Thunderbird 6 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thunderbird 6 |
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UK film poster
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| Directed by | David Lane |
| Produced by | Sylvia Anderson |
| Screenplay by | Gerry and Sylvia Anderson |
| Narrated by | Keith Alexander |
| Starring | Keith Alexander Sylvia Anderson John Carson Peter Dyneley Gary Files Christine Finn David Graham Geoffrey Keen Shane Rimmer Jeremy Wilkin Matt Zimmerman |
| Music by | Barry Gray |
| Cinematography | Harry Oakes |
| Editing by | Len Walter |
| Studio | Century 21 Cinema Productions Associated Television |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | 29 July 1968 |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £300,000 |
Thunderbird 6 is a 1968 British science-fiction puppet film. It is based on the popular Thunderbirds TV show. This show used special puppets called Supermarionation. The film was created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and their company, Century 21 Productions. It was written by the Andersons and directed by David Lane. Thunderbird 6 is a follow-up to the 1966 film Thunderbirds Are Go.
The story mainly takes place on Skyship One. This is a very advanced airship designed by Brains. Brains is the clever inventor for International Rescue. The film shows Alan Tracy, Tin-Tin Kyrano, Lady Penelope and Parker as special guests on Skyship One. They are on its first trip around the world. But they don't know that the bad guy, The Hood, is planning to steal International Rescue's secrets. The Hood's agents take over the airship. They want to trick International Rescue into a trap. Meanwhile, Brains is trying to invent a new Thunderbird machine, the sixth one. The old Tiger Moth biplane becomes very important when Skyship One gets into trouble.
Actors John Carson and Geoffrey Keen lent their voices to the film. Keith Alexander and Gary Files also joined the regular voice cast. The puppets used in the film were a mix of the older, more cartoon-like puppets and the newer, more realistic ones. Filming happened from May to December 1967. Some scenes with the Tiger Moth plane were filmed using a real plane. However, due to some issues, other scenes had to be filmed in the studio with smaller models.
Thunderbird 6 was released in July 1968. It did not make a lot of money at the box office. This meant no more Thunderbirds movies were made after it. People have different opinions about the film. Many praise the special effects, but the story gets mixed reviews.
Contents
The Story of Thunderbird 6
In the year 2068, a company in England asks Brains to design a new kind of aircraft. Brains suggests an airship, which makes the company leaders laugh. But they agree to his idea. The company builds Skyship One. This airship flies on its own using a special anti-gravity field.
The Maiden Voyage
Alan Tracy, Tin-Tin, Lady Penelope and Parker represent International Rescue on Skyship One's first trip. This trip is a private journey around the world with planned stops. Brains cannot go because Jeff asks him to design a sixth Thunderbird machine. Brains tries many ideas, but Jeff doesn't like any of them.
Alan and Tin-Tin fly to England in an old Tiger Moth biplane. They meet Penelope and Parker before Skyship One leaves. But they don't know that the ship's captain and crew have been replaced. The bad guys are agents of The Hood, who now calls himself "Black Phantom". Since the ship flies itself, the fake crew don't need to know much about it. This helps them avoid being caught.
The Hood's Plan
After Skyship One leaves the Egyptian pyramids, Penelope finds a listening device in her room. The fake crew has been recording her voice. They are using it to create a fake radio message. This message asks Jeff to send Thunderbirds 1 and 2 to an old airfield. The Hood plans to hijack the Thunderbirds there.
During a stop in the Swiss Alps, Parker finds the voice editing tools. But before they can do anything, the message is sent to John on Thunderbird 5. Jeff immediately sends Scott and Virgil in Thunderbirds 1 and 2. But Alan realizes it's a trap. Penelope quickly sends a warning. Scott and Virgil destroy The Hood's base at the airfield. Then they fly to meet Skyship One.
A Daring Rescue
On the airship, Alan, Penelope, and Parker fight the fake crew. But they have to give up when Tin-Tin is taken hostage. The anti-gravity system is damaged during the fight. The ship starts to fall and crashes into a radio mast near Dover. Skyship One is now stuck on top of the mast. Its anti-gravity field is getting weaker. Scott, Virgil, and Brains must rescue everyone before the ship falls onto the base below.
Scott and Virgil can't get too close with their Thunderbirds. None of Thunderbird 2s Pod Vehicles are light enough to land on the airship. Gordon suggests an idea. Brains flies the Tiger Moth up to Skyship Ones top deck. He plans to fly the passengers to safety one by one. But when he lands, the fake captain and his two remaining men hold him at gunpoint. The fake captain tries to fly away with Penelope in the cockpit. Alan shoots him, and he dies.
The Tiger Moth takes off with the International Rescue team and the bad guys holding onto the wings and landing gear. Soon after, Skyship One crashes to the ground. This causes a huge explosion that destroys the missile base.
The Tiger Moth's Heroics
The remaining bad guys are killed in a shootout on the Tiger Moth. Bullets hit the fuel tank, so Penelope has to make an emergency landing. She barely misses a factory chimney, a bridge, and a tree. Finally, she lands the plane in a field. Parker is thrown out when the plane hits the tree. He ends up hanging upside down in the branches before falling to the ground.
Back on Tracy Island, Brains shows off the new Thunderbird 6. It is the repaired Tiger Moth! Everyone agrees that the old plane proved how useful it was.
Home Video Releases
Thunderbird 6 was first released on DVD in 2001 by MGM. It included special features like comments from producer Sylvia Anderson and director David Lane. In 2004, a special "International Rescue Edition" was released. It had more bonus features, including three documentaries about how the film was made. In 2014, the film was released on Blu-ray as a double feature with Thunderbirds Are Go. This release was limited to 3,000 copies. It was re-released in 2017.
Images for kids
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UK film poster
See also
In Spanish: Thunderbird 6 para niños
