Our Man Flint: Dead on Target

Wow. I hadn't thought about this one in a while. I was all excited when I heard this one was coming. since the original 2 Flint films were long-time favorites. Well, Ray Danton gives it a good shot, but the movie doesn't seem to know what made the Flint films different from the Bond/Bond wannabes that infested theatres for years. Because of this, this movie imitates all the other clones, and misses the style, and whimsy of the first. Too bad, Danton was an old hand at this sort of thing, after "Secret Agent Super Dragon", and even the lead role in the french comic adaptation, "Lucky The Inscrutable", (directed by Jess Franco). The script just doesn't really work, and past a zippy opening, the film doesn't do much either. A lost opportunity, now best swept out of the way.

Whoever thought it prudent to make a third Derek Flint movie as a backdoor pilot for a failed TV series, clearly didn't understand why the first two movies worked in the first place. James Coburn is completely absent and in his place steps Ray Danton. Ray is decent in the role but without the sheer unpredictability of Coburn means he ends up like every other TV superspy of the 60s and 70s but devoid of any character, traits or personality outside of his name. Most of the humour has been completely removed or watered down and too many plot lines that go unresolved resulting in a barely watchable attempt at a police procedural, not a sophisticated superspy adventure. All the fun and style of the Coburn duology is gone and despite the passable musical score, Dead on Target ends up dead on arrival.

The cast is fine. Smooth operator Danton made a number of Eurospy flicks such as Secret Agent Super Dragon (where is the Blu Ray?), a Thrush agent in The Man From U. N. C. L. E TV series and gangsters (Legs Diamond). This script is awful. I came close to turning it off several times but stuck to the bitter end. Danton's charismatic personality is missing here in this poorly shot and directed time killer. Written by people who did not understand the Flint character.

I've rarely been as disappointed with a film I so wanted to like as this one. Flint was easily my favorite Bond parody/knock-off. And I realize the spy film craze had reached its zenith when the original Flint movies were released a decade prior. Yet this "pilot" telefilm has none of the charm and suave cool that the Coburn films had. No clever gadgets. No cool sets. No cheesy cheekiness.

I accept that a TV movie has budget constraints. Especially one in the mid-1970s. But this was just downright BAD. It has that "low budget" look and feel from start to finish. Repetitious shots of the lead driving. Overall poor photography combined with what I'd label lazy scriptwriting.

But worst of all is wasting Ray Danton.

Danton, with a better script, could easily have captured Flint's persona. And herein lies the source of my greatest disappointment. His Eurospy outings--"Code Name: Jaguar" and "Secret Agent Super Dragon" displayed a certain coolness essential to the character of Derek Flint. Actually, I can't imagine anyone at the time who would have been better suited to assume the role, at least on the small screen.

Such a wasted opportunity..

Flint was the american answer for James Bond, however never reach at their foots, even James Coburn did, Ray Danton carry on trying to, but didn't have a charisma to take advance to allow challenge 007, in this final Flint's saga the plot is quite unbelievable to start, some devices used by flint a lacking substance, all women are highly prudish, well dressed like my mother, Danton really tries hard and was defeated by whose himself try overcome, l watched this picture on my parent's house in 1978 and was a real pleasure to see those wanderer years of my youth times!! By the way the official release just come out in a box of the entire Flint saga!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1978 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 5.5