Condorman (1981)

This was in the days before seat-back screens in airliners, "the" film was unavoidable. This one began with a bunch of people in an office talking, then, I think, some of them were somewhere else, talking. No laughs, no action, no clue as to why anyone should care about what comes next, and the production standards of an end-of-the-line "Murder She Wrote" after they moved it to New York. It did not help that I have never appreciated Crawford's acting, he gives me the creeps. If this was a kids' film why did it start off so slow and boring? Maybe the rest of it was better. I don't intend finding out. I'm glad so many people loved it, but there should be an "unsuitable for adults" classification for stuff like this.

I only rated it a 9 mainly because of some of the finer details others have pointed out which could have made the film better, but really it is exactly what it was meant to be-- a hilarious double spoof: a spoof on super heroes, and a spoof on spy movies.If you're like me, once you've seen one spy movie, you've really seen them all. They're all the same, with different details. Spy movies, the normal variety, are highly overrated. The same is true with super hero movies, comics, cartoons, etc. Once the original Superman, Spiderman, etc, are introduced, nothing is ever original after that, and it's just so much hogwash that takes itself far too seriously.Enter the spoof, or the farce. This delightful genre of movie or TV show takes something known to be serious, and makes it silly. The fun in watching something like this does not come from thinking "wow, this really could have happened, it's so realistic" but rather from thinking, "Aha! They are making so much fun of James Bond in this scene, it's just hilarious!" A spoof is a variation of a farce-- a farce is a silly story that no one could really expect to happen, but a spoof is a farce that makes fun of something that people take way to seriously. Other popular farces and spoofs have included Get Smart, Gomer Pyle, USMC, The Inspector General, Mathnet (on Square 1 TV), The Princess Bride, Robin Hood Men in Tights, and all the Monty Python adventures. There are many others.Condorman is just such a spoof. It is meant to be funny. It is comedy first, romance and drama second. It appeals to a wide range of age groups because children actually think it's cool (if they're not already spoiled with too many brain-numbing robot and ninja cartoons to be able to appreciate true comedy) and adults love the stabs and jabs taken at the serious spy movies and superheroes.Yes, Condorman might have been better with a bigger budget, and maybe a little more effort could have been put into some of the plot, but I still love it and I think it is by and large one of the most satisfying and memorable films ever made. They don't make anything like it any more-- it's of the same ilk as Strongest Man in the World, and Herbie. Maybe Don Knotts would have been a funnier Condorman, but I still think it was great. I never noticed the wires holding Condor man up or the poor American accent while I was a kid-- come on, you people still watch the Wizard of Oz! For overall watchability, I think this is one to keep on the front row of your DVD collection.

The reason I gave Condorman a 10 isn't because it's the best movie I've ever seen, but more because it's one of my fav childhood memories. I remember none of the video stores had it, but the library did. I used to rent it almost on a weekly basis for more than a year and it's funny...All I can remember of it is the title track and a boat chase vaguely, but what I remember most is how much I loved sitting down in front of our old brute of a T.V. that was probably 10 years older than me with the crappiest color you've ever seen and watching that movie over and over and over. So I guess what I'm saying is that although I don't remember much of the movie itself, I'll never forget how much I loved watching it. I haven't seen it in more than fifteen years and I don't think I ever want to see it again. It seems to me that when you're a four year old kid, movies seem a lot more amusing. I think if I watched it again now, I'd be more disappointed than anything else. HAIL CONDORMAN!!!! -Chris P.

One of the most talented actor's of his era stars in the lead role. Perhaps we could say that the other actors' were being given a chance. There was no lack of ambition in making the film. Some of the on-location scenes are truly stunning. Although the special effects are starting to appear dated they are none the less original and brilliant. The concept of the film is a cross between a comic book hero and a secret agent who failed O'Level spying. It has the humour of the Morecambe and Wise show and the special effects of an early Bond film. A worthy flick that will appeal to everyone from young to not-so-young. It contains humour, gadgets, one-liners and plenty of action and is certainly not as predictable as one might think.