The story opens in Paris where Woody (Michael Crawford) is visiting his friend Harry (James Hampton). Woody is a comic book writer - Condorman being the superhero - who likes to test his ideas before putting them in his comics. In Paris, he tests a set of Condorman wings by leaping from the Eiffel Tower and then crashing into the Seine. Harry works for US Intelligence and is asked by his boss to find a civilian to delivery papers to Istanbul. Of course, he thinks of Woody. Woody dons the stereotypical garb of a spy and sets out. When he meets his contact, Natasha (Barbara Carrera), he brags about being a top operative, codename: Condorman. Then, when a trio of Turkish thugs come for Natasha, he defeats them through dumb luck. Back in Moscow, Krokov (Oliver Reed) confronts Natasha, furious that she had gone to Istanbul without his permission, but also curious about this Condorman. Fearing Krokov, Natasha wants to defect but only if Condorman handles the extraction.
An odd mix of goofball comedy, romance, and spy thriller. Thanks to CIA funding, Woody has a plethora of high-tech equipment, from a machinegun cane to an old jalopy truck that turns into a rocket car/hovercraft. Of course, his wings from the opening get a more successful use later in the movie. It is hard to believe that this comic book artist manages to deceive a top operative like Natasha for so long.
Disney had been sure it was going to be a hit, even planning for a sequel. It bombed. Probably the biggest problem is the casting of Michael Crawford. He comes across as plaintive, lacks comedic timing, and can't sell the combination of eager for adventure but also incompetent. It has its moments but is mostly mediocre.
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