Sean Connery will always be the ultimate James Bond in my mind. He was the first cinema 007 and all the actors that followed him were mere shadows of his take on the character.
The other actors did well and a couple almost matched Connery’s charisma-but not quite.
Connery starred in several Bond films: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger (my favorite), Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, Never Say Never again (a non-cannon Bond film produced outside ‘real’ James Bond film franchise) and Connery lent his voice to the From Russia With Love video game.
No one could pull off Bond like Connery and Thunderball starred Connery as his best take on the British superspy.
Thunderball had everything; girls, gadgets, exotic locations, dastardly villains, a killer song sung by Welch singing sensation Tom Jones and some of the most spectacular special effects and stunts ever attempted in a Bond film up until that point.
It also featured the very first mega-underwater fight sequence and breathtaking location photography.
A number of years ago Sideshow Collectibles acquired the rights to produce 12-inch James Bond figures, including his villains and allies.
I have most of the set and being a big James Bond fan they are some of my favorite figures.
The James Bond Thunderball figures comes packaged in an oversize flip lid box with the movie’s original poster on its cover and with Bond photos on its sides and back along with a Sean Connery film listing.
On the inside of the lid there is a brief Thunderball movie description along with a list of cast members.
The Sean Connery James Bond 007 figure and accessories are secured in place by clear plastic ties and a molded plastic encasement. Bond and accessories are displayed through a clear plastic, full-box acetate sheet.
Bond comes dressed in his Thunderball diving outfit that includes a rubber waist up and long sleeve, red wetsuit
The wetsuit conforms tightly to the Bond figure with a lower strap covering the groin section to the turtle neck (Nehru) collar.
Bond also wears white fabric shorts and a diving wristwatch on his left wrist.
Sideshow did a marvelous job duplicating Bond’s features from his close-cropped hair, heavy eyebrows, stern look and chiseled features.
Flesh tones are subtle and bring out the figure’s features.
Articulation is of the usual high quality Sideshow type with realistic bends in the arms and legs, pivoting ankles and wrists, a realistic head swivel and waist and hip movement that is not inhibited by the wetsuit or shorts.
Included with figure are a Thunderball Base with black shaft support, blue Flippers, a blue Facemask with clear lens, a Harpoon Gun with Harpoon Arrow, a blue handle Knife in a black Sheath and twin Scuba Tanks attached to a Motorized Propeller Unit where the Harpoon Gun attaches.
Take a moment to look over the details of the Knife, Harpoon Gun, Mask and Flippers. All are perfectly scaled, nicely detailed and look real.
The ultimate attention to detail is given to Tanks and Propeller Unit. Hand controls and frame are painted silver, as is the Harpoon Gun mount. The Drive Unit is white with a gold propeller guarded by a flanged encasement and two gold horizontal stripes decorating the Drive Unit.
Twin white Tanks attack to the Unit that includes values and silver secure straps.
It’s a remarkable example of miniaturized mechanics that fit comfortably over the Bond figure without displacing the weight once the figure is displayed in a diving configuration.
It’s one of the nicest Bond figures in the Sideshow collection.
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