Bail Bond: Thunderball (1965)

 A Film that asks the question 'What the hell is a Thunderball?'

Thunderball is the 4th Bond Film in the Series.  Sean Connery is back yet again and he's got a new locale to enjoy.

Seriously though- I'm with Tom Jones here: what is a Thunderball?

The Plot involves some missiles, Bond seducing some ladies and the last time that people would bring missiles to Miami until True Lies.

Can Bond get away from his vacation to save the day?  Will that somehow be a big plot point in the Film?

To find out, read on...

In the Cold Open, Bond and an Agent attend the Funeral of a Spy.
He suspects that something is up.

So, in a hurry, he sneaks into the place, confronts the widow (who is actually the Spy) and fights him to the death.
He runs away from the guards to, no joke, a JET PACK that was set up on the edge of the patio and escapes to his car via jet pack.

And yes, that is the only use of said Jet Pack.
And yes, it was the bulk of the Film's Marketing.

Our 'dead' Spy was also the original 'Guy who shoots gun' in the Intro.

We see that SPECTRE is still very much a thing.

Blofeld- with a different Actor and voice dubber- has a numbered list of Agents in the field.
This includes a very timely reference to the Great British Train Robbery, which wasn't even fully solved at this point.

We also get the first of many bits lifted directly by Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Blofeld decides that his 2 American Agents didn't get enough money and kills one via a device on his chair.

SPECTRE is up to no good.

Meanwhile, Bond is...at a Health Spa.  It's from the Book.

Anyhow, he's clearly on to something as a masked man tries to kill him with...a stretching machine.

He's rescued by the masseuse and...yeah, there's that Connery 'charm that turns into creepy' I was waiting for.

'No' means 'Yes, but with protest?'

SPECTRE's plan involves spending TWO YEARS to get a guy to become his double and then take his place on a Training Flight...that is also transporting Nuclear Missiles.

Don't give Pete Hegseth any ideas, guys!

This double does his job well...and is immediately betrayed.

All of the 00 Agents are called in, but we only see 007.

Supposedly, someone pitched having all of them being Actors from recent Spy Shows that had come out in the wake of Bond's success.

That would have meant a Cameo from Peter Graves, Bill Cosby, David McCallum and others.
Someone then realized that this gag would cost them the Budget of a second Film and scrapped it.

There is a Lady in the group, so suck it, haters!

Bond happened to be at the Spa where the switch took place and follows that lead.

He meets up with the villain- Mr. Largo- and does this weird thing where they know he's a spy, he nearly gets caught and they then act like they don't.

It's confusing. 

Fortunately, Bond also befriends the Sister of the guy who was killed and replaced- named Domino (below)- and she helps him figure out that Largo is transporting the nukes to, well, Largo.

Actually Miami, but I wanted the pun.

It all leads to a big, vibrantly scored underwater battle choreographed by Ricou Browning aka the guy who played The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

His name might show up in a later Bond Review too, so keep an eye open.

It's the other thing this Film is famous for, so thankfully it delivers.

Bond takes the Sky Hook (4 Decades before Christopher Nolan used it) and we're out.

A fun Bond Film, if one with a bit odd pacing.

The Book apparently takes a roundabout way to get to the action and the Film is no exception.  The idea that Bond was sent to a Health Spa by M (Book) and that is the key to him figuring out the Plot.

The parts with Largo and Bond are fun.  This one has multiple Bond Girls- some good and some bad.  Some of them last a while.  Some of them don't.

The Jetpack is cool.  It is a real thing.  I think you can still get them- if you're insane and love heights.
The big Finale is great, complete with a great Soundtrack and a unique locale.

Kudos to Browning for making an Action Scene underwater with over 50 people work.  Nice.

Lastly, this Film is the first one to use the Actor playing Bond in the Intro with the gun barrel.  It only took 4 Films...

Next up, my Bond odyssey continues with Sean Connery's final Bond Film.  When in doubt, let's rehash an earlier Bond Film.  Stay tuned...