There’s no thunder in this ‘60s remake

Making a live-action version of “Thunderbirds” is a rather odd idea, like rounding out the edges on a Picasso painting to render it more realistic.

After all, the appeal of this cult kiddie show from the ‘60s was the eerie and expressionless look of the rocket-jockey puppets. (The surreal British sci-fi series was the culmination of Gerry Anderson’s “supermarionation” technique.) Nobody watched “Thunderbirds” for the plots.

Casting real actors isn’t the only liberty this radical remake has taken. The primary characters are relegated to the background to clear the decks for a sentimental coming-of-age story. The Tracy family men – ace pilots – spend most of the movie helplessly marooned and drifting on a disabled satellite.

It’s up to the untested youngest son, Alan (Brady Corbett), and his adolescent cohorts Fermat (Soren Fulton) and Tin-Tin (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) to defeat the nefarious Hood (Ben Kingsley). The only adult help they receive comes from Lady Penelope (Sophia Myles), a secret agent whose every accessory and outfit must be a gaudy pink.

With its child heroes, bloodless battles, wild gadgetry and hair-raising chase scenes, “Thunderbirds” is clearly patterned on the “Spy Kids” franchise. It’s clean and cheerful entertainment, blithely piggybacking on a beloved classic. No wonder Anderson washed his hands of this project – the filmmakers tampered with, and trampled on, his magic formula.