There’s something genuinely intoxicating about the Thunderball score that other Bond movies have never quite replicated. Even when the movie’s pacing starts to drag or the plot gets a bit murky, John Barry’s music acts as this incredible, seductive tether that keeps you locked in. Despite its tropical setting, the plotlines and cinematography give an aura of haziness and darkness to the movie, and the score fits it perfectly.
It kicks off with the grandiose and awesome, almost violent energy of Tom Jones and his catchy theme, but then settles into a low-key, mysterious vibe that feels tailor-made for a deep-sea thriller. You can actually hear the “fizz” of the ocean in Barry’s arrangements with rising orchestral swells that feel like bubbles floating up from the depths.
It transcends standard action scoring by being more atmospheric with an almost hypnotic effect. Regardless of the highlights and lowlights of the movie itself, the score remains as a persistent, flawless element.
