Condorman (1981)

Cartoonist Woody becomes the superhero he draws. Using his gadgets he helps a Soviet spy defect to the West.

Director:

Charles Jarrott

Writers:

Marc Stirdivant (screenplay), Robert Sheckley (novel)

Stars:

Michael Crawford, Oliver Reed, Barbara Carrera

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Michael Crawford	...	Woody Wilkins
Oliver Reed	...	Krokov
Barbara Carrera	...	Natalia
James Hampton	...	Harry Oslo
Jean-Pierre Kalfon	...	Morovich
Dana Elcar	...	Russ Devlin
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Russian Agent
Robert Arden	...	CIA Chief

Storyline

Comic artist and writer Woody performs a simple courier operation for his friend Harry who works for the CIA. But when he successfully fends off hostile agents, he earns the respect of the beautiful Natalia, who requests his assistance for her defection. Woody uses this request as leverage to use the CIA's resources to bring his comic book creation, Condorman, to life to battle the evil Krokov.

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Plot Keywords:

non comic book superhero | soviet spy | spy | cartoonist | cia | 

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Taglines:

An action adventure romantic comedy spy story.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 August 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kondormannen

Filming Locations:

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Having headlined The Jokers (1967), directed by Michael Winner, Michael Crawford and Oliver Reed were old sparring partners on the silver screen. Pulling off a masterful criminal heist in central London as Michael and David Tremayne, they shared great onscreen chemistry. Michael Crawford's character even managed to trump his older brother played by Oliver Reed, outwitting him in a clever plot twist. Crawford's skill and surprising penchant for stunts in these films and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973) made the classy action sequences featuring him and Oliver Reed in The Jokers (1967) effortless and believable.

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Goofs

When Harry's supposedly uninhabited car drives itself off the pier, a driver can be seen hidden inside the driver's seat, as the driver's arm is visible, cleverly hidden with the upholstery.

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Quotes

Krokov: Have you seen this report on this Condorman? On this man Wilkins? He is an AMATEUR, do you hear? He is NOT an agent of the CIA! He is a WRITER OF COMIC BOOKS!

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Crazy Credits

In the first version released by Anchor Bay Entertainment, the pace of the opening credits has been sped up, as is evidenced by the speed of the boats, vehicles, tourists, and finally Michael Crawford's walking around on the Eiffel Tower before Russ appears.

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Connections

Referenced in Toy Story Toons: Small Fry (2011)

User Reviews

It was better when I was about eight years old

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.

http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/