`Thunderball` scores with best Bond gadgets

Looking for the biggest blast of gadgety James Bond goodness? Thunderball is your best bet, according to Wired's Twitter followers.

Wired's tweetmaster of the week, associate editor Joe Brown (@joemfbrown for @wired), caused quite a stir around the office and on Twitter with this quick query Monday:

RT @wired "Debate around the Wired office this a.m.: Which Bond movie has the best gadgets? Opinions?"

This simple question went from mere 140-character discussion to an all-out, 140-plus expletive war. And who can blame Bond aficionados? From 1962's Dr. No on, from recasting to rebooting, Bond's onscreen gadgets are cooler and cooler.

The movies deliver gadgets for all tastes and sensibilities — from something as simple as Oddjob's bladed hat in Goldfinger to MI6's modern multitouch computer interface in Quantum of Solace.

Everyone has their favorites, but the people have spoken: An overwhelming majority of the Wired Twitter crowd has crowned director Terence Young's Thunderball the best Bond flick for gadgetry.

Sean Connery played Bond in this 1965 treasure. Let's revisit the gear to see exactly what it is about these gadgets that make them so alluring.

Bell Textron jet pack
After his pre-credit chateau battle, Bond advertises the Bell Textron jet pack like Whirlpool used to advertise feminism. "No well-dressed man should be without one," quips Bond. He's right — he soared to safety using it in his Aston Martin DB5.
Infrared camera (with Geiger counter)

Bond's handy camera can take photographs in total darkness using infrared film. Bond stealthily takes pictures (the camera takes eight photos in rapid succession) to see what's behind the hidden doors of the Disco Volante. The camera is also equipped with a Geiger counter to help in the superspy's quest to find stolen atomic weapons.

Largo's remote control
A man with an eye-patch should have an all-powerful remote control. And, just as Bond knows what well-dressed men should carry, Emilio Largo (played by Adolfo Celi, pictured right) has eye-patch fashion down. After walking into an ordinary building, he presses a button on his remote control, opening a secret door to Spectre's Paris headquarters. The remote is notable for how nonchalantly Largo incorporates it into his evil repertoire.

Radioactive homing pill
Who would swallow a radioactive homing pill? Bond does, after being coerced by Q (played by Desmond Llewelyn) to do so. Bond should be happy he took the gadget master's advice, as the pill turns out to be the only way CIA agent Felix Leiter (Rik Van Nutter) can track him down when he is held captive in Largo's cave.

Miniature flare
Felix Leiter has Bond's back with the help of a miniature flare created by inventor extraordinaire Q. Tiny enough to fit in one's pocket, this flare and the homing device help the CIA superspook identify Bond's location when he lights it up.

Underwater Breather
One would think breathing underwater (pictured right) would be automatically cool. It isn't. Remember Waterworld? Luckily, Bond's underwater breather puts the cool back into oxygenated gear, even after repeated viewings. While we could argue that this device is lame with only a four-minute air supply, it manages to save Bond several times — starting in Largo's shark pool.

Underwater propulsion unit
It's not nearly as convenient as the underwater breather, but the bulky underwater propulsion unit is more awesome. Strapped onto Bond's oxygen tanks, it propels Bond into battle at high speeds. Not only that, the propulsion unit contains spear guns, explosive bottles and even a searchlight. Ready, steady, go!

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