Customer Reviews

Condorman

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As a kid, this was my favorite movie for quite some time. I never thought I'd see them re-release it (as Disney would probably like to forget it ever existed) but I'm pleased none the less. Condorman is sort of a cross between James Bond and Batman with some Pink Panther ineptitude thrown in for laughs. While it is not by any means a masterpiece, it's still pretty fun and quite worthwhile. It's got lots of high tech spy gear, including cool cars, speedboats, lazers and other gadgets, humor, romance, an evil villain, and a likable hero who comes out on top. I've read some pretty bad reviews of the film, complaining that there's no plot to it. I don't know what movie they were watching, but the film makes pretty good sense to someone willing to just listen to the dialogue. It makes a great deal more sense than the plots of some other spy movies I could mention... Maybe Condorman IS mostly for the kids, but if you have an attention span and give it a chance, I think you'll find it's not nearly as bad as you may have heard.

This is one of those movies that would have been a massive hit if it had had a star in it. However it is still a great movie with fantastic action set pieces and pretty good jokes. If you want to ask Disney to let you know when it's re-released use the link on the Disney DVD website and then follow instructions to be 'emailed when it is available'. (Can't post the link here on Amazon as it's a no no to include web addresses so do a search for Condorman on the Disney DVD site).

(...)

I was in middle school when this movie came out. It was 1981 and I had saved up my pocket money to pay for the bus ride into the city and the admission for a matinee to a movie that seemed so exciting and lively to me.
I had read the book 'The Game of X' by Robert Sheckley as well as the adaptation of the movie and imagined every scene in my head as I had gone through it. The movie was everything a young boy could have hoped for - a rollicking, comedic adventure with a very beautiful female Russian agent (Carrera) and a sinister KGB chief (played by Oliver Reed).
The only problem I have with this movie is the miscasting of Michael Crawford as Woody Wilkins, the cartoonist who helps out a friend of his at the CIA office in Paris. Englishman Crawford puts on the most exaggerated American accent imagineable, although admittedly he has the brilliant comedic timing necessary to pull off this role.
The CIA in France has a problem. They need a civilian to act as a courier to Istanbul. Of course Woody gets the job, but right from the start it's obvious he is taking his role just a little too seriously. By the time he arrives to meet his KGB contact in Turkey he has fully assumed the role of his cartoon creation - top CIA agent and superhero Condorman.
Barbara Carrera (who two years later would get to play a Bond girl - the very movies this one attempts to lampoon) plays KGB agent Natalia. Later, when she makes the decision to defect, the impressive Condorman comes to mind as the only CIA agent she will trust to handle her defection.
The only problem is the CIA does not have an agent with the codename Condorman.
What follows is an adventure filled race across Europe with enough gadgets to fill several Bond movies. There is some great car chases (performed by legendary French stunt driver Remy Julienne and his 16-man crew of drivers and mechanics), boat chases and along the way Crawford sports some of the most outrageous disguises in cinema history. It's all great fun and it's executed perfectly.
For high flying escapist entertainment they don't come much more downright enjoyable than this. The DVD is a disappointment with no special features to speak off except a rather slim production notes section in the inside cover booklet. It's 2 pages of notes on the making of the movie, with sections on 'The Story,' 'The Setting,' 'Gadgetry' and 'Stunts and Special Effects,' but it's all very slim pickings.
But, I've had this movie in my DVD collection for over two years and on those quiet rainy Saturday's it's a particular favorite (along with 1980s FLASH GORDON) to put in my DVD player and sit back and remember a more innocent time in my life.
Recommended for all dreamers.

I am a little ashamed that my first review on Amazon wasn't this movie, instead I reviewed King Kong (new remake) - SHAME ON ME!!! This movie is fantastic! I remember watching it as a very young child and was mezmerized by it! It has a story, a creative concept, and a steller cast. The idea at the time was exciting because it was around the time of The Greatest American Hero and has some of the same kind of humor in it.

RE-RELEASE THIS DISNEY! I'm begging! I want to see if it holds up over time!!!

As a spoof of the spy genre, this is great. Michael Crawford plays the lead with endearing charm and innocence, and, knowing his sense of humor, tongue-in-cheek. Somehow it all works to be hilariously funny!

Wow! I love this movie! My younger brother and I used to watch it with our family all the time-it was our favorite. When I finally put two and two together and realized Michael Crawford was Woody-I loved it even more! I totally agree that the truck turned race car is the coolest, and the guy with the silver eye. My friends and I have been looking for this forever! Now we can watch it endlessly in our dorm rooms!

Disney got panned because of this film , but think it's great you don't see anything like it . i wish they made more movies like this. including tron, watcher in the woods etc. don't offend the senses they inspire, so person that wrote the dreadful review in watch it again with open mind. It's just great film i love it . oh by the way i did'nt know who michael C back then i thought he was an americian funny eh-. i want to kiss the girl agent she's a fox, happy watching may senses soar. thanks disney for this film!

Here is an example of classic movie making. It reflects the old values of passed generations, and though there are romantic moments, they are not dwelt upon nor exploited for sexuality as so rudimentary in modern films. I recommend it to all who love their families enough to show them wholesome movies. Crawford is a great actor, playing a kind of "Clark Kent/Superman" split role at times, trying to be a regular guy one moment, then a superhero another, and incorporates innocence in his less than eloquent attempts to impress a pretty woman. It is definately worth-while, clean fun.

I first saw this movie five years ago, as a preteen, with my father. We made jokes about what low-quality it was until I read a year ago that it stars Michael Crawford(Phantom of the Opera). It was still low quality (except the special effects, which are pretty good), but it is definitely worth it for Crawford fans. Crawford plays a cartoonist who, with an amazingly coincidental association with the CIA, acts out the exploits of his hero, Condorman. Not especially funny or thrilling, Condorman is a uniform mock-spy-thriller, with a good supporting cast but bad writing. Would probably be good for younger children (note the PG rating, though), and has gorgeous scenes in the Alps.

What if it were possible for a cartoonist to assume the identity of his character? In Condorman, Woody the cartoonist does just that. Using inventions that are reminiscent of James Bond, Woody bumbles into and out of tight situations while trying to help a beautiful KGB agent defect. In the old Disney style, this movie is appropriate for all ages. There is no real violence, no foul language, and no adult situations. I saw this movie when I was 10 years old, and have been searching for it since that time. I heartily recommend this for a great family movie night!!!