I enjoyed this series of films very much. The "Goldmember" film a bit less but overall a very creative and funny pop culture feast! One of the big bonus's for me anyway is to finally have the original Austin Powers movie in the proper 2:4 aspect ratio after years of having to watch it on 1:85 on normal DVD. This may not mean much to some viewers but to those interested in seeing what they did at the theater it does. The other two films came out in proper 2:4 aspect ratio on DVD previously so why the original was formatted a bit off was always a mystery to me. The films look great on Blu-ray ...and while they don't have any NEW bonus features to my notice..at least they did import all the old ones and music videos (some blu-rays are coming out WITHOUT the previous bonus features).I picked the set up for a price that came to about $15 per film so I think its a very good value.
Note: Be careful opening the package as the set is shrink wrapped very tight and might cut the loose page on the outside that you might want to keep. (The real box has Austin Powers & Dr. Evil on each side.)It's hard to believe almost 10 years have gone by since we first saw Mike Myers' Austin Powers character for the first time. These are among the funniest films made at the close of the 20th Century. For the most part, they are chock full of sightgags and silly puns and give Mike Myers ample opportunity to wear funny costumes and try out as many joke accents as possible. Myers rises to the occassion each time out, eventually playing 4 characters at once ala Peter Sellers.
As introduced in the first film (International Man of Mystery), Austin is swinging 60s' superspy who thinks he's a lot hipper than he really is. Think Sammy Davis Jr trapped in Davy Jones' body and you'll have an idea of what Austin is like before seeing him. Also introduced in the first film is Dr Evil (also played by Myers), a cross between Blofeld and Ed Sullivan. If anything, Dr. Evil has even better lines and gags than Austin himself.
The three films primarily spoof the James Bond series. The first film has strong overtones of both 'Diamonds are Forever' and 'Casino Royale' but Myers goes totally bonkers in the second film (Spy Who Shagged Me), in which 'Star Wars' and 'Moonraker' are yanked in for a well-deserved ribbing. The second film doesn't break as much ground as the first, but is arguably the funniest of the three as leading lady Heather Graham is the perfect partner in crime to Mike Myers' Austin character. Graham is the funniest of Austin's three leading ladies. Unfortunately, the third film (Goldmember) declines after a very strong start, coming across as a stitched-together effort to wring the last bucks out of the Powers franchise. If the series has a flaw, it's that few of the characters seem drawn from life, rather than pieced together as parodies.
If you like one Austin Powers movie, you'll like all three to various degrees. At this price, this is a good time to replace your battered VHS copies with nice, fresh DVDs.This trilogy is worth your money and will give you one hell of a good time. There isn't really much for me to say about them though. The plots are very simple and pointless but the movies are absolutely hilarious.
Mike Myers is genius and makes the movies funny because he plays Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and Fat Bast***. That's lots of talent!
Beware because if you didn't know, these movies are very silly and dumb but will definitely make you laugh your head off.
This is how I rate the three:
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery4 stars
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me4 and 1/2 stars
Austin Powers: Goldmember3 and 1/2 starsI purchased the "1-3 Collection" on DVD. I know enough about the other versions that I can compare/contrast. If you're looking for information about the movies themselves, look elsewhere I'm not going to mention the plots, the cast, etc. in this review.
First, the "Austin Powers 1-3 Collection" on DVD. You get two DVD's. The first and third movies are on a 'flipper' disc, with the second movie on its own disc. A little strange, perhaps, but no biggie.
Comparing it the the Blu Ray collection, other than packaging difference (3 blu rays in their own slim cases instead of two dvd's) the contents are identical. All movies are in 2.4:1 aspect ratio. Each movie features commentary, deleted scenes, etc. And while the DVD transfer is perfectly acceptable, I can see how these movies would really "pop" in HD. If you like these movies enough, spend the extra $ for blu ray.
Comparing it to the first release of individual DVD's, note that (1) the first movie is presented in its proper 2.4:1 aspect ratio here, but not on the individual DVD (I don't know what aspect ratio was used, but it was wrong) and (2) that the extras on the individual discs are less. Since you can easily find the "1-3 Collection" for about $8 shipped, I recommend purchasing the "1-3 Collection" if you choose to buy on the DVD format.
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