Thunderball: Warhead Edition

RIP Paula, James Bond's assistant. You didn't know James Bond had an assistant? Not to worry--she wasn't terribly helpful nor around long enough to care about.
First, I feel like I need to quickly discuss the original movie, before this fanedit: Sean Connery probably looks better in this movie than any other Bond film. The Bond women are really beautiful and all the elements are present for a classic 007 movie. Yet it is mind-numbingly boring (at least to me). So this is what was being worked with. For a James Bond movie, there are nearly no cool "Bond moments". There's the jetpack for a few fleeting moments at the start, ...there's the very last scene with the plane and the lifeboat and....uh....lots of swimming. Is there even a decent car chase in this movie? No, not really--though Bond has a car with some gadgetry, and Q eventually shows up on location with a few toys. The plot does hinge on coincidence, even in this edit there is no getting around the coincidence of 007 being at the spa when the dead pilot is brought there. (BTW--why did they bring that dead guy to the spa anyway?? Did he need a massage?)
I feel this edit is the best version of this movie there is. I wish that was saying more though. All the issues I have are really with the original movie. It just lacks action. It made this 99 minutes feel a lot longer--though it was so much better than the original 130 minute running time.
I wanted to love this, because (a)--I love James Bond movies and have owned them all in VHS and then DVD for as long as I can remember. (b)--Sean Connery is the best Bond and the 60s were the best time for Bond. I don't hate Roger Moore or Lazenby, Dalton, Brosnon or Craig, but Sean Connery and the 1960s were THE primo Bond era to me.
The music choices throughout this edit were excellent, and the video quality (which I NEVER bother to comment on in my previous reviews) was very very good. I usually don't notice such things unless it is very bad or very good. In this case it was very good. The clarity of the underwater scenes surprised me. But this movie just lacks the thrills associated with the best Bond movies, even stripped down. It is frustrating because, as I said, Connery has never looked better and so many of the elements for a classic Bond are in place.
In closing, I am very glad I got to see this edit, it is an improvement over the original cut, but overall it can't quite bring it up to par with From Russia With Love or Goldfinger. But that is the fault of the source. If I were to have a go-to version of Thunderball, this would be it.
I recommend all 007 fans check this edit out.

....and so here we go....THUNDERBORE...as I used to call it when I was growing up.
This was my first cinematic bond movie ...and for a 5 year old...it almost killed the franchise stone cold for me.

There have been many bond edits but none as ambitious I think as this. The Never Say Never edit was a tonal question... was a more a PLEAS STOP BEING BORING issue...and for the most part it succeeds.

After getting over Connery's eyebrows on this, this is a vas improvement on the material as originally presented. I think that of all the bond outings this is the one that could do with a real trim and RANGER613 has not held back.

Pacing was generally fine. There were a few points where I felt something had gone but I could not glean what. I have seen this bond many time but not for at least 6 or 7 years, ideal.

What did shock me is how some of the sexist misogynist Bond swagger grated on me in this truncated form...to that extent I think leaving in a bit more of those sequences might have dulled that. I note that Thundeball is full of plot holes even before this got pruned..and the is some improvement n that respect.

Audio...I being a bit of a fascist here since I own all the score so I notice a few things...But there are some nice score enhancements (I have not checked on the cutlist) which work really well. Agree with the below...you have to watch this properly to gain the feel of it. I did enjoy and not only recommend it but will burn to disc and am grateful for the coverart that matches the DVD discs in my 007 Briefecase.

The video wipes were well executed and apart from some compression artefact...generally good (but would love a1080p version)

Overall, this is my least favourite bond and enjoyment would be 4/5 for the uncut version, so a 7 is a vast improvement (6 would be too harsh).

Well done...sir. A Brave edit IMO.
W