Product: Thunderbirds [VHS] (1965)
Rating: 5.0
A Mt. Rushmore with Strings
I actually have the original megaset and am weighing whether to spring for the newer edition, but the death of Gerry Anderson yesterday prompted me to write a brief review of the series in general. I never watched Thunderbirds during their original run, oddly. In my youth I enjoyed the first runs of Supercar and Firebal XL5, then I guess I grew out of such things, at least for a time, though I always retained fond memories of those two early Anderson efforts. Much later, when Stingray aired on cable I picked up the torch again and have never set it down since. To be honest, Stingray for me has the best mix of production magic and character interaction, but there's no debating which Anderson series had the most impact, and that's this one. On the basis of sheer scale and technical achievement, Thunderbirds dwarfs its sibling series. If you have already participated in its surreal universe, you don't need to be convinced. And if you haven't, I urge you to join us.