10 Summer Blockbuster Movies That Should Never Have Happened

If you’ve ever gotten the impression that movie executives couldn’t care less if their film stays close to the TV show they’re “reimagining”, then check out this live action version of the 60s sci-fi series, which Gerry Anderson described as “the biggest load of !*$% I have ever seen in my entire life.”

Refashioned as a cross between Spy Kids and Clockstoppers, Thunderbirds plays around with the ages of the main characters, turning Alan Tracy (a former racing driver in the series) into an adolescent who goes on adventures accompanied by his stuttering sidekick and Vanessa Hudgens. When the rest of International Rescue are stranded in space by The Hood (Ben Kingsley), only Alan can save the day by defeating a succession of comic book henchmen with improvised weapons. What is this, Home Alone?

With a title like Thunderbirds, you might expect the movie to, you know, contain some actual action involving the Thunderbirds, but with International Rescue out of action for most of the film, the filmmakers instead chase the pre-teen demographic. The final insult is the theme song written by boy band Busted that includes the lyrics, “Weapons underground keeping our planet safe and sound/ If someone evil’s coming round they should be frightened/ Cos the boys are back in town/ No strings to hold them down.”