- Condorman
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Condorman 
Directed by Charles Jarrott Produced by Jan Williams Written by Mickey Rose
Robert Sheckley
Marc StirdivantStarring Michael Crawford
Oliver Reed
Barbara Carrera
James HamptonMusic by Henry Mancini Cinematography Charles F. Wheeler Studio Walt Disney Productions Distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Co. Inc. Release date(s) August 7, 1981 Running time 90 minutes Country United States Language English Condorman is a 1981 comedy/adventure film from Walt Disney Productions starring Michael Crawford and Oliver Reed. Inspired by Robert Sheckley's The Game of X, Condorman follows comic book illustrator Woodrow Wilkins' attempts to assist in the defection of a female Soviet KGB agent.
Contents
Plot
Woodrow "Woody" Wilkins (Michael Crawford) is an imaginative, yet eccentric, comic book writer and illustrator who demands a sense of realism for his comic book hero "Condorman", to the point where he crafts a Condorman flying suit of his own and launches himself off the Eiffel Tower. The test flight fails as his right wing breaks, sending him crashing into the Seine River. Later after the incident, Woody is asked by his friend, CIA file Clerk Harry (James Hampton), to perform what appears to be a civilian paper swap in Istanbul. Upon arriving in Istanbul, he meets a beautiful Russian named Natalia Rambova (Barbara Carrera), who poses as the Russian civilian with whom the exchange is supposed to take place, but it is later revealed that she is in fact a KGB spy. Woody does not tell Natalia his real name, and instead fabricates his identity to her as a top American agent code-named "Condorman". During the encounter, Woody fends off a group of would-be assassins and saves her life by sheer luck before accomplishing the paper trade. Impressed by Woody, and disgusted by how she was treated by her lover/boss Krokov (Oliver Reed) when she returns to Moscow, Natalia decides to defect and asks the CIA to have "Condorman" be the agent that helps her.
Back in Paris, Woody's encounter with Natalia inspires him to create a super heroine patterned after her named "Laser Lady". He is then notified by Harry and his boss Russ (Dana Elcar) that he is to escort a defecting Soviet agent known as the "Bear". Woody refuses to do the job, but when Russ reveals that the "Bear" is Natalia, he agrees to do it on the condition that the CIA provides him with gadgetry based on his designs.
Woody meets up with Natalia in Yugoslavia and protects her from Krokov's henchmen led by the homicidal, glass-eyed assassin Morovich (Jean-Pierre Kalfon). After joining Harry in Italy, the trio venture to Switzerland, where Natalia discovers the truth about Woody when a group of children recognize her from Woody's comic books. Their journey back to France is compromised when Morovich puts Woody and Harry out of commission and Krokov's men recover Natalia before retreating to their headquarters in Monte Carlo. Woody is told that the mission is a failure and he and Harry are ordered to return to Paris, but he asks for two more days to conduct an operation to rescue Natalia.
Disguising themselves as Arab sheiks, Woody and Harry create a diversion at the Monte Carlo Casino to recover Natalia from Krokov and his men. As Harry drives away in a Rolls-Royce, Woody uses an improved version of his Condorman suit to fly himself and Natalia out of the casino and into the pier, where the trio make their getaway aboard the Condorboat. They manage to destroy Krokov's speedboats following them, but Krokov and Morovich pursue them in their own speedboat. The Condorboat reaches it pick-up point, but Morovich shows his intent on ramming it. When Morovich ignores his commander's orders to return to base, Krokov abandons ship. The Condorboat is lifted by the CIA helicopter in time to prevent a collision, causing Morovich to crash on an island rock.
Days later, Woody, Natalia and Harry are at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where they see the Goodyear Blimp flash a sign welcoming Natalia to the U.S. Aboard the blimp, Russ contacts Harry and has him ask Woody if he is interested in taking Condorman to another assignment.
Cast
- Michael Crawford as Woodrow "Woody" Wilkins
- Oliver Reed as Krokov
- Barbara Carrera as Natalia Rambova
- James Hampton as Harry
- Jean-Pierre Kalfon as Morovich
- Dana Elcar as Russ
- Vernon Dobtcheff as Russian agent
- Robert Arden as CIA Chief
Production
Condorman was filmed on location in Paris, Monte Carlo and Zermatt, Switzerland. The Condormobile was a modified Nova Sterling kit car.[1]
Reception
The film was heavily panned by critics, scoring an approval rating of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes.[2] On their television show At the Movies, critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert featured the film in their round-up of the year's worst films, pointing out the less-than-special effects such as the visible harness and cable used to suspend Condorman in the air and the obvious bluescreen effect. On the other hand, John Corry of The New York Times wrote a favorable review of the film, calling it "painless and chaste, and it has a lot of beautiful scenery and beautiful clothes. There are worse things to watch while you eat popcorn."[3]
The film also did poorly at the box office. However, despite the film's failure, this film has recently gained a cult following among Disney fans.
Media
Home video
Condorman was first released on Region 1 DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment on May 18, 1999.[4] A Region 2 version was released on August 21, 2006.[5] The film was re-released in Region 1 exclusively for members of the Disney Movie Club in May 2008.[6]
Comic book adaptation/sequel
A comic book adaptation of Condorman was published by Whitman Comics at the time of the film's release.[7] A notable change in the illustrations was that Russ, the CIA boss, became an African-American. An original comic adventure sequel was also published, taking place in the U.S. itself. Woody is engaged to Natalia, and his Condorman machines are being built by a toy company — a cover for a CIA unit. Krokov and Morovich again appear, attempting to take Natalia back to the USSR by force, and Russ is again a black character.
Following Disney's acquisition of Marvel Comics in 2009, The Amazing Spider-Man editor Stephen Wacker lobbied to have Condorman brought into the Marvel Universe.[8]
References
- ^ The Examiner - Bond Not Stirred by Home-Built Supercar
- ^ Condorman at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Corry, John (1981-08-31). "Movie Review: Condorman, Espionage Spoof". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9905EEDA113BF932A0575BC0A967948260. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
- ^ Digitally Obsessed DVD Review: Condorman (1981)
- ^ Find-DVD - Condorman
- ^ Disney DVD - Condorman
- ^ Comics.org - Walt Disney's Condorman
- ^ Comics Alliance - Could Disney's Condorman Enter the Marvel Universe Care of Stephen Wacker? We Certainly Hope So
External links
- Condorman at the Internet Movie Database
- Condorman at AllRovi
- Condorman at Rotten Tomatoes
- Condorman memorabilia and DVD information page
Films directed by Charles Jarrott 1960s Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)1970s Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) · Lost Horizon (1973) · The Dove (1974) · Escape from the Dark (1976) · The Other Side of Midnight (1977)1980s The Last Flight of Noah's Ark (1980) · Condorman (1981) · The Amateur (1982) · The Boy in the Blue (1986) · Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987)1990s 2000s Turn of Faith (2001)Categories:- English-language films
- 1981 films
- Action comedy films
- 1980s action films
- 1980s comedy films
- Adventure comedy films
- 1980s adventure films
- American films
- Disney films
- American spy films
- Cold War spy films
- Spy comedy films
- Superhero films
- Films set in Istanbul
- Films set in Italy
- Films set in Los Angeles, California
- Films set in Monaco
- Films set in Moscow
- Films set in Paris
- Films set in Switzerland
- Films set in Yugoslavia
- Films shot in Los Angeles, California
- Films shot in Monaco
- Films shot in Paris
- Films shot in Switzerland
- Superhero comedy films
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