Customer Reviews

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery [VHS]

5 star:		(317)
4 star:		(82)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(48)

 

 

I'm not a Mike Myers fan, and I avoided this film--and its sequels--like the plague when they were on the big screen. But I now know the error of my ways: AUSTIN POWERS is one of the freshest bits of purely entertaining, mindless fluff to come along in quite a while, the perfect antedote to an overcast and bad-mood sort of day.

The story is an amalgamation of the more excessive plot ideas of such films as DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and OUR MAN FLINT. Fashion photographer by day and swinging spy by night, Austin Powers is the toast of psychedelic London--and more than a match for Dr. Evil. But when Dr. Evil has himself frozen, Powers does the same, and the two defrost some thirty years later and resume their battle in the much more up-tight 1990s. The most obvious target of the spoof is the James Bond films, but fans of 1960s film will have a field day spotting the film's take offs on such characters as Matt Helm, Derek Flint, Emma Peel, celebrities like The Beatles and Andy Warhol, and such diverse films as THE TENTH VICTIM and the camp classic DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMB. And dare we mention the sixties' own classic swinging spy spoof, the infamous CASINO ROYALE?

Myers is greatly amusing in the double role of Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, both of whom have considerable difficulty adjusting to everything from safe sex to inflation, and Elizabeth Hurley is quite good in the Diana Rigg-ish role of sidekick Vanessa Kensington. But the real fun here is in the details--and the details include every one from Michael York to Robert Wagner to Burt Bacharach to Carrie Fisher, "Fembots" with killer pasties, and Italian sexpot Fabiana Udenio as a character with the most devastating name since Honor Blackman hit the screen in GOLDFINGER. The soundtrack is just as swinging as it gets, with blasts of everything from "These Boots Are Made For Walking" and "I Touch Myself." And look for a hilarious spoof of Bob Fosse-inspired choreography during the main credits!

You won't find any deep thoughts in AUSTIN POWERS, and thank heaven for it: giggles and grins are the order of the day, and the film delivers them in abundance. The DVD is a nice one as well, offering your choice of widescreen or pan-and-scan, some entertaining notes and deleted scenes, and amusing commentary. Buy it and keep on your shelf for that rainy day.

Mike Myers is rapidly becoming, if he isn't already, the heir apparent to Mel Brooks in the sense that he is a master of jokes based on bodily functions. AUSTIN POWERS--INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY has all the elements of scatalogical humor: urination, fornication, masturbation, penis enlargement (almost anything to do with the penis really), allotta fagina, femmebots with gun barrel breasts... jeez, he even has a long scene in a toilet booth (with a fun cameo by Tom Arnold). And like Brooks, Myers is a master of movie genre satire. If Brooks had taken on a 007 spoof, it would pretty close to this. And Brooks would play multiple roles as well.

Still, Myers is to be congratuated for his undoubted originality. His interpretation and reinterpretation of 60s and 70s pop culture, which he also demonstrated a mastery of in WAYNE'S WORLD, is his own. Part Bond movie, part Laugh-In, part sci-fi, all hilarious, AUSTIN POWERS is one of the best comedies to have emerged in the 90s.

I have to laugh my head off when I read negative reviews from people who say the movie is stupid. Gee, you think?. It is supposed to be. Some people, like the one star review below, were completely lost on the joke. Over their heads. So many don't understand comedy like that. Mike Meyers created one of the funniest and most memorable comedic characters of the last decade with this hilarious and silly and over the top comedy spoofing the James Bond series. Auatin Powers is a British spy with horrible teeth and a raging libido. Austin's main arch nemesis is Dr. Evil(also played by Meyers), who, with his bald head and cat and manner of speech is an obvious spoof of recurring 007 villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Evil freezes himself and programs the cryogenic chamber to unthaw him in the late 1990's. Austin decides he will do the same thing so he can be there to stop Dr. Evil with his dastardly scheme for global domination. Did I mention that Austin was also a photographer by day?. The guy just never stops. There are rumors that Meyers also fashioned the Dr. Evil character after his old boss, "SNL" maestro Lorne Michaels. Seth Green(who seems to pop up all the time)is hilarious as Scott Evil, Dr. Evil's angst ridden teen son. There scenes together are priceless. Equally as good is Mindy Sterling as Evil's assistant. Robert Wagner(does this guy age?)plays Number 2, another henchman. "SNL"'s Will Ferrell pops up as well. The 'girl' is none other than the lovely and beautiful Elizabeth Hurley, as Vanessa Kensington. A most perfect choice in the casting department if you know what I mean and I think you do. This movie is written, designed, filmed, and acted with the intention of just having a good time. This isn't comedy that'll make you think days afterwards. This is pure popcorn cotton candy people. Meyers is a master at different characters. He really brings them to life with their very own characteristics and mannerisms. He is brilliantly talented. The movie has many laugh out loud moments that make this movie the best spoof in many a moon. Again, the humorless droids who ridicule it as stupid have obviously missed the point. Of course it is. You may think your bashing it, but your basically saying that it did what it was supposed to do and it succeeded. Totally lost on those people. "The Spy Who Shagged Me" was even better, and now "Goldmember" is coming up. Let's hope that Austin and Dr. Evil have more adventures down the road. Oh behave!!.

Austin Powers would have to be one of the funniest movies of the decade. That is why it is so disapointing that scenes in the original movie have been cut from this DVD version. Rob Lowe and Lois Chiles were relegated to the deleted scenes section of the DVD but at least they "appeared" albeit not in the movie itself. Where was Christian Slater and the famed "Orange Sher-bert" scene? Not to be found. True fans of Austin Powers may be disappointed with the DVD version.

