Condorman, o Homem-Pássaro

I loved this film in the eighties. I used to own it on Betamax, but since VHS and DVDs took over the world, I lost my copy of Condorman somewhere along the way. Michael Crawford (better known for his hapless TV character Frank Spencer), plays a comicbook writer who gets recruited by the CIA.

As improbably as that sounds, you're best just glossing over it, as thinking too deeply about anything you see will spoil the film further.

It's just stupid, cheesy fun. I loved it as a kid, but I have to admit being a little disappointed at what was really in front of me all the time. I could still appreciate some of it. The gadgets were fun, but Frank Spencer... sorry, Woody Wilkins, can just be a bit annoying. His jokes aren't that funny and he isn't tough enough to carry off being an action hero. I know this is a parody of spy movies in general, but if you want a cheesier spy movie, just watch some of the later Roger Moore James Bond films.

Yes, I loved it as a kid and others who have such nostalgic memories of it will probably get something out of it, too. However, it's unlikely to find a new audience nowadays. If you have an eight-year-old boy, he might like it, but anyone over the age of eight will feel pretty bored by it all.

I'm giving it 6/10 because of how much I used to love it. By today's standards, it's probably no more than a 5/10.

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I love this movie. I grew up watching Condorman and I always think of it with fond memories. The special effects may not be the best; however, the movie is over two decades old, and I think the effects are quite adequate. Besides, the movie is not supposed to be realistic, but rather it is a comedy with action elements. It provides a window into what people worried about in the early eighties; Cold War espionage is a major part of the story. Overall, it is charming and is a feel-good movie. It has all the classic elements: good verses evil and boy meets girl. It is a quality family movie and I would recommend this film to all who are young at heart.

If the best James Bond movie had a "G" rating, it might very well have looked liked "Condorman". It has all of the cool gadgets, world-wide locations, a sexy femme fatale, creepy Russain villains, and best of all, some of the coolest car and boat chase sequences on film. Keep in mind that this is a kids movie, so the humor level is elementary, but nonetheless funny. The acting is over-the-top and cartoonish, but regardlessly enjoyable. Everyone looking for a fun, fast-paced adventure movie should check out this movie.

Being a superhero flick made by Walt Disney Productions, one couldn’t expect the violent thrills associated with the genre – but, then, neither was it the kiddie-oriented fare I was dreading. In fact, it’s more espionage stuff (the narrative occurs in a variety of European locations) in clear imitation of the James Bond extravaganzas, complete with multi-purpose car, than outright fantasy (the hero is a mild-mannered cartoonist and the “Condorman” outfit emerges to be decidedly quaint, getting very little mileage into the bargain!).

Still, it’s engaging and pleasant-looking for what it is – though the simplistic “Condorman” theme wouldn’t rank among famed composer Henry Mancini’s most memorable pieces. The cast enters gleefully into the absurd spirit of the thing: Michael Crawford as the unlikely hero; Barbara Carrera as a luscious defecting Russian agent (she would eventually feature in the “Odd Bond Out” of that series i.e. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN [1983]); Oliver Reed, a bit glum but at least non-hammy as the chief villain; James Hampton as Crawford’s C.I.A. agent pal; Jean-Pierre Kalfon as Reed’s top henchman, a one-eyed menace; and Dana Elcar as the C.I.A. operative who unwittingly puts “Condorman” on the map.

Typically, we get a number of disguises (at one point, both Crawford and Hampton don the garbs of Arab sheiks!), chases (on land and sea) and stunts (directed by the ubiquitous Remy Julienne) – not to mention romance (Crawford, of course, falls for Carrera and models his fictional “Laser Lady” character on her!). Incidentally, while we’re obviously not treated to an action prologue here like in the Bond films, we’re given an animated sequence instead – which is a nice way of acknowledging the film’s comic-strip aspect. Finally, I wouldn’t say that CONDORMAN is hilarious…but it does contain one good in-joke – a crack by Hampton that “not everyone in the C.I.A. is Robert Redford”, clearly a reference (and a very apt one given the title!) to that star’s own espionage venture THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975).

"Condorman" is not a great movie. However, it is a lot of fun to watch. "Condorman" follows cartoonist Woody Wilkins (Michael Crawford), an eccentric who refuses to have his hero, Condorman, do anything in a comic book that he himself hasn't done in real life. The acting is predictably predictable, but still fun. Aside from Crawford, the other characters include a ravishing Barbera Carrera as the gorgeous Russian spy Wilkins falls for, and Oliver Reed as her "old fling". If for no other reason than to see a pre-"Phantom" Crawford in an outrageous role, this movie is worth at least a look.