Friday, June 11, 1999 | 9:29 a.m.
The Movies Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun (additional material provided by Thomas Feeney). You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Las Vegas Weekly magazine. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/movies and themovieguys.com.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Grades: Jeff, A; Dave, A.
Starring: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Rob Lowe, Verne Troyer, Michael York and Clint Howard.
Directed by: Jay Roach.
Screenplay by: Michael McCullers and Mike Myers.
Rated: PG-13 for violence, brief nudity and adult language.
Running time: 90 minutes.
Playing at: Regal Cinemas Boulder Station, Regal Cinemas Village Square, Las Vegas Drive-In, Cinedome 12 Henderson, Rancho Santa Fe 16, Century 12 Orleans, UA Showcase 8, UA Green Valley.
Synopsis: Dr. Evil, last left frozen in suspended animation in a space capsule circling the Earth, has returned once more to take over the Earth. But super '60s agent Austin Powers is out to stop him. To thwart Powers, Dr. Evil steals his mojo -- his power of love. Austin must travel back in time to the 1960s to reclaim it and stop Dr. Evil and his cat, Mr. Bigglesworth.
Jeff: Right off the bat, "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" is funnier than the first film. The laughs are nonstop, the jokes are right on target, the sets, costumes and the overall mood is fabulous, baby! This sequel about the rotted-toothed, groovy '60s secret agent, created by the brilliant, comedic mind of Mike Myers, is a comic treasure.
The success of this film rests almost solely on the shoulders of Myers, who reprises his dual roles as Austin Powers and the sinister Dr. Evil, but also plays an obese Scottish hitman named Fat Bastard. No one is spared the infectious slapstick in this tightly-wrapped package of James Bond spoofs. This is one funny film that has to be seen more than once to catch the dozens of sight gags and jokes that go whizzing by.
Dave: From the opening credits -- which mimic the other sci-fi flick that "AP2" is competing against at the box office, as it scrolls upward into space ("The Phantom Menace," for those who are not immediately catching on) -- accompanied by blaring horns acting as an exaggerated secret agent-like score, you are prepped for another adventure similar to the one that made the 1997 original such a smash, baby!
As the most shagadelic super-agent of our time, Austin "Danger" Powers is left powerless after Dr. Evil travels back in time to steal the libido from the one spy who foils his evil plans for world domination. After some exciting action and comical fare, Austin learns of the evil plans by his diabolical nemesis and makes his way back to the 1960s. Pairing up with the International Man of Mystery is the swinging American agent Felicity Shagwell ("Boogie Nights' " Heather Graham) taking over where Elizabeth Hurley left off in the first movie (she makes a brief appearance in "AP2's" opening). Are you randy yet, baby?
Jeff: Heather Graham is stunning, but this film is really Dr. Evil's show, with Austin Powers taking sort of a back seat this time around. Dr. Evil has three super cool hideouts, the first being the Seattle Space Needle (with the Starbucks Coffee logo around the top); the second, a hollowed-out volcano; and finally, a retro-outfitted moon base that's out of this world.
Dr. Evil needs help in conquering the world, and his array of henchmen return to help him carry out his evil plan. The first is the newly created Mini-Me (Verne Troyer), a cloned version of Dr. Evil who stands about 3 feet tall and looks and acts just like his master; Mustapha, a trained killer (reprised by the ever-hysterical Will Ferrel); and the ever disgusting Fat Bastard. Dr. Evil's son, Scott (Seth Green), returns to find his father's love now directed toward Mini-Me and has to help sort out their problems. What better place than on "The Jerry Springer Show"? The topic is, "Fathers Who Want to Conquer the World," and things get out of hand as Dr. Evil faces off with members of the Ku Klux Klan and chairs start flying. I start laughing thinking about it. Have I mentioned that Myers is a comic genius?
Dave: Let's not forget Number 2 (humorously reprised by Robert Wagner), second only to Dr. Evil. And who would of thought Rob Lowe could deliver a dead-on impression of Wagner as the younger Number 2 in the 1960s? Well, Myers, obviously. As you said, Jeff, the success of this summer comedy rests on "Saturday Night Live" alum Myers. Along with co-writer Michael McCullers, Myers knows how to utilize the same memorable gags and dialogue from the first film, and applied enough of a twist on the original to make the sequel seem both fresh and completely funny all over again.
