Thunderball

The movie begins with the mysterious death of a British jet pilot, Francois Derval, who was tasked with flying a military aircraft loaded with two nuclear warheads. Bond attends Derval's funeral and investigates his death, suspecting foul play. Upon examining the body, Bond discovers that Derval had a fake eye, indicating that the pilot was replaced to hijack the warheads.

Bond travels to the Bahamas, armed with his license to kill, to investigate the involvement of the international criminal organization SPECTRE. There he meets Emilio Largo, a SPECTRE operative posing as a rich playboy, and Domino Derval, the sister of the deceased pilot. Bond manages to charm Domino and gains her trust.

Bond discovers that SPECTRE has a hidden base of operations located in the Bahamas, known as Palmyra. He infiltrates the base, discovering the stolen warheads and a team of SPECTRE agents training to hijack and use the weapons. Bond manages to plant a tracking device on one of the warheads before being captured by Largo's henchmen.

Bond is taken prisoner aboard Largo's yacht, the Disco Volante. There he meets SPECTRE's Number Two, Fiona Volpe, a seductive and deadly agent. Recognizing Bond's capabilities, Largo decides to spare his life and keeps him captive.

Meanwhile, the British government receives a ransom demand from SPECTRE, threatening to detonate the stolen warheads in a major city unless they are paid £100 million in diamonds.

Bond manages to escape from the Disco Volante, fighting his way through Largo's henchmen. He reunites with his ally, Felix Leiter of the CIA, and together they track the stolen warheads to an underwater cave system. Using their scuba gear, Bond and Leiter infiltrate the cave and disable the bombs, preventing a nuclear catastrophe.

In order to ensure the safety of the warheads, Bond and his allies hatch a plan to disrupt SPECTRE's operations. They attack Palmyra, engaging in a thrilling underwater battle with Largo's men. Bond confronts Largo, who escapes aboard the Disco Volante, pursuing him in a high-speed boat chase.

During the pursuit, Bond manages to disable the Disco Volante by shooting a rocket into its hull. The yacht explodes, killing Largo, while Bond rescues Domino, who had been held captive.

In the final scene, Bond returns the recovered warheads to the British government and receives a passionate farewell from Domino as they sail away together into the horizon.

More mistakes in Thunderball

Fiona: You look pale, Mr. Bond. I hope I didn't frighten you.
Bond: Well you see, I've always been a nervous passenger.
Fiona: Some men just don't like to be driven.
Bond: No, some men just don't like to be taken for a ride.

More quotes from Thunderball

Trivia: While recording the title song, Tom Jones asked the songwriter what the phrase "strikes like Thunderball" actually meant. The composer admitted he hadn't the slightest clue.

More trivia for Thunderball

Question: As I watched the end scene I wondered: how do James and Domino intend to return to terra firma? They were whisked out of the boat by the plane and are hanging on the end of a long cord so the plane can't land without them being dragged at high speed along the concrete.

Answer: Look up Skyhook online and you'll find out how it was done. The person hanging from the cable wold be pulled aboard by the plane's crew.

Answer: A helicopter could lower a line to them to attach themselves to. They could then cut the rope and be lowered to safety. A bit outlandish, but this is Bond we are talking about after all.

Grumpy Scot

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