Cinema: Out of Bonds

Our Man Flint, the latest and most prodigal of hoke-and-dagger thrillers, is a takeoff on the spoofs that imitate James Bond movies, which already show the strain of excess spoofery. This leaves Flint Director Daniel Mann with little more to do than try the hypothesis that more and more will be funnier and funnier. Instead, the gimmickry congeals.

As Secret Agent Derek Flint, James Coburn works for an outfit called ZOW1E. He opposes Galaxy, a criminal conspiracy "bigger than Spectre." He carries a pocket lighter with 82 different functions, "83 if you wish to light a cigar," and keeps four mistresses, not counting Galaxy's Gila Golan. Galaxy owns a machine that prepares all five girls to serve as "pleasure units." Viewers who believe that exaggeration equals excellence ought to enjoy Flint's machine-made pleasures immensely.