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Amazon.co.uk Review
Drums pound, building excitement; the music bursts into life with a cry of "Stingray! Stingray!" Who can resist? Especially when a dramatic voice announces, "Anything can happen in the next half hour!". Stingray (1964) was the show Gerry Anderson made just before he really hit the big time with Thunderbirds (1965), producing 39 episodes of the 21st-century adventures of Troy Tempest--tall, dark and handsome (his voice was based on James Garner) captain of the titular submarine. His mission: to protect the seas on behalf of WASP (World Aquanaut Security Patrol). With complex underwater model and puppet effects, this was ground-breaking television, especially as it was the first UK series to be made in colour, though for years it was only seen in black and white. Special effects director Derek Meddings later graduated to the James Bond movies, while Moneypenny herself (actress Lois Maxwell) voiced Atlanta Shore. Here, just as in the Bond movies, she played second fiddle in our hero's affections, the mute Marina becoming Stingray's sex-goddess. The end-credits even featured a song in her honour, "Aqua Maria", which became an international hit. As for the bad guys: half-man, half-fish Titan and his Terror Fish wage dastardly war against humanity and the peaceful underwater citizens of Pacifica. Four decades on the model and underwater sequences still impress, and surely much of the inspiration for the underwater city in The Phantom Menace came from locations in Stingray. Whether as bizarre 60s nostalgia, or winning a new generation of fans, Stingray remains eccentric cult family entertainment. --Gary S Dalkin
DVD Description
The Stingray - Complete Series [1964] box set features all 39 episodes of "Stingray" spread over five discs. Created by "Super Mario Nation" genius Gerry Anderson ("Thunderbirds"; "Space: 1999"; "Captain Scarlet"), the series has a cult following amongst adults and a broad popularity amongst children. Taking place in the year 2065, Troy Tempest leads the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (WASP) against the evil aquaphibians, which leads to much undersea mayhem and adventure. The complete series DVD also features the original TV advertisements, original publicity merchandise, character profiles and commentary from Gerry Anderson himself.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful childhood memory revisited (Marineville),
By
This review is from: Stingray - Complete Boxset [DVD] [1964] (DVD)
As a child in the suburbs of New York City in 1965, I was enchanted by Stingray. We had a color TV back then and this was one of my favorite shows. Being able to watch Stingray again is a real treat. (Of course having a region-free/multistandard player helps quite a bit). The episodes are quite entertaining, and there is still a little rush of adrenaline when I hear "Stand by for Action!" and the roll of the drums... The quality of the set is excellent and the navigation through the menus is a breeze. An absolute must have for all Supermarionation fans...
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Aquarium-Based Adventure Series,
By Paul Ess. (Holywell, N.Wales,UK.) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Stingray - Complete Boxset [DVD] [1964] (DVD)
You wouldn't think it would be possible to imbue a puppet series with all the flamboyant colour and camp of the 1960's - yet here it is.
'Stingray' is gloriously of its time. A deliciously CGI-free world of deep-sea despots, mechanical war-fish, relentless xenophobia and populist rough justice. It's the completely believable adventures of the Marineville-based World Aquanaut Security Patrol: Troy Tempest, Phones, Atlanta, Commander Shore, exiled sea-nymph Marina, and their self-righteous policing of nasty races, skulking and scheming at the bottom of the sea. Much fun's to be had spotting the real folk the puppets are based on: Marina is obviously Ursula Andress, Shore displays more than a hint of Spencer Tracy, evil scourge Surface Agent X 2 Zero's voice is clearly Peter Lorre - in fact there's only Tempest himself a tad unclear. I've always thought it was probably some early 60's crooner like Dickie Valentine - the jury's out. 'Stingray' has the most exciting opening credit sequence of any tv series ever. Oil rigs collapse, a whole marine base disappears underground, huge noisy war-planes raze the sky, explosions, shootings, missiles, a jarring jump from black and white to vivid colour; all accompanied by the rousing and urgent theme music - in my opinion never bettered - by Barry Gray. On the un-PC front 'Stingray' is a joy. The 'Loch Ness Monster' episode is APPALLINGLY offensive and the WASPs seem to a have a very civilised - if unfashionable - shoot-on-site policy: Phones: "Hey Troy, I'm picking up a small craft on the echo-finder." Tempest: "Prepare Sting Missiles!" . They smoke, drink, play poker and there's an underwater prison called Aquatraz (!) which makes Guantanamo Bay look like the Holiday Inn. The 60's endorsed sexism is admirably emphatic. Both female characters have massive crushes on Tempest (of course) but instead of filling his boots, he acts so gallant, coy and condescending - he gets neither. Personally, although Andress/Marina is desirably mute, I'd go for Atlanta. She's a hot red-head, dreamily voiced by old Moneypenny herself - Lois Maxwell, and is the daughter of Commander Shore, so there's more chance of promotion. The only down-side to 'Stingray' is that it was commissioned for children so no-one gets even slightly killed....
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poptabulous!!,
By
This review is from: Stingray - Complete Boxset [DVD] [1964] (DVD)
First off, I have kids, two 'Big Fellas' and I bought the Thunderbirds DVD set. Obviously, not for them, for me. In the age of special effects etc, what would possibly be compared to some silly puppets bouncing about the screen. Well.... For a start, the sets, Look at the detail, look at the plot, look at the entire scene. Make believe but oh so sweet. It doesn't matter that you see some stupid strings dangling down from the nether regions, your enticed, you picture yourself in there. Yes, I know, the flames look to big....... So what!!!! when there is a splash in the water, its way to big...... So what!!! Troy can sort it. Send Marina down to investigate. Tell you what..... Go buy the damn thing!!! The most enjoyable experience sitting down :) Times change, visual identity grows. Its 40 years of glorious age and it still hangs on in there. Hail Gerry/Silvia. In the word of the all mighty.... Long live Supermarionation!!
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