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Thunderball

Play trailer Poster for Thunderball PG 1965 2h 10m Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 48 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Led by one-eyed evil mastermind Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), the terrorist group SPECTRE hijacks two warheads from a NATO plane and threatens widespread nuclear destruction to extort 100 million pounds. The dashing Agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery), is sent to recover the warheads from the heart of Largo's lair in the Bahamas, facing underwater attacks from sharks and men alike. He must also convince the enchanting Domino (Claudine Auger), Largo's mistress, to become a key ally.
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Thunderball

Thunderball

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Critics Consensus

Lavishly rendered set pieces and Sean Connery's enduring charm make Thunderball a big, fun adventure, even if it doesn't quite measure up to the series' previous heights.

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Critics Reviews

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Dave Kehr Chicago Reader May 6, 2008
Slightly bloated Bond, with too much technology for my taste and a climactic slaughter that's a little too mindless to be much fun. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety May 6, 2008
There's visible evidence that the reported $5.5 million budget was no mere publicity figure; it's posh all the way. Go to Full Review
Bosley Crowther New York Times May 9, 2005
The color is handsome. The scenery in the Bahamas is an irresistible lure. Even the violence is funny. That's the best I can say for a Bond film. Go to Full Review
Pauline Kael McCall's Sep 20, 2023
Thunderball is, at least, itself: the male fantasy mixture as before -- but perhaps a little lighter, less sadistic than Goldfinger, without the spectacular sequences but constantly in entertaining motion. Go to Full Review
Carson Timar ButteredPopcorn Aug 28, 2022
C-
Sadly though past the editing, in no way is Thunderball a notable outing for James Bond. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Sep 25, 2021
2.5/4
The most overrated movie in the franchise. Of course, it's not without its merits. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Rachael H Aug 26, 2022 Loved it - the longest underwater fight of any film. Jet back pack and great chases - what could be better! See more
J P @RT40656270 Oct 25, 2026 Sean Connery is the best James Bond character along with Daniel Craig See more
Jay A @RT92529899 Sep 22, 2026 Thunderball is my fave Sean Connery James Bond movie. It was the 1st Bond movie I saw in a theater. Sean Connery is very cool as 007. Claudine Auger is so beautiful as Domino. Martine Beswicke, Lucianna Paluzzi & Molly Peters are hot Bond girls too. The underwater battle is exciting. See more
stephenpaul C @ash20261234567890 Sep 13, 2026 The worldwide gross is $141,200,000.00. See more
Robert P @Superbad Sep 7, 2026 Thunderball = a *4* star Movie See more
Chris S @Janomi Jul 19, 2026 Thunderball is a really solid Bond film with a unique identity, largely because of its underwater sequences. The diving, spear guns, sharks, hidden aircraft, and large-scale underwater battle give the movie a visual style that separates it from the earlier entries. It is not always fast-paced, but the underwater action is technically impressive and memorable. Sean Connery is still a major strength as Bond. By this point, he is completely comfortable in the role: charming, amused, arrogant, physical, and dangerous. He also feels more athletic here, which makes the action side of Bond more believable. The stolen nuclear weapons plot gives the story strong stakes, while the Bahamas setting adds plenty of classic Bond glamour with beaches, boats, resorts, underwater caves, and bright blue water. Emilio Largo has the eyepatch, yacht, sharks, and SPECTRE connection, but he lacks the personality of the best Bond villains. Still, Thunderball is stylish, distinctive, and very entertaining. See more
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Thunderball

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Cast & Crew

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Terence Young

Director

Sean Connery

James Bond

Claudine Auger

Domino

Adolfo Celi

Emilio Largo

Luciana Paluzzi

Fiona Volpe

Rik Van Nutter

Felix Leiter

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Thunderball

Thunderball (1965) Thunderball (1965) Thunderball (1965) Thunderball (1965) Thunderball (1965) Scene from the film THUNDERBALL. Scene from the film THUNDERBALL. Scene from the film THUNDERBALL. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Led by one-eyed evil mastermind Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), the terrorist group SPECTRE hijacks two warheads from a NATO plane and threatens widespread nuclear destruction to extort 100 million pounds. The dashing Agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery), is sent to recover the warheads from the heart of Largo's lair in the Bahamas, facing underwater attacks from sharks and men alike. He must also convince the enchanting Domino (Claudine Auger), Largo's mistress, to become a key ally.
Director
Terence Young
Producer
Kevin McClory
Screenwriter
Ian Fleming, Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Danjaq Productions, EON Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 29, 1965, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2016
Runtime
2h 10m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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