Plot: What’s it about?
It seems as if some madman is always trying to take over the world, but this time, its different. You see, a madwoman named Gila (Gila Golan) plans to eliminate her enemies, take control of the globe, then rezone the planet to her liking, quite a nefarious plan indeed. But she is not alone, as she commands an entire organization loaded with members, all of whom will do whatever it takes to ensure the plan is a success. As the plot is unfurled into motion, it calls for a number of undercover spies to be found and neutralized, by lethal methods. As the dead agents begin to pile up and it seems as though no one can overcome this plan, the world leaders come together and make a list of the traits an agent would need to succeed. The only agent who had all the needed qualities is Derek Flint (James Coburn), a highly skilled secret agent. But in a situation as dire as this one, can even Flint manage to restore order? I mean, sure he is an expert marksman, a romance master, a ladies man, a ballet dancer, hand-to-hand combat wizard, explosives technician, and one heck of a dancer, but will all that be enough?
Before there was an Austin Powers, there was Derek Flint and in terms of spy spoofs, Our Man Flint is hard to beat. But don’t assume you’ll like this if you’re an Austin Powers fan, as the Flint movies take a much different approach. While Powers is outlandish and played with a knowing wink toward the audience, Flint is usually straight in terms of delivery, so the humor is more dry, but if you ask me, works just as well. Our Man Flint is the better of the two movies in the series, with a more effective slant on the humor, as the second picture simply tries too hard. As you can imagine, this film relies a lot on camp value and seems very dated, but that adds humor to the experience, although it was unintentional at the time. If you took a Bond flick and the old Batman television series, then hit puree, Our Man Flint would be the result. It takes all the cliches & conventions of Bond and turns them upside down, leading to some very humorous situations. This kind of humor won’t click with everyone, but if you’re a fan of the Bond movies or just love camp cinema, then Our Man Flint is more than worthwhile, especially at Fox’s asking price.
The man in the middle here is James Coburn, who is often criticized by younger audiences for his performance here, which makes no sense to me. I know kids might expect this to be another Austin Powers, but that kind of spoof wouldn’t have worked here, as Flint needed to be played straight in order to be effective. Yes, a lot of elements from the Flint films were taken to use in the Austin Powers series, but Coburn’s performance was not incorporated, as Mike Myers opted for a more over the top, outlandish performance. But Coburn nails the right approach in this picture, giving Flint just enough Bond-like traits, but also having a persona unique to the role. Other films with Coburn include Hudson Hawk, Candy, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and Charade. The cast also includes Lee J. Cobb (The Exorcist, Mackenna’s Gold), Gila Golan (Ship of Fools, The Valley of Gwangi), and Edward Mulhare (Megaforce, Von Ryan’s Express).
Video: How does it look?
Our Man Flint is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As this film is soaked in rich colors and cool visuals, I have never been pleased with the laserdisc edition, as it lacks the vivid hues and refinement the film deserves. But with this new anamorphic transfer, Fox has corrected the color problems and given us a terrific visual presentation. The hues have a much brighter, vivid appearance here, which enhances the film’s visual atmosphere. I also found black levels to be deeper and more accurate, which helps give the image depth. In addition, Fox has either found a superb source print or cleaned up the materials, as this print is much cleaner than previous releases. I commend Fox for this top notch visual effort, as most studios would have rushed this out, given the budget level price involved.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included mono option is solid in all respects, but keep in mind, it is mono and is limited in terms of presence. I heard minimal hiss and pops, but at times, the music is a little shrill, forcing a volume adjustment. This is not too frequent, but it is a bothersome routine, although I suppose this is as good as the materials allow. The vocals sound clean and crisp at all times, while the wacky sound effects come through well also. This is not a memorable or impressive soundtrack, but it gets the job done and that’s good enough here. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
