"Collapse
Of The Twin Powers"
by Devon T. Coleman
It should be said that this movie is worth seeing for the first five minutes
alone. The first five minutes of this movie are beautiful and perfect. Then
you reach minute six.
The second AP wasn't very good. It was just recycled bits from the first one.
This Austin Powers adventure is a little better in that respect, but fails in
the most important. A lot of the jokes aren't funny. Not because they're bad
jokes, but because there's no surprise. Comedy is based in surprise. Good comedy
gets you to think one thing is going to happen and then something totally different
does. Sarah Silverman once said, "We shouldn't deconstruct why we laugh
at something. It's like deconstructing breathing." This statment is very
true. One cannot fault people for laughing at the jokes in this movie. But one
can certainly fault Myers for bad writing.
There is a point where it is revealed that one of the characters is named "Roboto".
From this moment we know that someone, most likely Powers, will meet him and
say "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto." And that exact thing happens. Yet,
somehow it was still funny to most of the audience. I can't begin to question
why a member of the public would think this sort of telegraphed joke is funny.
However, I can question why someone who is a comedy writer would.
Another problem with the jokes is that if they aren't telegraphed, they are
explained after they happened. That is, there are points where one of the characters
actually explains the joke as part of the dialogue. Not as a cute "wink"
at the camera or breaking of the "fourth wall". But actual character
dialogue.
There are good things about the movie. There are a couple really good Scott
Evil moments and the flashback to the characters as teenagers is good if only
for the surprisingly well-done mimicry of the voices. If I hadn't known better,
I would've thought that the young Austin & young Basil had been dubbed over
by their older counterparts.
All in all, it's an entertaining movie with a few truly funny moments. But the
bottom line is that there are too few. If you're a huge fan of AP, you'll probably
like it. If you think AP is "kinda funny" then I suggest waiting until
someone you know buys or rents it.
Oh, one last thing. Austin's father, played by Micheal Caine mentions something
about Austin having been frozen. I feel that this line was a bad choice on the
part of Myers because it made me realize, If Austin was frozen for 30 years,
how is his father even still alive? I know, I know. It's a movie about catchphrases.
Yeah, baby.
respond to devon@filmbrats.com