Even though the film adaptation of the wonderful, marionette-driven cult classic Thunderbirds kind of missed the point by turning it into a live action Spy Kids wannabe, at least
Hans Zimmer's score pays homage to the original show's brassy, fearless sound. From their titles on down, tracks such as "Lady Penelope: At Your Service," "Tracy Island," and "Buggy Chase" are faithful to the legacy of
Barry Gray's adventurous, clever music for the TV show. However,
Zimmer dials down the sly humor that informed
Gray's music and, on tracks like "You Need to Grow Up," occasionally pumps up the sentimentality. Even so, the gung-ho feel of "Can't Wait to Be a Thunderbird," "Junior Mission," and "Thunderize!" has plenty of adrenaline-laced appeal. What's also refreshing about
Thunderbirds: there's nary a teen pop song in sight, and the symphonic punk-pop of
Busted's "Thunderbirds Are Go!" is thankfully placed at the end of the album. While overly praising the score just because it's not as misconceived as the movie it was written for would be rash,
Thunderbirds is still a respectable collection of high-energy film music. ~ Heather Phares