BACK TO SAVE THE WORLD. 'THUNDERBIRDS' ARE GO...AGAIN!

Coming back for a new generation: the amazing rescue craft of THUNDERBIRDS. Images: ITV.

As a child I was always more of a fan of the gritty and explosive adventures of CAPTAIN SCARLET than the daring, often hair-raising adventures of those magnificent men in their flying machines-the Tracy Brothers- and their top secret International Rescue team known as the legendary THUNDERBIRDS, though I always admired its strong storytelling format (if only there was a real-life worldwide organisation like them!) and its brilliant and truly innovative production values. No series in that type of puppetry medium has ever topped it in my book, and its no surprise to me that four, now five, generations of children have continued to love and grow up with it, as well as enjoying its huge spinoff empire in toys (remember the mega success that was the Tracy Island play set back in the early nineties!) and merchandise (books, annuals, DVDs and Blu-rays galore!). The recent news that supreme New Zealand film director Peter Jackson, the gatekeeper to the LORD OF THE RINGS franchise and a long time fan of classic British cult TV and fantasy, has snapped up the rights to the series from ITV for his talented special effects boys at WETA WORKSHOP (with PUKEKO PICTURES) to conjure up a brand new series is encouraging- future CGI made episodes keeping the look of the puppet series- that I truly hope will live up to the enduring excitement and imagination that was Gerry Anderson's legacy to family entertainment.

Thunderbirds Introduction - YouTube
'Thunderbirds' Rebooting on British TV - The Hollywood Reporter

The Tracy family, Lady Penelope and friends get all spruced up with the news of their imminent return!

Of all the fascinating and fantastic vehicles that populated that original series, operated with models and strings, filmed by the late, great Derek Meddings and his youngster effects supremos with gusto and imagination, my favourite craft had to be the immense, squat green Thunderbird 2, with the changing pods containing different types of technology and rescue vehicles needed for their hazardous assignments, as well as transporting the sea based, truly yellow submarine, Thunderbird 4, into dangerous aquatic challenges. My older brother had all the THUNDERBIRDS toys in the sixties and lovingly played with them. As a two year old at the time of the early seventies he encouraged me to play with them also. Unfortunately, I ended up wrecking or destroying most of them in my ambitious yet undisciplined adventuresome mindset-Thunderbird 2 getting the most damage and now practically in pieces in the toy cupboard, beyond any hope of glueing up repair. Now, of course, those toys are worth a small fortune in good condition. Sorry, Bro!

Get the complete series on DVD here: Thunderbirds: the Complete Collection [Blu-ray]: Amazon.co.uk: Thunderbirds: Film & TV

KOOL TV CLASSIC IMAGE: 'THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN'

In the spotlight! Tintin and Snowy. Image: ULIKE.

Surely beating Dorian Gray's record and staying youthful at the age of 83, the legendary and fearlessly intrepid young reporter Tintin, with his equally resourceful and highly cute dog Snowy, race into another exhilarating and intelligent family adventure, in the enduringly successful TINTIN comic series as originally realised by Belgian writer Georges Remi (under the more familiar name of Hergé) that has spectacularly endured since 1928 as one of the most successful and innovative European comics of the 20th century, and spawning numerous graphic novel compilations, adapted and original film and TV series (both animated and live action), and a whole plethora of popular and lively merchandise.

The blue sweatered hero (with the distinctive upturned natural forelock that would impress Cameron Diaz no end!), in his original fast paced antics a kind of precursor to Indiana Jones, was recently transformed into an accomplished CGI animated movie star in THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, out this week on DVD and Blu-ray from PARAMOUNT, with the triumphant and highly creative pairing of producer/directors Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson working their magic in unleashing this first of two planned films (movie one primarily adapting Hergé's original strip adventure The Secret of the Unicorn  (alongside several key elements from other adventures The Crab with the Golden Claws and Red Rackham's Treasure) with the formidable family audience friendly British writing talents of DOCTOR WHO's Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish.

Classic animation: HERGES ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: Crab with the Golden Claws 1+2 - YouTube

2011 Movie Trailer: The Adventures of Tintin Movie Trailer Official (HD) - YouTube

Lovely poster composition for the new TINTIN movie of 2011. Image: PARAMOUNT.

I originally had second thoughts about seeing the film and wondered why this particular style/kind of motion capture animation needed to be done, but its such a spirited ride I guarantee that you'll quickly be caught up in the imagination, humour, fast paced action scenes (there's an all-in-one take motorbike/car chase in Morocco that's absolutely superb!) and the realisations of the enjoyable iconic characters. Jamie Bell is well cast as the inquisitive Tintin, with a fine supporting cast including current 007 Daniel Craig as the story's boo-hiss baddie, Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, Andy Serkis in riotous form as a constantly inebriated Scottish Captain Haddock, keeper of a secret legacy, and the SPACED duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as starchy but inventive small moustached detectives Thomson and Thompson, often aiding the heroic youngster in times of dire peril with their own unique subtly bumptious way.

If you haven't already seen it, I heartily recommend the movie- an absolute delight from beginning to end: spirited fun lovingly handled, and a fine tribute to Hergé.