Product Details

• Actors: Peter Dyneley, David Graham, Shane Rimmer, Ray Barrett, Christine Finn
• Writers: Sylvia Anderson, Gerry Anderson
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 12
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• DVD Release Date: July 30, 2002
• Run Time: 1728 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000068M9Q
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,607 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #1 in	Movies & TV > Kids & Family > Characters & Series > Thunderbirds
  #2 in	Movies & TV > Television > A&E Home Video > Gerry Anderson
  #7 in	Movies & TV > Television > A&E Home Video > Series

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
"Filmed in VIDECOLOR [explosions, drum roll, music builds to a climax] and SUPERMARIONATION"! The opening sequence of Thunderbirds is itself a master class in Gerry Anderson's marionette hyperbole: who else would dare to make a virtue out of the fact that (a) the show is in color and (b) it's got puppets in it? But everything about this series really is epic: Thunderbirds is action on the grandest scale, predating such high-concept Hollywood vehicles as Armageddon by 30 years and more (the acting is better, too), and fetishizing gadgets in a way that even the most excessive Bond movies could never hope to rival. Unsurprisingly, the visual effects are by Derek Meddings, whose later contributions to Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker echo his pioneering model work here.

As for the characters, the clean-cut Tracey boys take second place in the audiences' affections to their cool machines--the real stars of the show--while comic relief is to be found in the charming company of Lady Penelope and her pink Rolls (license plate FAB1), driven by lugubrious chauffeur Parker, whose "Yes, milady" catchphrase resonated around school playgrounds for decades. (Spare a thought for poor old John Tracey, stuck up in space on Thunderbird 5 with only the radio for company.) The puppet stunt work is breathtakingly audacious, and every week's death-defying escapade is nail-bitingly choreographed in the very best tradition of disaster movies. First shown in 1964 and now digitally remastered, Thunderbirds is children's TV that still looks and sounds like big-budget Hollywood.

The Thunderbirds Mega Set contains 32 complete, uncut, and digitally remastered episodes on 12 DVDs. Bonus features include production stills photo galleries, two original 1965 "The Making of Thunderbirds" featurettes, the History of Thunderbirds, character biographies, and a Gerry Anderson biography/filmography. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well earned reputation, June 20, 2003

By	Jmark2001 (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Imagine James Bond and Mission Impossible performed by marionettes. Throw in some eye opening and lavish (miniature 1/3 scale puppets) sets, special effects, and a "gee whiz!" attention to detail, and you begin to get an idea of why "Thunderbirds" has such a cult following. The scripts are involving and could just as easily have been performed by live actors with good results. There are enough cool gadgets in this series to please the ten year old boy in every grown up man (I suspect this series is more of a guy thing because relationships take second place to action). There is something else fascinating about this series and that is how seriously the producers, directors, designers took what was essentially a children's puppet show and kept to such high (and unnecessary) standards. This may be partly due to producer Gerry Anderson's frustrated desire to work as a mainstream film director/producer with live actors (he eventually got his wish years later). Seeing marionettes perform in realistic sets, with sophisticated action scripts, and good voice acting is a novel experience that appeals to everyone who has ever had a train set and tried to build a miniature town or city.
I bought this series for my mindless summer vacation viewing and it has been great fun. The DVD transfers are very clean.
This is great family entertainment, summer viewing, father and son get together material. Way to go, Thunderbirds!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...5, 4, 3, 2, 1...the Thunderbirds are go!!!, December 16, 2003

By	Julio Castro Karg (Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wow!...I've just bought this set and I am really thrilled about it!
I've just seen the first DVD and I relived my whole childhood! I remembered lots of details about these first episodes and to be able to watch them again, some 30 (or so) years later is quite an experience!!!
As a kid I was really impressed by all the gadgets in this series: I loved the airplanes, the spaceships, the cars, the architecture. No wonder why I ended up being a car designer! I remember that all of the first ideas for futuristic automobiles that I drew as a kid had double front axles, just like Lady Penelope's Rolls-Royce!
It's amazing that many of the sci-fi ideas displayed in this series still seem fresh after all these years. A lot of effort and creativity went into producing these episodes!
If you were a fan of the Thunderbirds back in the 60's you'll enjoy this set! Buy it, don't hesitate, it's worth every single dollar!
My only dissappointment is that this set comes in only one language: english. Back in the sixties I watched the series translated into spanish since I live and grew up in Mexico, and I miss hearing the voices that I remembered!...

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent DVD set, but pricing is all wonky, August 15, 2005

By	Lloyd "Developer & network builder" - See all my reviews

I can't add to the other excellent reviews by others, but I need to comment on Amazon's pricing of $162 which is only $18 less the Suggested Retail Price. Instead, there are other reputable places where you can buy this must-have DVD set for a more reasonable price. Costco, for instance, lists this set at $90, a far cry from Amazon's $162.