The first mission to Mars is being launched from Glenn Field. The crew of five is aboard the spaceship Zero-X. Captain Travers is unaware that there is a foreign agent hidden aboard taking pictures of the ship’s mechanisms. The stowaway ends up accidentally sabotaging the ship. He parachutes to safety as the crew eject from the Zero-X. The ship crashes into the ocean.
A year later the Inquiry Board of the Space Exploration Center attempts to make another flight to Mars. International Rescue agrees to provide security for the mission. International Rescue is run by billionaire Jeff Tracy and his sons Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon and John. Also on staff are Brains and Tin-Tin Kyrano. International Rescue is based on an isolated island called Tracy Island. Assisting International Rescue, when needed, are undercover agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and her chauffer Parker.
Jeff Tracy sends Scott to Glenn Field in Thunderbird 1 to monitor liftoff. Virgil and Alan in thunderbirds 2 and 3 are sent to escort Zero-X out of the Earth’s atmosphere. Lady Penelope is tasked with ensuring that the crew of Zero-X is given Saint Christopher Medals that house homing devises so that they can be monitored. She poses as a reporter in the pre-lift off press conference and gives each man on the team one of the medals to wear during their flight as a good luck charm.
When crew member Dr. Grant’s devise malfunctions Lady Penelope knows something is wrong. The Dr. Grant on board is unmasked as a phony and the real Dr. Grant is found tied up in a warehouse. The phony ends up being dispatched by Penelope and Parker while the real Dr. Grant is returned to the Zero-X. With no further problems the spaceship is launched.
When Zero-X returns from Mars the spacecraft encounters a problem and the escape pod is unable to release, International Rescue is once again called into service.
“Thunderbirds Are Go” was released in 1966 and was directed by David Lane. It is a British science fiction children’s puppet movie based on the British television series “Thunderbirds”. The television series was created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. It ran for two seasons from 1965 to 1966. There were thirty-two, hour long episodes. After the end of the series two full length theatrical films were done. The first being “Thunderbirds Are Go”.
Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson are the creative force behind Supermarionation, a style of film production that uses marionettes in its various television and theatrical projects. They are responsible for creating the television shows “Thunderbirds”, “Supercar”, “Stingray” and “Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons”.
The film features a band that performs two songs at a nightclub called “The Swinging Star”. The band is called “Cliff Richard and The Shadows”. Originally called the “Drifters”, “The Shadows” were an actual instrumental rock and roll group that was popular in Britain during the sixties. They often were the backup band for Cliff Richard. Richard was a British music performer. He was the third top selling artist in the UK singles chart history, behind “The Beatles” and Elvis.
The five Tracy brothers were named after astronauts from the Mercury program: Scott Tracy after Scott Carpenter. Virgil Tracy after Gus Grissom whose real first name was Virgil. Alan Tracy after Alan Shepard. Gordon Tracy after Gordon Cooper. John Tracy after John Glenn.
The movie spends a lot of time on the Zero-X spaceship and the various Thunderbird vehicles. Even the pink FAB-1 car that Lady Penelope owns is shown off with its transformations, depending on what is needed from it.
Many found the film to be not as good as the television series with lots of padding and a script that was less than good. Many found it boring, dull and one person remarked about how the puppets never actually walk anywhere. Now that it’s been pointed out to me, I noticed it too. They remarked that on a big screen the puppet action of walking would most likely look ludicrous. The fact that they are puppets is part of the charm. Everyone knows they are puppets and everyone knows how puppets walk. Why not own it. As for the other criticisms, having never seen the series I have no bases to compare.
Others found the film to be delightful, great and fun. Their love for Gerry Anderson’s work superseded any shortcomings they may have felt about the movie. I think it all comes down to your individual expectations. Looking at the movie from a novice’s point of view I found the miniatures to be fun and the explosions, such as there were, to be good. I was a little bored with some of the drawn out sequences and the dream sequence. I would have liked more action and I would have loved to see somebody walk. The one real rescue sequence actually had me on the edge of my seat. Basically I found it interesting but it could have been better.
The term FAB is used quite often in the series and the movie. It is used to relate, message received and understood. The actual letters, according to Thunderbird experts, don’t mean anything themselves. According to Gerry Anderson, it just was a cool way of saying “Affirmative”.