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Starring: | Mike Myers, Liz Hurley & Seth Green |
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| Directed By: | Jay Roach | |
| Written By: | Mike Myers |
Providing you haven't been in a state of suspended animation for the last five years, there's no way you could've not noticed this film. Impressions of Austin 'Danger' Powers and his nemesis Dr. Evil flew through the air in schools and offices alike. Everyone knew the characters, the lines and the funniest moments, and yet very few saw this film at the cinema. It must be said that this movie looked like it was set to become a cult classic, only to be found in the bargain basement section of the remotest video stores. And yet somehow, when released on video, everyone wanted to watch it. It grew from a cult classic into a fantastic mainstream comedy. And are we glad? Of course we are. As good as cult films are, bringing them to a wider audience will always be advantageous to everyone (except the greasy cult fanatics, who have lost their last claim to a personality of any kind). And now, Austin and Evil are everywhere: posters, keyrings, badges, greeting cards, books, comics, computer games and action figures can still be seen in most high-streets today.
Austin represents the pinnacle of the 1960's English secret service, he's everything a spy needs to be: dedicated, fantastic at his job, a sex icon, world famous and in bad need of an orthodontist. He juggles his world-saving with a career as a renowned fashion photographer whilst still somehow finding time to lead parades around London to Soul Bossa Nova. Women want to be with him and men want to be him. He foils Dr. Evil's plans time and time again, pausing only for the 'occasional' rendezvous with a variety of lady friends. Unlike his fidelity to monogamy, his dedication to his job is unshaken; so when Dr. Evil cryogenically freezes himself to re-emerge in the future, Austin volunteers to do the same. Fast forward 30 years...
| Most of the jokes in this film center around Dr. Evil and Austin trying to adapt to the 1990s. Dr. Evil is now lost for words when he discovers one million dollars is no longer a large enough sum to hold the world ransom to, and Austin is distraught to learn that free love is finished and his teeth now prevent him from becoming the sex symbol he once was. Surprisingly, this formula works (although slowly throughout the film you'll want to see less of Austin and ever more of the fantastic Dr. Evil, some thing that Mike Myers picked up on for the sequel). Watching the outdated-duo struggle to come to terms with their new roles proves entertaining enough for the 90-odd minutes. But if the film was left like that, it would have deservedly sunk without a trace. So, the secondary charcters prove to be just as funny as the leads. |  |
Seth Green (as Scott Evil, Dr. Evil's genetically created son) has a promising future ahead of him. Not to say he hasn't got a fine career now, but I see great things in his destiny. His chemistry with Myers proves to be the funniest part of the film, with the pair attending father-son counselling sessions together, in order to overcome the love/hate relationship they have. Sadly this is underused; even more so in the sequel, where Mini-Me takes too many of the comedy moments away from such an engaging pair. Speaking of which, Liz Hurley's part of Ms. Kensington slots right in, providing the Bond-girl feel as well as Austin's link to the present. Is she sending herself up though? It's hard to tell if she has latched onto the idea of irony, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
As I mentioned before however, Austin himself will slowly start to grate. His repetitive catchphrases just aren't funny by the eighteenth time you've heard them. But you'll start to crave another hit of Dr. Evil the more you see him. Any chance of a Dr. Evil film? Not with my luck.
Summary: The weak links are few and far apart. This is the film that confirms Mr. Myer's comic genius beyond a shadow of a doubt. What are you still sitting there for? Go and rent it now...
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