This follow-up is much goofier and sillier than the original, but still every bit as amusing and entertaining. This time hip, clever, and dashing freelance spy and playboy extraordinaire Derek Flint (James Coburn in splendidly wry and laid-back assured form) must thwart a dastardly plot by a gang of lovely, yet formidable ladies who have developed a method of brainwashing so they can put arrogant and domineering men in their place and thus take over the planet. Director Gordon Douglas, working from a bright and witty script by Hal Fimberg, relates the delightfully wacky narrative at a steady pace, maintains an engagingly blithe and madcap very 60's camp sensibility throughout, and stages the rousing action set pieces with real skill and gusto (Coburn's fancy martial arts moves in particular are quite impressive and exciting). Coburn's amiably breezy'n'easy persona fits the character of Flint like a fine pair of stylish slippers; he talks fluently to dolphins, romances an endless bevy of beautiful babes, dons various disguises, briefly poses as a ballet dancer (!), and beats up numerous baddies without ever loosing a single ounce of his divinely unflappable cool the whole time. The rest of the cast are likewise up to par: Lee G. Cobb returns as Flint's loyal, but disgraced superior Lloyd C. Cramden, the gorgeous Jean Hale excels as classy and crafty head villainess Lisa Norton, Andrew Duggan does spirited work as both the hearty President and the hammy actor impersonating him, and Steve Ihnat hits it out of the ballpark with his excellent portrayal of the sneaky and cunning General Carter. Yvonee "Batgirl" Craig has a small, but nifty part as fetching, yet duplicitous Russian ballerina Natasha. Moreover, this movie in some ways was uncannily ahead of its time: The cabal of angry women Flint opposes neatly foretells the 70's feminist movement while the premise of an actor as President offers a frighteningly accurate prediction of Reagan getting elected into office as Chief Executive a mere decade or so down the line. Jerry Goldsmith's funky swinging score and William H. Daniels' slick widescreen cinematography are both on the money, too. A tremendously fun film.
Review of In Like Flint
