In 1981, comic book movies were limited to Superman. The first two films in that series had released in 1978 and 1980, respectively. Movie studios were still very far from trusting in the genre to bring in the box office revenues that such films enjoy today. Around this same time, Disney was experimenting with live-action films with a broad appeal, as The Black Hole (1979), Midnight Madness (1980), and Watcher in the Woods (1980) sought to capture adult audiences along with the younger set. For the most part this experiment didn't pay off, and Condorman, which was also a comic book movie not actually based on a comic book, was no exception.
Based on a book entitled The Game of X by Robert Sheckley, Condorman is the tale of comic book writer and artist Woody Wilkins, who dresses up like one of his creations, Condorman, to get a sense of realism for his stories. His friend Harry, who happens to work for the CIA, sends Woody on what appears to be a routine and harmless mission to simply exchange some papers. Woody plays along and adopts the codename "Condorman" when he meets a Russian lady named Natalia, who turns out to be a KGB agent who desires to defect. Woody is officially recruited by the CIA to help Natalia defect, and is supplied with vehicles and gear that go along with the Condorman theme. The result finds Woody in many a perilous situation which he manages to bumble his way out of.
Condorman is silly. It's preposterous that the CIA would hire a guy like Woody and spend thousands, maybe millions on high-tech equipment like a cool Condorman car and speedboat equipped with laser guns. Anyone going in to this movie expecting serious super hero fare will doubtless be disappointed. For those who enjoy bad movies that are actually quite good given the right mindset, Condorman is a treat. This is a comedy. Part James Bond spoof, partly inspired by the Pink Panther films, Condorman is fun, light, and goofy with nary a sense of brooding found in many of today's comic book films.
There are elements of Condorman that make it memorable and serve as "classic" features of film that you just don't get anymore. There's a villain with a metallic eye. There are cool vehicles and gadgets. There are plenty of brainless henchmen working for the main villain. There is a great speedboat chase/battle with lasers and explosions. And yes, there are some terrible blue screen effects, and moments you can see the wires when Condorman is "flying". Yes, indeed, Condorman is bad, but it's so good.
One problem for fans of great bad movies or of Disney films or 80's films is the limited availability of Condorman on home formats. Anchor Bay released the movie on DVD in 1999, but it is long out of print. Now the film is available exclusively through the Disney Movie Club on DVD, or a bad transfer through You Tube.
