in the Bahamas, facing underwater attacks from sharks and men alike. He must also convince the enchanting Domino (Claudine Auger), Largo's mistress, to become a key ally.

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Critics Consensus

Lavishly rendered set pieces and Sean Connery's enduring charm make Thunderball a big, fun adventure, even if it doesn't quite measure up to the series' previous heights.

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TIME Magazine

10/13/2008

If Thunderball's gimmickry seems to overreach at times, Actor Connery gains assurance from film to film, by now delivers all his soppiest Jimcracks martini-dry.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

05/06/2008

Slightly bloated Bond, with too much technology for my taste and a climactic slaughter that's a little too mindless to be much fun.

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Variety Staff

Variety

05/06/2008

There's visible evidence that the reported $5.5 million budget was no mere publicity figure; it's posh all the way.

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Pauline Kael

McCall's

09/20/2023

Thunderball is, at least, itself: the male fantasy mixture as before -- but perhaps a little lighter, less sadistic than Goldfinger, without the spectacular sequences but constantly in entertaining motion.

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

08/28/2022

C-

Sadly though past the editing, in no way is Thunderball a notable outing for James Bond.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

09/25/2021

2.5/4

The most overrated movie in the franchise. Of course, it's not without its merits.

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Rachael H

08/26/2022

Loved it - the longest underwater fight of any film. Jet back pack and great chases - what could be better!

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Chris S

@Janomi Jul 19

Thunderball is a really solid Bond film with a unique identity, largely because of its underwater sequences. The diving, spear guns, sharks, hidden aircraft, and large-scale underwater battle give the movie a visual style that separates it from the earlier entries. It is not always fast-paced, but the underwater action is technically impressive and memorable. Sean Connery is still a major strength as Bond. By this point, he is completely comfortable in the role: charming, amused, arrogant, physical, and dangerous. He also feels more athletic here, which makes the action side of Bond more believable. The stolen nuclear weapons plot gives the story strong stakes, while the Bahamas setting adds plenty of classic Bond glamour with beaches, boats, resorts, underwater caves, and bright blue water. Emilio Largo has the eyepatch, yacht, sharks, and SPECTRE connection, but he lacks the personality of the best Bond villains. Still, Thunderball is stylish, distinctive, and very entertaining.

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 10

O filme tem algumas cenas lentas

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IAM M

@IAM1655 Jun 7

Everytime I rewatch this movie, it gets more boring than my first watch. The graphics are much better than the first three films, but the movie's pacing is so slow, that it makes you forget the plot. Domino is one of the best looking Bond girls. The underwater sequence is one of my favorite parts of the film. The thing that ruined for me was the first 30 minutes of the movie before Bond arrives in Jamaica.

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David D

@David2026 Apr 15

This is the first in the series that got the pacing right...at least until the last 5-7 minutes when it becomes cartoonish...right down to the final scene. That said, its a solid film. Oh, the big fight scene in the water didn't work.

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Taylor H.

@TH0809 Apr 5

First Bond movie in the series that actually felt like a modern Bond movie imo. I enjoyed getting introduced to Spectre. The underwater nuclear bomb heists were awesome!

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Terence Young

Director

Sean Connery

James Bond

Claudine Auger

Domino

Adolfo Celi

Emilio Largo

Luciana Paluzzi

Fiona Volpe

Rik Van Nutter

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Synopsis

Led by one-eyed evil mastermind Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), the terrorist group SPECTRE hijacks two warheads from a NATO plane and threatens widespread nuclear destruction to extort 100 million pounds. The dashing Agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery), is sent to recover the warheads from the heart of Largo's lair in the Bahamas, facing underwater attacks from sharks and men alike. He must also convince the enchanting Domino (Claudine Auger), Largo's mistress, to become a key ally.

Director: Terence Young
Producer: Kevin McClory
Screenwriter: Ian Fleming, Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Danjaq Productions, EON Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 29, 1965, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Runtime: 2h 10m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)