Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 14 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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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More sparks from a steely Flint..., July 23, 2002
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 The president has been replaced by a doppleganger, and there are even traitors infiltrating ZOWIE Headquarters!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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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Great Spy Movie Entry but Bare DVD, August 19, 2004
Less technicolor and more monochromatic than its predecessor, "In Like Flint" still uses broad strokes to great advantage in poking fun at the Bond films. The indomitable Derek Flint returns to save the world, this time from a bevy of beauties who simultaneously raise the ire of the world's women while replacing powerful males with surgically-altered substitutes (leading to, perhaps, the most prescient line of dialogue in any 1960s film--upon discovering that the man in the White House is not who he seems to be, a disbelieving Flint says, "An actor as president?"). That is, until a renegade ZOWIE general (Steve Inhat) decides it's his turn to take the reins of power. The delightful Lee J. Cobb is back as Flint's curmudgeonly boss, Cramden, as are the secret agent's posse of female admirers, and TV's Batgirl, Yvonne Craig, even shows up as a Russian ballerina. "In Like Flint" feels more grown up than the previous film, partly because the lighting and cinematography are more stark and partly because the humor is sometimes more rooted in satire than parody. Notions like the Red Scare being a feint to the very real dangers of corruption from within and the beauty industry actually having our worst interests in mind--and charging a premium for them--are slipped in with more obvious gags involving oversized eyebrows, cross-dressing, and the bouncing sing-a-long ball. Only the crankiest among us are likely to find the juvenile sexism of either Flint film worth comment, as it's a staple of the genre, meaning that the biggest weakness here is the same as the earlier effort: a no-frills DVD.
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