Written by: Peter Hewitt & William Osbourne

Screenplay by: William Osbourne & Michael McCullers

Directed by: Jonathan Frakes
Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner & Mark Huffam
Executive Producers: Debra Hayward & Liza Chasin

Starring
Bill Paxton - Jeff Tracy
Philip Winchester - Scott Tracy
Dominic Colenso - Virgil Tracy
Lex Shrapnel - John Tracy
Ben Torgersen - Gordon Tracy
Brady Corbet - Alan Tracy
Anthony Edwards - Brains
Soren Fulton - Fermat
Vanessa Anne Hudgens - TinTin
Sophia Myles - Lady Penelope
Ron Cook - Parker
Sir Ben Kingsley - The Hood
Deobia Oparei - Mullion
Rose Keegan - Transom

There exists a secret organisation that calls itself "International Rescue", whose mission it is to save lives during unusual and dangerous disasters. Both the state-of-the-art crafts and the brave men who operate them are known to the outside world as the "Thunderbirds". However, two schoolboys, Alan Tracy and his best friend Fermat Hackenbacker, know their true identities. The front-men are Alan's father, Jeff, and four older brothers, Scott, Virgil, John and Gordon, whilst the ingenious scientist who developed the machinery is Fermat's father, Hiram Hackenbacker, or Brains, as he is better known.

During a rescue mission to Russia, Thunderbird 1 is exposed to a gallium-electrolyte compound that allows a criminal mastermind known as The Hood to track it back to Tracy Island, the secret base of International Rescue.

Alan and Fermat return to the island for the school holidays, and, upon sneaking into Thunderbird 1's hangar without permission, they discover the compound. However, once they are caught, Jeff is more interested in grounding Alan than in the boys' discovery.

Once the Hood had tracked Thunderbird 1 to Tracy Island in his submarine, he fires a missile at Thunderbird 5, the space station that International Rescue uses to monitor all distress calls and weather conditions throughout the world. The lone occupant, John Tracy, survives the impact, but massive damage is caused, and John must be rescued before the life support systems fail. Jeff and the older boys quickly take off in Thunderbird 3, leaving Brains, Alan, Fermat and the Kyrano family on the island.

The Hood and his two henchmen, Transom and Mullion, leave the submarine and quickly capture the adults. The Hood forces Brains to access the main computer system by using a psychokinetic ability that runs in his family. The Hood takes control of Thunderbird 5, and informs the trapped Tracys that he intends to rob the banks of the world, letting the Thunderbirds take the blame. He then shuts off most of Thunderbird 5's systems, leaving them adrift in space in a decaying orbit that will eventually lead to them burning up when they enter the Earth's atmosphere. The Hood sees this as a fitting end for the man who left him to die following the collapse of a mine, but saving his brother, Kyrano.

Meanwhile, the children, Alan, Fermat and the Kyranos' daughter TinTin, infiltrate the command centre using the air vents, and overhear the Hood's plans. Unfortunately, Fermat's sneezing alerts the Hood to their presence and they are forced to escape into Thunderbird 2's hangar, and from there into Thunderbird 1's silo. Unfortunately, they are cornered by the Hood, who tries to influence Alan using his mental powers, but fails, and the kids escape through the blast vents. Transom fires TB1's engines, and the Hood assumes that the kids are killed by the flames.

Actually, they survive, having been dropped by the vent into the sea, seconds before the flames reached them. They decide to hack into the central computer and restore power to Thunderbird 5 by accessing the satellite that links the island to Thunderbird 5. The journey is a dangerous one, taking them through the forbidden jungle area of the island.

Meanwhile, in England, Lady Penelope and Parker become concerned by the Thunderbirds' lack of action during the eventful day, and decide to set off for Tracy Island in order to investigate for themselves.

The Hood heads down to Thunderbird 2 and instructs Transom to take off, but she discovers that the guidance processor, which it needs in order to take off, is missing. It was stolen by Fermat as they passed through on their way to Thunderbird 1. The Hood is furious, and instructs Mullion to find the children and retrieve the processor.

As TinTin finally allows the two lagging guys to have a rest, Alan manages to get a deadly scorpion on his shoulder. TinTin, exhibiting similar powers to her uncle, levitates the scorpion and drops it harmlessly to the ground. However, when questioned by the guys, she doesn't want to discuss it, and resumes the journey towards the satellite.

