Thunderbirds | Rotten Tomatoes

Thunderbirds

PG

Released Jul 30, 2004

1h 27m

Kids & Family

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

List

19%

Tomatometer

105 Reviews

37%

Audience Score

10,000+ Ratings

Former astronaut Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) runs International Rescue, a top-secret heroic organization, from his headquarters on Tracy Island. The island also houses the futuristic vehicles created by Ray "Brains" Hackenbacker (Anthony Edwards). But while Jeff is on a mission in space, his nemesis, The Hood (Ben Kingsley), invades Tracy Island. The Hood plots to use the island's technology for evil, and only Jeff's son, Alan (Brady Corbet), can stop him.

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Critics Consensus

Live-action cartoon for kids.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Fans of the Spy Kids series will enjoy it.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 29, 2010

Full Review

Joshua Katzman

Chicago Reader

There's enough special effects razzle-dazzle to distract the average ten-year-old, but the script by William Osborne and Michael McCullers is stilted and humorless -- a little camp might have helped.

May 18, 2008

Full Review

Derek Adams

Time Out

What impenetrable, overwrought codswallop this one's turned out to be.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Paul Dale

The List

It's too convoluted and camp for kids and too boring for adults.

Rated: 1/5

Apr 22, 2019

Full Review

Mark Steyn

The Spectator

If they'd taken the spirit of the Penny-Parker scenes and run with it, they might have had a movie. Instead, Tim Bevan and co. took Gerry Anderson's wonderful self-contained universe and cut the strings in every sense.

Jan 25, 2018

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

There's just nothing redeeming about this movie...

Apr 29, 2009

Full Review

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Jordan J

It may not be a good film itself unlike the cartoon puppet series. Thunderbirds is a more children's live action film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/02/22

Full Review

Rappids J

I don't know why no-one likes this film. Its really fun, and a great adaptation of the original show. Great Score, nice acting (Mostly Parker) and brilliant thunderbird designs.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/27/22

Full Review

ben n

Loved it so much good casting

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I though that this film would be awful after looking at the trailer and review rating. So I made a bet that if I ended up loving the film that I would create an account on rotten tomatoes and leave a good review. And, here we are. I loved it, watch this film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

If you are a fan of the original 1960s Thunderbird's TV show then this movie is not for you. Somehow they managed to make a film about the International Rescue family without showing hardly any rescuing. They even needed rescuing themselves. The film starts off well, for all of 3 minutes. We get a very brief intro sequence showing a standard rescue. Then after heading back to Tracey Island they receive a distress call from Thunderbird 5 prompting all active International Rescue members to head off to help in Thunderbird 3. They are then stranded up in space, and I am not kidding on this one, spend 2/3 of the film trapped in space doing practically nothing. Instead of various rescue missions the filmmakers thought we would prefer to spend the time watching 3 children walking around the island avoiding various dangers. The film also commits its biggest sin by not including even one remake of the classic sequence where the pilots are taken to their Thunderbirds via various elaborate chair and escalator rides. The Actress and character of Lady Penelope are the films only real strong point as well as the actor and character of Parker. The film at least got them both right. But they alone could not carry this film. For some reason the people behind this film decided that they would make a Thunderbirds film while mostly leaving out everything that made the original Thunderbirds series that classic that it was.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A movie that is true to the original "Thunderbirds" television program, and made for the 7-12 demographic. Most complaints are that this movie is not "Spy Kids", or that it is boring or has bad writing. This movie is not "Spy Kids", that is true. (And the "Spy Kids" movies are good.) For people who watched "Thunderbirds" in the 1960s (and who now have grayer hair), yes, this movie will probably not have what you want. But for pre-teens, especially those with some familiarity of "Thunderbirds", it can be a fun trip.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

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Jonathan Frakes

Director

Bill Paxton

Jeff Tracy

Anthony Edwards

Brains

Sophia Myles

Lady Penelope

Ben Kingsley

The Hood

Brady Corbet

Alan Tracy

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Synopsis

Former astronaut Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) runs International Rescue, a top-secret heroic organization, from his headquarters on Tracy Island. The island also houses the futuristic vehicles created by Ray "Brains" Hackenbacker (Anthony Edwards). But while Jeff is on a mission in space, his nemesis, The Hood (Ben Kingsley), invades Tracy Island. The Hood plots to use the island's technology for evil, and only Jeff's son, Alan (Brady Corbet), can stop him.

Director: Jonathan Frakes
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Mark Huffam
Screenwriter: Michael McCullers, William Osborne, Peter Hewitt
Distributor: Universal Pictures, Universal Studios Inc.
Production Co: Working Title Films, Tracy Films Ltd
Rating: PG (Language|Intense Action Sequences)
Genre: Kids & Family, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 30, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.8M
Runtime: 1h 27m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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