A revitalized and modernized adaptation of Gerry Anderson’s classic THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO series arrives on iTV in UK this weekend (still no word on when or if the show will bow in the US), very much taking the conceits and vibe of its progenitor material and making them, well, more badass.
Fans of the original series will likely find many of the qualities they loved about Anderson’s vintage and sometimes funky work more or less intact here, even down to the new show’s overall aesthetic, and the style of its various environment miniatures. Yet it manages to feel fresh, despite its familiarity. TAG is clearly realized by a team very much aware of, and affectionate towards, the 1960s iteration of this material. Their thoughtful approach towards crafting this updated take is fully, sometimes impressively, evident.
But what is ‘familiar’ is often approached with a decidedly ‘amped up’ spin this time around. For example: the Thunderbirds tech mastered by the heroic Tracy clan is imminently recognizable, albeit more steroidal these days.
Action sequences featuring the deployment of multiple Thunderbird vehicles across different environs (space, air, oceanic) sometime evoke Michael Bay or J.J. Abrams in terms of blocking, visual sensibility, and gadgetry (although editing retains a sensible and comprehensible velocity here). When the rocket-like Thunderbird 1 punches through the sky...
...it’s filmed more or less from the POV of a chase cam or long range tracking cam - the camera seems to be straining to keep up with the vessel’s speed. We even witness the signature vapor cone which accompanies a ‘sonic boom’ when it breaks the sound barrier. A lovely touch of ‘real world’ mixed within the fantastic.
Such sequences - and the set pieces the Thunderbirds race into - are blocked to provide an impressive sense of James Bondian scale, but these movements never becomes too big, or distractingly grandiose. In any cinematic or televised action tale, there’s a tenuous balance between narrative immediacy and overblown spectacle - TAG walks this tightrope quite nicely.
Some may find the new series’ minimalist character design and execution a bit alienating or off-putting, and it’s hard to argue that the 'humans' on-screen are rendered to only their most basic potential.
As I’ve indicated in previous articles about the coming of this series, many folks (myself included) leveled the exact same criticisms of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS and STAR WARS REBELS. Both of which turned out to be stunning examples of what is possible on weekly television animation. They emerged as dramatically sound - even emotionally impactful - despite the limitations of their character rendering. My hope is that THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO follows the same trajectory, and finds the same good fortune.
A concern which spotlights the show’s one significant shortcoming:
The interpersonal relationships between all characters here feels distractingly hollow. YES, it is only a show for ‘kids’ (allegedly). But so was DOCTOR WHO back in the day. So is every iteration of POWER RANGERS. So were those two STAR WARS cartoons mentioned above (I guess one could argue CLONE WARS wasn’t really a kid’s show). And all offer far more character flavoring and ‘truth’ of interaction than can be found here.
There’s a sterility and lack of warmth to the folks on-screen in THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO, resulting in a charmlessness and occasional malaise which slows down pacing a bit. For example: in the 2060 world in which this series is set, we quickly learn that…despite the reliance of world governments on the Tracy’s ‘International Rescue’ team…their security on the world stage is tenuous at best. Those the Tracy family helps, it seems, might not necessarily reciprocate when the Tracys are in need. A heady and smart concept which reflects exactly the kind of ‘truth’ I’m talking about, but one whose impact on the lead characters is completely glossed over. Even though the badguy pointedly rubs such ‘truth’ in their face at a critical moment…
So, at least the first 45 minutes of THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO is a tad saggy on the character development and interaction. The good news? There’s a perfect matrix in place to easily fix these issues. The relationships here are implicit and an interesting backstory is firmly in place. All The Powers That Be have to do is explore and tweak such potential, and all will be F.A.B. Let’s hope they do so. And, yes, F.A.B. is very much alive and well.
Music by Ben and Nick Foster (Ben is an orchestrator/conductor on current DOCTOR WHO and I suspect may be more responsible for that show’s score than his crediting suggests) is breathless, bombastic, and makes no small use of Barry Gray’s original theme. The orchestral work here goes a very long way towards embiggening the vibe of the show - I’d even argue that it's invaluable. And, it oughta make for a pretty great soundtrack.
“I LIKE it!” announced my 8 year old son after sitting transfixed by this weekend's opening 45 minute installment, during which he repeatedly shouted “Oh! I hope they make a toy of THAT!”
And, despite my probably-too-adult nitpicks herein, perhaps that’s exactly the way things should be when approaching this one. A child-like sense of wonder, an excited sense of investment in a newly polished, but time-tested, universe. I didn’t roll my eyes when he demanded these toys. I didn’t cynically perceive TAG as being a crass marketing vehicle, as I do with many other undertakings. Instead, I went to Google, researched the this series’ upcoming product line, and realized I wanted a few of those badass ships for myself. It’s been a while since a show prompted that reaction from me, and it’s rather fun.
THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO launches with an admirably strong beginning which demonstrates much future potential. My 8 year old son won’t stop asking me, “When’s the next one on?” And, now that I’m thinking about it, I realize I’ve been asking myself that very same question...
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Glen Oliver
“Merrick”