I LOVE this movie, but I am reviewing the DVD, not the movie. The DVD transfer for this movie is atrocious. The aspect ratio is wrong. There are grainy scenes and scenes where the film was obviously dirty. Need a new transfer from the master laser disks.

The first Austin Powers flick is still funny today, despite several catchphrases ("Do I make you horny, baby?", "Oh, behave!", etc.) having long since worn out their welcome and an unimaginative second sequel (Goldmember). There are two primary reasons why this movie is comic gold:

1. It's the best James Bond spoof you'll ever see. (You can take my word for it: I'm a HUGE 007 fan.)

2. The dialogue crackles with wit and is delivered flawlessly by the cast.

For reference, check out the scene where Dr. Evil struggles to come up with a contemporary scheme that *hasn't* already happened: "Oh, hell. Let's just do what we always do: hijack some nuclear weapons and hold the world hostage."

Or how about when Austin tries to live dangerously by staying at five while playing Blackjack with Number Two. "I SUGGEST you hit, sir!"

Yes, the movie plays to the adolescent crowd sometimes by throwing in a bunch of sex-related jokes, but at least they're clever and often howlingly funny (especially the Swiss-made penis enlarger bit). To the film's credit, there are no gags that go on for too long and the script is very economical.

Very few comedies have a killer-to-filler ratio as high as the first Austin Powers. Buy this DVD.

This is the first movie in The Austin Powers series and I think it is absolutely hilarious. Mike Myers is a riot as swinging 60's British spy Austin Powers brought out from a cryogenic chamber in 1997 where he has been since about 1967 or 1968. He has been thawed out because he has to foil the sinister plans of his extremely eccentric archenemy Dr. Evil also played by Mike Myers. There is an excellent cast in this movie, not just Mike Myers but also Seth Green as Dr. Evil's son Scott, Michael York as Basil Exposition, Elizabeth Hurley as Vanessa Kenzington, and also Robert Wagner as Number Two. There are a lot of funny jokes and gags in this movie that just may have you rolling on the floor with laughter and I highly recommend this DVD to people who love to have a good laugh and don't mind that there are a couple of raunchy jokes and gags. The DVD has some great extra features including deleted scenes!

Anyone who doesn't find themselves laughing at "Austin Powers - Internation Man Of Mystery" really has issues. Okay, it not as funny as, say, "Caddyshack", but for its time period (the late 1990s'), this film was the funniest movie released.

Mike Myers' suave, bumbling secret agent creation is one of the funniest charatcers in movie history. And this film established it from the get-go. Myers also proved his talent by playing a duel role: in addition to playing Austin, he also was hysterical as his arch - nemesis, Dr. Evil.

The plot is like this. The year is 1967. And Austin Powers is the hippest, sexiest man on the swingin' scene in London. Fashion photographer by day, secret agent by night, women love him, men want to be him. When his arch nemesis, Dr. Evil, plans to take over the world, it is up to Austin and his shagadelic girlfriend (Mimi Rogers) to stop him. However, Dr. Evil escapes into space with his cat Mr. Bigglesworth and plans to return in 1997. The plan? Austin is chryogenically frozen and is thawed out in 1997. Austin is immediately clueless to the modern world. To help him adjust, he is partnered with the drop dead gorgeous Vaness Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley). As expected, Dr. Evil has returned as well, and he is now out to take over the world, this time by covering the world with liquid hot magma. Austin and Vanessa are led through a series of various and often hilarious obstacles that result in a massively hilarious climax and several bloopers.

The bonus features are great. The commentary by Myers and director Jay Roach is enlightening. This film is an absolute must have for anyone who loves to laugh.

You gotta love this groovy spy spoof which has become so popular that catchphrases such as "Shagadelic" and "Yeah Baby, Yeah!" have become ingrained into everyday American culture. How many films can boast such a claim? Not many.

Mike Myers is simply marvelous as both the cryogenically frozen Austin Powers and his arch nemesis Dr. Evil. Mr. Powers and the evil Doctor are a pair '60's relics who are thawed out just in time to catch the end of the 20th century. The results are hysterical as both prove to be clueless dinosaurs very much out of place in modern society. You won't stop laughing as Austin --the inept spy with rotten teeth-- aims to thwart Dr.Evil's plan of world domination. Don't be surprised if you end up rewinding certain segments over and over in order to memorize the catchy dialogue. (How many of you can recite Dr. Evil's "the details of my life are inconsequential" monologue?)

The brillance of "Austin Powers" lies in its reverential spoofing of iconic 60's films such as "Our Man Flint", "A Hard Days Night" and especially the early James Bond films. For instance, Dr. Evil is a hybrid of Dr. No's title character and the notorious Blofeld from "You Only Live Twice". Of course the alluring Alotta Fagina and the imposing Random Task are respectively cut from the cloth of "Goldfinger's" Pussy Galore and OddJob. Myers' awe of such films is made obvious through the painstaking detail which so splendidly recreates the Swingin' Sixties. Such detail--the clothes, the dialogue and of course the groovy music-- is what makes "Austin Powers" such a hoot. Oh yeah, the DVD's loaded with lots of deleted scenes and an interesting audio commentary courtesy of Myers and director Jay Roach. Don't miss it !

Actors generally acknowledge that it is harder to play comedy than to play drama. The elements of drama are easy, but what makes comedy funny is hard to figure out. Based on the Austin Powers movies, Mike Meyers is a genius. The actor-writer has done a brilliant job spoofing the Bond films and leaving his audience in stitches. I'm a big fan of the Bond movies, so spotting the little bits from 007 films Meyers is spoofing is a real treat.

People who love Bond won't be disappointed. Actually, it's hard to see how anyone will be disappointed by this laughfest.