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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A favorite two-hour escape., October 18, 2000
The elements of the Flint formula really came together for the first time in this, the sequel to OUR MAN FLINT. James Coburn's superspy Flint inhabits a world somewhat more distant from reality than James Bond. Flint doesn't save the world for a living; it's more of a hobby, along with bullfighting, cooking, martial arts, desert survival, ballet, scientific research, and who knows what else. From the beginning to the final hairbreadth escape Flint is having fun, and so are we--Coburn seldom loses his infectious smile. The story stresses lighthearted adventure over real danger (come to think of it, I don't recall the bad guys ever actually killing anyone). But three decades later, the amazing thing about this movie is its progressive view of women and male-female relationships. The female characters are capable without losing their feminity. (And--who'd have thought it?--Flint has a few genuine words of wisdom on getting along with the opposite sex: "I don't compete with them.") My favorite moment in the movie is Jean Hale rolling her eyes after Flint lights a woman's cigarette--watch for it! Why only four stars? Let's be real here. This is a fun movie, but it's no CITIZEN KANE.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More sparks from a steely Flint..., July 23, 2002
This review is from: In Like Flint (DVD)
The sequel to the wonderful "Our Man Flint" is a bit less fun than the original, but still worthwhile nonetheless. Women have been quietly taking over the world (well, the industrialized world, anyway) via thought control, and are now in a position to rule the planet. The president has been replaced by a doppleganger, and there are even traitors infiltrating ZOWIE Headquarters! Who else but Flint can save the day? I have to admit, I couldn't always root for Flint in this one. All those bikini-clad beauties were nice, and can take over my world anytime! The biggest disappointment here has to be during the confrontation between Flint and the leaders of the female revolution. The philosophical argument is never resolved, leaving our hero to simply tell the ladies to "give it up," which was kind of a letdown. The crisis facing ZOWIE chief Lloyd C. Cramden is nicely played by Lee J. Cobb. There are also plenty of quintissensial Flint moments ("Well there were five girls at one time, but I've been trying to cut down."), and new Flint gadgets. We even get to see Yvonne Craig (forever famous as Batgirl) as Natasha, doing a swingin' 60's dance to "decadent" American music. Andrew Duggan makes a good President, and Jean Hale is suitably attractive as Flint's nemesis. The best thing added to the Flint formula would have to be the theme song, updated with words. Hey, how can you NOT like a song called, "Your ZOWIE Face"? Sadly, there was no third outing for Flint, although there was a short-lived Flint television program in 1976 with different actors. The show did not have the same appeal as the feature films, and quickly faded into obscurity. While Austin Powers is a wonderful parody, he not exactly the heir apparent to super-spy Flint. The Powers films are not subtle spy spoofs, and it was that subtlety of Bond spoofing which Flint had captured perfectly. Few extras on the two Flint DVDs (just the trailers), and again I have to say that Fox has let down the fans of Flint by neglecting to have commentary or interviews on these discs. On the plus side, the transfer is well done, and in widescreen.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crazy man...crazy..., July 29, 2002
This review is from: In Like Flint (DVD)
The second and final installment in the Flint series is an outrageous comic romp that showcases the flashy style of America's mod super agent, Derek Flint. With a plot that just cannot be taken seriously, "In Like Flint" is an all out farce, that must be accepted as such, to be fully appreciated. The story revolves around an elaborate scheme concocted by a group of women, running a health spa and cosmetics empire in the Virgin Islands, called "Fabulous Face". Their plan is to assert female superiority over the male gender by replacing the President with a double. Once this is accomplished, the substitute President will then aid them in the further execution of their master plan. Head of ZOWIE (Zonal Organization World Intelligence Espionage), Lloyd Cramden (Lee J. Cobb) is playing golf with the President (Andrew Duggan), when the switch is made. After becoming suspicious, Cramden asks Flint to look into the matter. Derek is busy at work on a "dolphin dictionary", and also has his hands full with a new collection of beautiful dolls, but still has time to help an old friend in trouble. From there, the fun never stops, as Flint jumps from one wild wacky adventure to another. His foray into a ZOWIE warehouse, and the subsequent battle with the guards, is one of the film's highlights. As is his unlikely side trip to Russia to perform in a ballet, where he encounters the lovely go-go dancing Natasha, played by Yvonne Craig, TV's Batgirl. Rooftop escapades, and then it is on to Fabulous Face headquarters disguised as a Fidel Castro lookalike. Romping in the tropics, leading an invading armada of bikini clad women, Flint saves the world again, and winds up in Earth's orbit with two female cosmonauts. Only he could pull this off. For pure escapist fun, it is hard to beat this. Exotic locations, some lavish sets, and beautiful women. Andrew Duggan is great in a dual role, and bumbling, grumbling Lee J. Cobb even sacrifices his moustache to appear in drag. It is a film that captures and evokes the free flowing vibe of the time (1967). Regrettably, this would be the last time James Coburn would appear as the character. Oh what could have been! The same could be said for the DVD. While the transfer is excellent, the film receives just a "plain Jane" treatment with virtually no extras. Plainly Fox just did not care. MGM's SE Bond DVD's are the benchmark, and this lazy effort pales in comparison. Fans of the Flint films should not miss the soundtrack with Jerry Goldsmith's music for both films on one CD.
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