Condorman

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.

This film reminds me of the first 'flick' our entire family went to see. Oh and the last. Condorman will only be a good film for those who remember times gone by. This is a very watchable family film but don't expect major laughs, especially with Michael Crawford's (Ooooh Betty) poor American accent. This was Disneys alternative to Superman with a splash of James Bond, and quite simply it was anything but. Please watch it so you can see how much storyboards, acting and special effects have progressed. If you like Porsche's chasing a gypsy waggon, then this is for you. If you are going to analyse this film for its kit-ch humour, and the directors/studio's desperation to get a film out for Summer, don't bother, however it is a way of introducing a spy film to your 3 year old.

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.

Ratings are almost entirely about perspective. Is this really an 8 star movie? Of course not. But it also depends on which version of me you ask.

5 year old me in 1981 - 10 stars!!!!!!! 40something year old me in 2019 - Eh, 6 stars seems fair. Average rating - 8*

Condorman was easily one of my 5 favorite movies as a young child. I watched it so many times I wore out a few VHS tapes. There isn't a lot about the movie that really holds up and I gotta imagine that if you showed it to a child today, they'd probably lose interest in it fairly quickly. Some of the humor is very dated and wouldn't make any sense to anyone who wasn't actually alive at the time. And the special effects, which looked totally real to 5 year old me, are painfully bad to 40+ year old me and would probably be terrible to the eyes of anyone who has grown up only knowing CGI. That said, it was then and still is now, a really fun movie that stays in its lane and doesn't try to be anything more than what it is.

If you're looking for something to engage your 5-10 year old kid, there's a sliiiiiight chance this might do it for them, but chances are the only people who would really enjoy this movie today are people who saw it when it was released. Grab some popcorn and a side order of childhood nostalgia and enjoy.