Metacritic reviews

“Thunder” doesn’t boast a distinctive look or a cast of famous voices. But its characters are engaging and its action sequences exhilarating.

The humour is scant and there's no real risk of peril (Grant George's nephew and his dastardly plans seem more psychopathic than threatening). Yet when you have a film that's colourful, easy on the eye and full of positive messages about friendship and trust, then kids will be happy.

A curious mix of Britpop music cues and moppet-bait storytelling makes for a diverting, if derivative kids' animation.

The 3D effects are dazzling, but the script creaks and the characters are thin.

Lawrence’s mechanised menagerie and the directors’ stereoscopic smarts entertain most.

It’s a thin premise that cues much cheery knockabout comedy, with ample scope for impressively whooshy 3D tracking shots.

The story is serviceable enough.

It is soulless, like something that has been generated by a computer programme.

This script has not exactly been laboured over into the wee hours, and an audience used to Disney and Pixar will rightly expect better than this, whether they’re under 10 or not.

It’s too bad the script lacks the sight gags or one-liners that could have made this good looking picture more animated.