Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Less a parody of the early James Bond film than a parody of the films that parodied the early James Bond films, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery stars Mike Myers as Austin Powers, by day a hipster fashion photographer in mid-'60s swingin' London and by night a crime-fighting secret agent. Austin's wardrobe is pure Carnaby Street at its most outrageous, his vocabulary is crowded by the cool lingo of the day ("Groovy, baby! Yeah!!"), and he's irresistible to women, despite the fact that he can be charitably described as "stocky" and has teeth that strike fear into any practicing dentist. When his nemesis, the arch-enemy Dr. Evil (also played by Myers), has himself cryogenically frozen and sent into space, Powers also has himself put on ice so he can be thawed out when Dr. Evil returns. Come 1997, Dr. Evil returns to Earth and is back to his old tricks, so Austin is thawed out and returned to active service -- though he soon discovers his style doesn't play so well 30 years on. The supporting cast includes Elizabeth Hurley as Austin's sidekick, Vanessa Kensington; Michael York as his boss, Basil Exposition; Robert Wagner as Dr. Evil's assistant, Number Two; and Seth Green as Dr. Evil's troubled son, Scott Evil. Ming Tea, the swingin' pop band that periodically backs up Austin, includes real life pop-rockers Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a mild box-office hit but an even bigger success on home video, which led to the 1999 sequel, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV, Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: Spanish, French, English
• Features:
  • Both widescreen and full-frame versions converted from high-definition transfer
  • Commentary by Mike Myers and Jay Roach
  • Seven deleted scenes including two alternate endings
  • "Star Highlights" in separate clips from five other movies
  • Special cameo menu
  • "Music to Shag To" original animated sequence
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Cast biographies and filmographies

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Jay Roach

• Producer:

  Mike Myers, Demi Moore, Suzanne Todd, Jennifer Todd, Todd Mike

• Screenwriter:

  Mike Myers

• Cinematographer:

  Peter Deming

• Composer (Music Score):

  George S. Clinton

• Editor:

  Debra Neil-Fisher

• Production Designer:

  Cynthia Kay Charette

• Art Director:

  Dan Olexiewicz

• Executive Producer:

  Eric McLeod, Claire Rudnick Polstein

• Costume Designer:

  Deena Appel

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Mark Ulano

• First Assistant Director:

  Douglas Aarniokoski

• Casting:

  John Papsidera

REVIEW:

• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a hip, hilarious take-off of 1960s spy adventures -- such as the James Bond films or Our Man Flint -- that goes beyond mere parody. It's evident that creator Mike Myers, co-star Elizabeth Hurley, and everyone else involved seem to be having a tremendous amount of fun with the project. Myers supplies not one, but two rich comic creations: the title hero and his arch-nemesis Dr. Evil. The film's fish-out-of-water scenario could easily have been stretched much too thin; though the premise does occasionally flag, Myers peppers the film with offbeat tangents and great cameos from stars such as Tom Arnold, Carrie Fisher, and pop impresario Burt Bacharach. Austin Powers' humor is broad, to be sure, but like many broad cult comedies, the film gets better and better with repeat viewings. ~ Matthew Doberman, Rovi