Customer Reviews

NEW Austin Powers-international Ma (DVD)

5 star:		(273)
4 star:		(68)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

VERY VERY VERY FUNNY, BUT WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT IN FULL SCREEN VERSION.

Austin Powers is one of the funniest characters to ever grace the screen. The spy spoof movie series is fantastic and it all started with this hit movie.

Austin Powers is pretty simple to follow. Dr.Evil(Myers)has escaped from his cyro-genetics and is now in the 1990's. He has plans for world domination and his evil empire is doing great since he was frozen 30 years ago. The world can't let Dr. Evil rule it, so Austin Powers(Myers) Englands greatest secret agent is unfrozen from his cryo state and sent to stop Dr.Evil. He is not alone as he has the beautiful Vannessa(Hurley) there to help him bring down Dr. Evil.

Mike Myers is a comic genius. Very few people in the world can match his comic intelligence. This movie is fantastic. Myers wrote the perfect script with this movie and it's hilarious. You have to love how much this movie spoofs spy movies.

When you think spy movies you think James Bond. The spoof of Bond in this movie is done to perfection. From the costumes, music, characters, it is all there. Other spy movies are spoofed in this as well like Our Man Flint. If you love spy movies you have to appreciate this movie and the way it pokes of fun of them.

I liked Elizabeth Hurley in the movie. She is absolutely gorgeous in the movie and this role works for her. She is to often a miscast in her moives and her sex appeal is suppose to carry her. It's not much different in this, but she fits the characters personality and this is the best role she has ever played.

I love all the cameos in this movie. Like all the great movies with former SNL cast members this movie is jammed full of cameos of Hollywood stars. You have Will Ferrell, Ceri Oteri, Rob Lowe, Carrie Fisher, and Tom Arnold to name a few. I get a kick out of it everytime I watch this, because I almost always see something new.

The DVD extras are good. There are some alternate endings and deleted scenes. There is commentary from Myers. The special features are decent.

This is a great movie. It's comedey at it's best and it has all the elements of the genre. It's one of the best ever made. If you love comedies you have to pick this one up and the same if you like spy movies. If you haven't seen this go get out from the rock you've been living under and prepare yourself for a good time.

Utterly ridiculous. I love it.

While The Spy Who Shagged Me is probably a better movie, this is essential, being the one that put Austin on the map... baby. Austin's Unbridalled Sixties Male is just a feast for the eyes and ears in this age of political correctness and wimpy New Age Men.

When the unfreezing process affects his 'inner monologue' he finds himself speaking his thoughts aloud as Elizabeth Hurley (as Vanessa) first blows his mind with her stunning physical appearance. "Vanessa's got a fabulous body... I'll bet she shags like a minx..."

Great Bond spoofs and a superb cast enable the genius of Mike Myers to shine like never before, in this non-stop laugh extravaganza and unashamed BabeFest. There's even a tip of the hat to classic sixties leather-clad Warrior Women such a Diana Rigg, via Mimi Rodgers' performance as Vanessa's mother, Mrs. Kensington (instead of Mrs. Peel). If I'm not mistaken, the divine Liz Hurley is carrying a 44 Magnum Autoloader - a huge handgun, normally associated with the likes of Clint Eastwood.

A joyous romp.

It is 2004 and even today there are movies like this that protray women as being mindless sex objects which is disgusting. The plot is inane. I can see how this movie will be appealing to [...] teenagers and depraved adults.

INTRODUCTION:
In 1997, Austin Powers - International Man Of Mystery got its theatrical release. This was an interesting film in that it spoofed the genre of spy movies (James Bond films in particular) - something we don't see enough of - at least in my opinion. Does this movie live up to the hype, or is it just overrated? Read on for my review.

BASIC PLOT:
The year is 1967. Austin Powers, a secret agent for the British Ministry of Defense, is out to stop an evil-doer who is, appropriately enough, named Dr. Evil (Mike Myers plays both hero and villain.) During one of Austin's attempts to stop Dr. Evil, Dr. Evil cryogenically freezes himself. Austin volunteers to have himself frozen in case Dr. Evil should ever return, and he returns in 1997. Austin is unfrozen so that he may hunt down his arch-nemesis. Now he must face two challenges - bringing Dr. Evil to justice, and adjusting to a radically different time period.