When they reach the satellite, Fermat manages to access the controls using the wire from Alan's retainer and the trio manage to contact Thunderbird 5. However, their tampering alerts Transom, who is in the control room, seducing the helpless Brains. She manages to jam the data signal before control can be restored, and passes the information on to Mullion, who is in the jungle searching for the kids. He finds them as they are contemplating their next move. The kids escape and TinTin creates a diversion by attacking Mullion and his driver with a wasps' nest whilst Alan and Fermat head towards the junkyard, where they find an old hover sled and a trailer that they can attach to it. TinTin and Fermat think that they should follow Jeff's orders and wait for Lady Penelope, but Alan persuades them that they should take action to avoid getting caught. With Mullion hot on their tail, Alan ignores Fermat's warnings and drives the sled too fast, causing the trailer to become detached, and Fermat and TinTin are caught. They are taken to the walk-in freezer, where Brains and the Kyranos are also being held.

Lady Penelope arrives in FAB1, and is seen by Alan, who is making his way back to the house. However, her arrival is also detected in the control room by Transom.

Meanwhile, the situation is looking hopeless on Thunderbird 5. Transom has turned the heat up to full, their orbit will take them into the atmosphere in 37 minutes, and their oxygen will run out in 30. Jeff maintains hope in Alan, but the brothers are not so confidant.

Penelope and Parker are greeted by The Hood, Transom and Mullion upon arrival at the house, and a Buffy-esque fight ensues, including the witty one-liners from Lady P. Alan watches in awe, hidden in the vegetation along the edge of the patio. When the Hood uses his powers to throw a sofa across the room, Alan notices that using the powers weakens him. However, Alan's musings alert the Hood to his presence.

The Hood takes Lady P and Parker prisoner using his powers, and taunts Alan into revealing himself and handing over the guidance processor for Thunderbird 2. Transom and Mullion take the trio to the freezer.

The situation is looking hopeless on Thunderbird 5. The artificial gravity is offline, and the Tracys are using oxygen from their emergency cylinders in order to stay alive.

Lady P takes control in the freezer, having had enough of losing, and formulates an ingenious escape plan, using an icicle on the ceiling to cut Parker's bonds by kicking a shoe at it to make it fall. Parker then breaks out of the locked freezer using one of the underwires from Penelope's bra.

Transom installs the guidance processor and Thunderbird 2 takes off for London. The former prisoners regain control of the main computer and restore power to Thunderbird 5. However, it will take too long for the Tracys to reach London from space, and Jeff allows Alan to pursue in Thunderbird 1, along with Fermat, TinTin and Lady P.*

Thunderbird 2 creates havoc when it lands in Jubilee Park, London. Thunderbird 1 is not far behind, and the kids take over the unguarded Thunderbird 2 when the Hood severs a pylon for the monorail whilst tunneling under the Thames in the Mole. One of the monorail trains falls into the Thames, and Alan uses Thunderbird 4 to locate and steady the carriage whilst TinTin attaches a line that will allow Thunderbird 2 to pull them safely to the surface.

Thunderbird 3 arrives whilst Thunderbird 4 is still underwater, and the other boys are left to watch the events along with the crowd that has gathered. Once the monorail carriage had been returned to the surface, Alan, Jeff, Fermat and TinTin go to the Bank of London, where Lady Penelope has pursued the Hood to, leaving the boys to follow up in the accident zone.

Jeff leaves the children in Parker's care whilst he goes to find Penny, but Alan soon evades him. Alan tracks down Jeff and Penny, who are being held captive by the Hood, and forces the Hood to use his powers, thus weakening himself. They end up on a gangway above the Mole - The Hood safely on the walkway itself, and Alan hanging from the edge. Seeing his chance, the Hood operates the Mole telekinetically, switching the powerful blades on just beneath Alan's feet!

Parker, Fermat and TinTin are cornered by Mullion and Transom. TinTin takes on Transom and locks her in a cage, whilst Parker and Fermat are left to face Mullion.

TinTin manages to find the Hood whilst he is attempting to dispatch of Alan, and uses her own powers to fight her uncle and turn gangway over so that Alan is safely on top whilst the Hood is left hanging. Alan realises that whilst the Hood may deserve to fall to his death, it is his duty to save the man who tried to ruin his family, and catches the Hood as he falls.

The police arrive to arrest the robbers, and the Tracys, Fermat and TinTin return to Tracy Island for a well-earned rest. Once back at the Island, Jeff informs the kids that they have all done well, and they become true Thunderbirds.


*In the take-off scene, Fermat's hand is substituted for a puppet, complete with strings. A nod to the series, perhaps?