Thunderball
Look up! Look down! Look out! Here comes the biggest Bond of all!
1965 • 130 min • Adventure · Action · Thriller
Synopsis
A criminal organization has obtained two nuclear bombs and are asking for a 100 million pound ransom in the form of diamonds in seven days or they will use the weapons. The secret service sends James Bond to the Bahamas to once again save the world.
Our family guide
Best from age 10- 88 Reviewers · 8 · 75%
- 67 Audience · 2700 · 25%
James Bond heads to the Bahamas to foil a nefarious criminal organization that has stolen nuclear weapons. With the world held for ransom, Bond must use his spy skills and gadgets, including impressive underwater gear, to track down the bombs before disaster strikes.
- Violence & peril
- 4/10
- Language
- 1/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 3/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 3/10
- Scary moments
- 3/10
Heads up
- Some intense underwater fight scenes with spearguns.
- Characters drink alcohol and smoke.
- Brief suggestive moments, including characters in swimsuits and some flirting.
What it models well
- Courage in the face of danger
- Protecting the innocent
- Resourcefulness and quick thinking
Talk about it after
- The importance of teamwork even for a lone agent like Bond.
- How technology, like the underwater gear, helps solve problems.
- The consequences of holding the world hostage.
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Thunderball. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
Rent
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Apple TV Store
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PlexBuy
- Amazon Video
- Apple TV Store
- Google Play Movies
- YouTube
- Fandango At Home
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Top billed cast
Director: Terence Young • Crew: Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins, Jack Whittingham, Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham
Trailers & clips
Q introduces Bond to his new gadgets
Bond swims with the sharks
“I think he got the point.”
Bond and Emilio Largo battle
Number 9 is electrocuted
DB5 vs motorbike
Underwater fight
Jet Pack Scene
Reviewer notes
Not recommendedThunderball is definitely one of the worst Bond films, after the 1st act nothing exciting happens and it is rather boring.
RecommendedWhilst he isn't quite as megalomaniac as "Auric Goldfinger"; Adolfo Celi is great here as "Largo" - the Spectre agent charged with their most ambitious mission yet. A great deal of meticulous planning has gone into their scheme to hijack an RAF plane carrying nuclear missiles that they intend to blackmail the world with.…
RecommendedThis is the hay day of Bond. We get it all. Stunning women, great gadgets, non stop action, wit, and the exotic scenery that make 007 films so iconic. We also get the two greatest evil henchmen deaths in 007 film History, and may in film History. The boardroom assassination sticks out, because we know which of the two men is the embezzler by his demeanor.…
RecommendedThis is certainly the last of the classic 007 films. This is the last time we see 007 as the cold hearted assassin that he is. The last time we see a Bond that, the only reason he's really a good guy is because of what side he is on and not what he is. In later films they call him a blunt instrument, but in this film he actually still is. He's still the trigger man.…
Recommended**Thunderball goes all out, taking James Bond to new heights (and depths) with bigger action sequences, new gadgets, deadly villains, and beautiful locations. Thunderball is peak 60s Bond!** Thunderball is my favorite of Sean Connery’s James Bond films. How could it not be? With the Bond formula finally established, Thunderball takes it all to the next level!…
Recommended_**James Bond underwater adventure with the best female cast**_ After a couple atomic bombs are stolen from the RAF, agent 007 (Sean Connery) travels to Nassau, Bahamas, to clash with SPECTRE agent Emil Largo (Adolfo Celi) and his femme fatale accomplice (Luciana Paluzzi). Claudine Auger is on hand as Largo’s naïve woman.…
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersIt can be difficult and not very useful to compare the early James Bond movies to the later ones. The female characters become more than merely ornamental and more interesting, the plots become more intricate, the villains less stereotypical, and the special effects better and better.…
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersSir, I'd respectfully request that you change my assignment to Nassau. Thunderball is directed by Terence Young and adapted to screenplay by Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins from a story by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham and Ian Fleming. It stars Sean Connery, Adolfo Celi, Claudine Auger, Rick Van Nutter and Martine Beswick. Music is scored by John Barry and cinematography by Ted Moore.…
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