In addition, returning director Jay Roach (who also helms this year's "Mystery, Alaska") orchestrates Myers' spy parody by letting his lead work his own cinematic mojo. By exceeding my expectations for a successful follow-up, this film assures me that Myers has his hands on the grooviest franchise since Ian Fleming's name graced the screen in 1962's "Dr. No," the debut installment of the James Bond series.
Jeff: This wasn't a easy film to review. Why? It's like trying to explain scenes from "Blazing Saddles" or jokes in "The Naked Gun": You can't put into words the precise comic timing of Myers. It loses something in the translation. I recently saw Myers on "The Charlie Rose Show" and he admitted that 40 percent of "The Spy Who Shagged Me" was improvised. Myers is having the time of his life, and he revealed that making the film was like attending a party that lasts for two months. This is just silliness at its best and deserves no explanation, but just needs to be taken at face value.
His final comments on "The Charlie Rose Show" were that if someone told him that every other film he had to make from now on was an "Austin Powers" film, that would be OK with him. It would be more than OK with me, too. I can't wait to see what he does next.
Movie Buzz
Pythoner to play Prez: The U.K.'s Minister of Silly Walks is set to play none other than the Father of Our Country. Variety reports that John Cleese has signed as the lead of "The Making of the President, 1789." The film, which is said to be based on fact, is about George Washington and how he went from being an obscure Virginia landowner to leading the Revolutionary War forces, ultimately becoming the country's first president. The script will focus on such down-to-Earth facts as Washington's $440,000 payday -- in 1789 dollars -- for eight years of expenses of the Revolutionary War. Steve Martin is also said to be interested in the project, which will be directed by actor Ben Stiller. Cleese's next major role is as weapons designer Q's apprentice, R, in the new James Bond movie "The World Is Not Enough."
The End?: Jim Carrey's new movie may arrive with a twist -- three different endings! Rumors persist that the upcoming comedy-drama "Man on the Moon" will be randomly distributed on three separate prints so audiences will not know which ending they will see. The film tells the story of bizarre comedian Andy Kaufman, who died of lung cancer in 1984. Carrey plays Kaufman in what many insiders are saying is an uncanny performance. "Man on the Moon," although completed, does not yet have a firm release date, perhaps due to distributor Universal's rumored difficulty in finding a marketing strategy for the unusual film.
Is Mel Gibson a chicken?: Yes, it's true! The Aussie actor will lend his voice to the upcoming animated feature "Chicken Run." The fowl feature is the work of Nick Park, creator of the popular claymation characters "Wallace & Gromit." Park has teamed with Spielberg's DreamWorks studio to produce the film, a story of fearless poultry fighting back against the owners of a '50s Yorkshire farm. The animated comedy's plot is said to closely parallel classic World War II drama "The Great Escape." "Chicken Run" will arrive in theaters next year.
Viewpoint
Earlier this week, President Clinton announced an agreement with the National Association of Theatre Owners to implement a photo ID check at movie theater box offices nationwide. Presumably, this is meant to prevent those under age 17 from viewing R-rated films. This is one of those ideas that may look good on paper, but is nearly impossible to enforce with any certainty.
This new policy raises many more questions than it can answer. Will the policy be voluntary, or will it be enforced by a government body? Should theater owners be forced to post guards in front of theater entrances? Even if the new age check prevented kids from entering the theater, what happens six months later when that same film is released on home video? Will video stores adopt the same policy, not to mention pay-per-view and cable TV? Let's be realistic: Any teenager can easily see an R-rated movie in any number of ways. In the wake of the tragedy at Columbine High School, people are looking for an easy scapegoat when there simply is none.
Millions of Americans are exposed to violent themes in the media every single day and manage to remain law-abiding citizens. Instead of focusing on the violent content of movies, television and video games, maybe we should turn our attention to finding that trigger in an individual's mind that causes them to make that terrible leap from harmless fantasy to deadly reality. Besides, it's the parents' responsibilty, not Uncle Sam's.
Name That Flick
"They was giving me 10,000 watts a day, you know, and I'm hot-to-trot. Next woman takes me on's going to light up like a pinball machine, and pay off in silver dollars." Al Schaff was the first to call and identify the quote spoken by Jack Nicholson as R.P. MacMurphy in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." Way to go, Al!
For this week, what film was this line spoken from: "I wish to conduct my life on my own terms, and in surroundings with which I can identify. That is a privilege of wealth"? If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026, or log onto our website at themovieguys.com. Be sure spell your name and leave a daytime phone number and if you're the first to answer correctly, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read. See you next week!
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