F comme Flint

Basically another in the endless series of Bond-knockoffs of the late 60's, the second Flynt movie (for some reason I keep missing the first one) is fun enough as a semi-parody. It's nowhere nearly as offensive/dumb as the Matt Helm stuff. Coburn makes a decent superman spy, although his lanky physique makes him look rather ungainly in the fight sequences (only Ted Danson looks more awkward). It's your basic Cold War type movie with some women who want to rule the world (and *oh the humanity* are betrayed by the military man they put their trust in, played by a fiendish Steve Inhat) tossed in.

As a writer and as someone who suffered the 1970s as a burden, I find this late 1960's projection of women's lib and computers run mad about as funny as any film I know. James Coburn was a thin, charismatic and intelligent actor with limitations by way of his accent but in no other respect. He should probably have been hired to make more westerns and more high-tech thrillers; but in Derek Flint, zen-trained super-spy, in the two films he was allowed to complete in this series, he found his most famous and acclaimed role. The first was "Our Man Flint", also co-starring Lee J. Cobb, which was in my opinion a superior satire but less successful The storyline in the second entry has to do with an offer to Flint's three female assistants to visit an Island run by an outfit's leaders calling their operation "Fabulous Face". As if the girls needed improving. Of course, the corporation's heads turn out to be furious women's liberation advocates bent on world domination, planning to rid themselves of male frustrations, advice and competition forever. Forget the plot. Derek Flint's girls are in danger and that leads his organization, Z.O.W.I.E., his boss Lloyd Cramden and Flint into the exotic blackmail-the-world plot involving female astronauts and nuclear Macgoffins. But first there are the lethal tricks the ladies have thought up; Cramden loses ninety seconds on a golf course; Flint discovers hair driers are being used for brainwashing sessions; and the island resort Fabulous Face runs in the US Virgins turns out to be replete with pretty girls and pretty dangerous ideas. This is a comedy, let us remembers, with an underlying satire targeting both excessive women's lib and male chauvinism thrown in. And in a comedy, actions speak louder than ideas. The film is subtle in unexpected ways unlike its satirical predecessor which was less funny and more a direct comment on gimmick-heavy spy movies. Here we have mostly guided missiles, the world's most lethal cigarette lighter and Flint. His comment to the board of the ladies who are trying to take over the world is exactly right--"But you can't...you're--women/ladies/females" refers to their idea that they ought to do so merely because they're female, and to the methods they are employing in the name of "liberation". Lloyd Cramden in a dress is hard to take, but this production if colorful, only occasionally cartoonish in its look and very-well constructed. The music is overdone for comedic effect, Action film veteran Gordon Douglas kept the pace moving nicely; Harold Fimberg was given sole credit for a film which obviously had several parents, not one. The art direction for this eye-filling romp was provided by Dale Hennessey and Jack Martin Smith, the many fine costumes by Ray Aghayan, makeup by Margaret Donovan, and the elaborate set decorations by James W. Payne and Walter M. Scott. Forget the postmodernist analyses; this is a send-up of spy movies with knocks at both antagonists in the war between the sexes thrown in. It's an entertainment. It is played strictly for laughs, cornball and subtle ones. In the cast, James Coburn looks awkward at times but handles the super-spy cerebrations and courage aspects well. Lee J. Cobb has much less to do than in the first installment. Jean Hale has a large part and is bright and adequate, not more. Others in the cast include dependable Andrew Duggan as the president and his replacement, Anna Lee as the leader of the lethal ladies, Stephen Ihnat, Yvonne Craig, Hannah Landy, Herb Edelman and many others. This is a seventies-style sexy romp born before its time, less estimable than "Our Man Flint" but funnier and a worthy successor. It was made for people who wanted to forget the Cold War and get on with man's favorite sport--being male and female and having fun exchanging one-upsmanships.

James Colburn is a super genius and super spy. He aids in a friend to help find three minutes missing while on a golf outing with the President. Something appears to be amiss. Colburn is a ladies man and ends up all over the world showing his many talents. I happened to find all of the set designs very detailed and colorful. I will be watching it again just for the costume design, furniture design and set designs. I love Colburn, this was nothing I expected from him. It is light heartedly silly and comical. I will leave all the critical reviews for someone else. I found it goofy and entertaining and it was surprising to see this side of Colburn. If I was a design student, artist or interior decorator, definitely worth the watch.

Coburn goes way way over the top in ILF. In OMF he plays Flint as someone who is 'sort of real' ... for example, when Cramden asks him, "Is there nothing you don't know?" "A great many things, sir." In the fight sequences, they are also played 'not campy' ... the fight in the bathroom ... it's more fun when it looks somewhat real, and when the toilet paper and grunt of Gruber comes at the scene's end, it's the right touch.

The same with the fight with the two guards outside Cramden's office. Great stuff. I think Coburn's style influenced Bruce Lee ... or other way around? If Coburn did OMF in 1965 or so, and he met Lee a couple of years later (I'm not certain) .... And after the fight, the comedy is just right; a blend of silliness (the light bulb) and straightness, with Flint saving a life.

Notice also when Cramden is darted, and Flint doesn't mug when he does the cut.

But in the sequel, Coburn is all over the place, over-mugging. While most of the credit for the downsizing of Flint goes to the writers, Coburn also has to take some blame. There is hardly an action scene where he plays Flint like a fighting master ... just for laffs. Again, counter this with OMF : when he climbs the ladder with the guitar rift, happily Coburn doesn't wink and mug. With that great music, it would've ruined the scene(s).

However, the scene in the penthouse, with Flint talking about eating grubs is the Flint form the first movie.

The director should have seen this. Or maybe Coburn thought the script was so dumb, he just let loose and had his own jokes. But Flint loses his fun when it became too much Austin Powers.

Btw, the Powers movies would have been much better if they had been played as a homage to Flint/Bond. That's what OMF did so well. Created a great character with the perfect actor to play him.

But even tho ILF is so inferior to the first, it's still a lot of fun. How can I say this? Because he's still Flint!

This is James Coburn's second outing as Derek Flint. Though it is ultimately worth a viewing, it doesn't quite live up to it's predecessor. The film takes a while to get going and at times the spirit of fun that infected the original seems to be missing. But when that spirit is present, the film is loads of fun! Anyone know where I can buy a copy of Flint's Dolphin Language Dictionary? Never know when it might come in handy.