It's challenging to evaluate older James Bond movies alongside their successors because there are noticeable differences—the female characters gain more depth and become more engaging, the storylines grow more complex, the antagonists move away from predictable archetypes, and the visual effects consistently improve. Despite these observations, I feel inclined to set Thunderball apart from any such evaluation due to a somewhat unusual and personal connection, not solely because of Sean Connery’s presence! When I was younger, I came into possession of the soundtrack album for Thunderball, likely from my father or an older sibling. This occurred long before I actually saw the film itself. Aside from Tom Jones' theme song, the recording is entirely instrumental, and I frequently listened to it while studying, reading, or even writing stories and later novels. It’s remarkable that I didn’t completely ruin the record. Eventually, my musical preferences shifted toward new age music and then ambient soundscapes. What was I talking about? Right, so when I finally viewed Thunderball, I immediately recognized the background music whenever it appeared. Consequently, I developed a fondness for this film unlike any I'd felt with other Bond installments. I’m not sure if that offers much assistance to those considering watching it, but if you find the more recent James Bond films too polished and homogenous, Thunderball presents a somewhat different feel, which might appeal to you. And did I mention Sean Connery is in it?

Source on TMDB