Thunderbirds Are Go

As somebody who grew up with the 1960s incarnation of 'Thunderbirds', which still holds up as a classic and iconic, was expecting a disaster and knew that it was going to be difficult coming close to its quality.

Giving it a fair chance, it doesn't reach the standard of the 1960s show but it is nowhere near the disaster that the 2004 live-action film was. It does have its major faults but doesn't disgrace the original in the way that it could have done and actually makes a real effort to try and respect it while trying to appeal to younger and modern audiences (which apparently was not an easy task for them).

There are several good things. The animation is mostly very good, smooth, very detailed and colourful and with the notable exception of a rather plastic and too young-looking Lady Penelope the characters are mostly still recognisable. There are some tense and also humorous moments ("EOS" being one of the show's better episodes with particularly good effects), Parker is often very funny, and there is evidence of 'Thunderbirds Are Go' trying to respect and pay homage to the original 'Thunderbirds' show. The launch sequences in particular are very well done, the models do look good, and also really appreciated that there was more prominence on Number 5.

Love the brotherly bond often between the brothers, and they do have likable moments, if also some bland ones. Was mixed on the voice acting. David Graham comes off best, he is very good and entertaining, and provides some of the show's funniest and most lively moments. Virgil and Scott also come off well. But as much as I really like Rosamund Pike, despite having a beautiful speaking voice her voice acting doesn't really fit Lady Penelope, although the character looks young Pike sounds a little too mature as well as even in tense situations voices her with more-of-the-same expression which gave the sense that her heart wasn't in it (the more sophisticated and aristocratic Penelope is missed). Alan has his likable moments but often he sounds bland.

Where 'Thunderbirds Are Go' mostly falls down is the length and pacing agreed. The episodes are too short, and in an effort to try and cram in as much as possible many of the stories feel rushed and hyper-active (both in comparison to the original and on its own terms). The action is also mixed, sometimes exciting and fun but too many others veer on the cartoonish. There are also changes here, especially the immediately noted and deeply felt absence of Jeff and a more diverse depiction of Brains which struck a strange chord with me and many others and the feeling has not worn off yet.

Another major problem is the music, there are attempts to use the iconic themes but mostly they are lost within the more brash and over-bearingly bombastic style adopted here and very rarely stops. The villain is not particularly menacing as a villain and seems to be there for the sake of it, and while the script has its good moments there is some awkwardness.

Overall, could have been a disgrace but wasn't, while also not being completely successful. Good try though. 6/10 Bethany Cox

The new series looks pretty but the stories aren't anywhere near as interesting or exciting add the original 60's version. Far too many episodes revolve around the Hood and/or the Mechanic who are mere shadows of the old, evil Hood.

The biggest annoyance though is what I call the "K9 effect" because, like Doctor Who's old companion, whenever IR have a problem Brains has "coincidentally" just crafted/ installed/ tested exactly what they need for the mission.

Another problem is the Tracy brothers. Several act like spoilt children most of the time. You wouldn't trust them with the TV remote, let alone a Thunderbird vehicle!

Overall a fun watch for under 10's but if you have the originals, let them watch those instead.

Real effort made with this series but first episode just too frantic- script just trying too hard!

Could have been really good but let down by very poor music score that is plain dull- see the original series to see how it's done.

In episode one someone forgot to put a bit of suspense and build up in. Hopefully better scripts to come but the dramatic "disaster" music and triumphant IR theme lost to a score that seems to have escaped from Disney's Frozen.

Models are a world apart from the sometimes flaky original series - but the attention to detail that inspired a generation of aero and space engineers was not there in this new series.

Maybe this attempt will inspire a new movie with live action - and erase the memory of the last catastrophe

I don't have a problem with Brains being Indian, in fact I think its quite funny and about time - it's the fact that it doesn't really redeem the reboot at all.

Charmless is a word I'd use to describe it - the characters are like robots, or dare I say it, "puppets", and the craft are no longer the "characters" they were in the original.

On the point of dramatic tension, if nothing else, Anderson was a great editor - that's how he started out, as an editor - and it's what gives the original series a sense of pace & excitement which is totally absent from the reboot.

I'm such a hard marker I'm annoying and I just gave this a 10. I actually cannot see any valid reason to give it less. Actually, maybe Grandma should bring it down a couple of points, but I'll stick to a 10 even with her. I grew up on the original (yes I'm that old) and was totally hooked as a kid. I'm still hooked (on the original) and force the re-runs on every child in the family as an important part of their basic education. The movie was a nice idea but the less said about that the better. *Because* of the movie, I had low expectations of this latest. Watched the first episode ... after 5 mins I was feeling disappointed. Modern language, no strings attached, blah blah. By 15 mins I was thinking "Damn if I don't think I might like this." By the end of the second episode it's all over ... I'm sold. This series is outstanding and I can't wait for each new ep. Sure the language is 'modernised' .. remember that they have to be all things to all people with this series; children of today won't sit through the dialogue that accompanied the original version, delivered by cgi characters. The balance they've achieved is stunning. The 'remake' eps (e.g. Fireflash) are just as exciting, maybe more so, as the originals. And as much as I might try to get kids to love the originals as much as I do, they .... don't. Times have changed. The kids do love this new series; they love the scripting, they love the action, they love the speed at which it moves, they love the fact that they don't really understand a lot of what just happened. They just love it. And so do I.