Thunderbirds

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View books by Andrew Darling.

An impressive 'puff' debut. - Rated
It's not easy writing a film tie-in book like this. There's just so much temptation to trumpet the film's brilliance; after all, who stumped up the readies to commission the project? Oh yes, the nice people who made the movie....

You might expect Mr Darling (any relation to Alastair?) to spend a good portion of the text kissing the hand that feeds him.
But none of that for that for Mr D. Despite the outward appearance of a generic 'puff' book, Mr Darling has crafted a thoughtful narrative on the phenomenon of 'Thunderbirds' and the recent movie.

Good work Mr D.

It's all hype - Rated
Although never a great fan of the original TV series, I've actually become quite fascinated in recent weeks by the hype and marketing which surround the release of the movie. My review of the DVD release will demonstrate that I think the marketing people made a major, strategic error here. The film is aimed at children, and so is the vast bulk of the spin-off produce - books, models, etc. Yet there's precious little evidence that today's younger generation has any attachment to 'Thunderbirds', while there's every indication that their parents' generation prefer the nostalgia of the TV series to the cinema version.

Hence books like this. More interesting as a marketing phenomena than as a piece of art or cinema history, a review of the content of this work is superfluous. Look, instead, at the number of copies being offered for sale 'Used' ... and look at the release date. A lot of people want rid of it already. As a title, it's hardly inspiring. Wait till you find it in a car boot sale, or remaindered, or in a second hand bookshop.