Austin
Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
New
Line
Cast:
Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Mimi Rogers, Robert Wagner.
Rating:
PG-13
Run
time: 90 mins
Genre:
Comedy
Verdict:
Beautiful
(see rating
system)
The
first and best of the Austin Powers franchise is a shagadelic
laugh a minute, baby!
That's
because the idea was fresh and inventive - a James Bond-style
secret agent frozen in the 1960s is revived in 1997 to fight
an evil genius bent on world domination. (The second and third
films wore thin and I could well do without the Fat Bastard
character).
It's
a great spoof of the James Bond, Matt Helm-type spy capers
of the 1960s. For Dr. Evil think Goldfinger, for the Bond
girls like Pussy Galore think Mrs. Kensington. Mike Myers,
who grew up with this stuff thanks to his English father,
lovingly mocks the genre here.
However,
his character isn't exactly the suave Sean Connery-type -
Austin Powers has buck teeth, a Flower Power sense of dress
and he'll sleep with anything female. Quite a shock to wake
up in the AIDS era and discover sleeping around is frowned
upon, especially without, ahem, "protection".
Myers
plays Powers and Dr. Evil in this movie, with Mimi Rogers
sensational in tight-fitting black leather pants as Mrs. Kensington
and curvy Elizabeth Hurley equally stunning as Kensington's
daughter - the woman Powers discovers when he's thawed out.
Outrageous
gadgets, including robotic Fembots with breast guns, saucy
shagging dialogue, a stylish big budget production and fun
performances make this one of the best comedy movies.
Lot's
of extras on this disc too, baby!