FILM OPINIONS:
This movie is an instant comedy classic, undoubtedly worthy of its lofty reputation. And it's WAY better than the other two Austin Powers films. Mike Myers does an excellent job playing both hero and villain. Seth Green, though his role (as Dr. Evil's son) is limited, also does a good job. A better spy spoof film doesn't exist. Some of the material in this film directly rips off James Bond, but this only adds to the comedy value (for example, Dr. Evil looks just like Blofeld, and even has a cat like Blofeld does, and Random Task is an Oddjob rip-off, right down to the name and appearance.)

DVD:
The DVD has a few more extras than the old VHS tape had, but it still doesn't have anything too special. The deleted scenes from the VHS version are here. Unfortunately, the picture quality of these is horrible, as other reviewers have stated. Likewise, they contribute NOTHING to the story, and I am glad they were cut from the final version of the film. The commentary track, as other reviews have stated, is nothing special at all. The commentary for the other two films is WAY better. The other extras present here are mostly just little things that aren't too special at all. If you've got the old VHS tape edition, don't waste money buying the DVD version - you're not missing much by not owning the DVD.

OVERALL:
Overall this was an excellent film, and it was a decent DVD release (the other two films got MUCH better DVDs.) If you want to laugh, you MUST check out the Austin Powers series. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

I should note here that people who have not read many of my reviews might be insulted at the rating. I never give a DVD release of an outstanding movie more than three stars unless buying the DVD gets you significantly more than just seeing the matinee. In other words, the special features are worth two stars.

"Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" catapulted Mike Myers onto the Hollywood A-list from the "former Saturday Night Liver trying to make it" list. Taking a broadside at James Bond lore and adding Myers own inherent goofiness along with a tragic period in fashion history gives Austin Powers, a British secret agent/fashion photographer/music star. Unlike James Bond, Austin is extremely goofy, bespectacled, possessed of wretched teeth, and bad at any game. Of course, he still gets the girl. His nemesis: the frequently funnier Dr. Evil, an obvious copy of Bond villain Blofeld. Dr. Evil's marginal competence provides an ongoing source of laughs.

The plot (as it were) centers around a bit of cryogenic time travel so that Austin is displaced out of his time, providing a (pleasantly) surprisingly small number of fish-out-of-water gags. The movie's real drive comes from the unique cast of secondary characters: Seth Green's Scott Evil, Mindy Sterling's Frau Farbissiner, Robert Wagner's Number Two, and the unforgettable Alotta Fagina (figure out who THAT is a parody of). Elizabeth Hurley is also in the movie, and seems to be a pretty good sport. While this movie would ultimately be outshone by its first sequel, it remains an influential and often-referenced work.

The DVD is a mediocre package. The commentary track is a dead air-rich bore, (I think Mike Myers and Jay Roach were new at this gig. The track on the sequel is much better) and the deleted scenes are better than average, which is to say mediocre. Most deleted scenes should stay so. Additionally, the transfer quality on these scenes is terrible.

My favourite few lines just have to be:
"Oh, thats just you in a nutshell Austin!"
"No, this is me in a nutshell, HELP! HELP! I'm in a nutshell!"
That is just a classic cinema line!
Anyway, to sum up: Great film, great cast, great one-liners, see it...and then see the other two!

"Austin Powers" is a marvelous send-up of the James Bond films of the 1960s and also pays tribute to all the trends of the era; for example, my favorite throw-away joke is seeing Andy Warhol, at the film's opening, contemplating a can of tomato soup.

The humor centers around a time-lost swinger, attempting to adapt to a modern world in which the Russians are allies, nobody gives in to free love, and a higher degree of self-control and responsiblity is emphasized in society.

The Dr. Evil segments are some of the funniest parts of the movie; I think the funniest scene is where Scott and Dr. Evil argue over the merits of allowing evil bass to eat Austin Powers, as oppossed to simply shooting him.

I took off a star for scene where Austin Powers drowns a henchman in a toilet; I personnaly felt that the scene was thrown in for cheap laughs.

The other two Austin Powers films are funny, but just can't compare to the original.

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!

A good first entry into the series. Funny, but not genuinely funny throughout. Worth a look to see how Austin Powers gets his start.