Day 6: Thunderball

After taking a few days off from my Bond marathon, I returned to my couch and popped in Bond's fourth adventure. Thunderball was the fourth film in as many years and after viewing it, I could tell the producers were outdoing themselves with each outing. This film had the most extensive (and expensive) underwater sequences I can recall and it lifted the film to new standards that most other Bond films could not compete with. Though I claimed this to be my favorite Connery Bond film years ago, I have to retract that statement based on the fact that this plot was still very weak in terms of dealing with SPECTRE. The evil organization is still trying to defeat Bond after he killed their agents Dr. No, Rosa Klebb, and Red Grant. However as they try to kill Bond, they are trying to take over the world as well. They're aiming high.

SPECTRE's leader, Blofeld (who will become Bond's arch-nemesis, if he's not already) sends out Emilio Largo to do his bidding. Largo has a plan to steal two atom bombs from the French and extort money from the British Government if not paid in full within a certain time frame.

Bond uses his suave, sophisticated self as much as possible in this film and you can tell. He comes on to about every woman he encounters and more or less finds a way to get what he wants. Though it wasn't overly done, it seemed like this was becoming a Bond who would rather sleep his way through a mission than accomplish anything to stop it.

Terence Young returned as director as the last time and it is with Thunderball that ends the beginning era of Bond. Young established Bond a man who could not go without women, liquor, or a subtle pun. Unfortunately, the producers decided to steer away from the things that made Bond great and move him into a series of never-changing ways.

Adapting Bond while also trying to create different storylines became somewhat difficult as characters in the series thus far were either not important or not established. Yes, it is Bond that we're watching but it is also the others individuals he encounters that we like to connect with. Dominique Derval, whose brother is killed during the bomb-stealing scenario, happens to be Largo's niece, and though Bond will use her to get to Largo himself, she, along with Honey Ryder from Dr. No, is not a necessary Bond girl. Only one who will eventually allow Bond to do what he wants with her.

The plot itself seems too busy, what with SPECTRE trying to kill Bond at the same time they're trying to extort millions of pounds from the British government. SPECTRE will later learn that Bond is too much of a match and they'll have to focus their efforts solely on Bond himself. As for us, the viewers, we'll have to focus on the point that this adventure is just another opportunity to prove that Bond is a hardened, yet virile character who will eventually save us all from total destruction. C