New on video: That’s Powers, Austin Powers

Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997 | 3:38 a.m.

Thirty years pass when Dr. Evil returns to plague the earth once more and there's only one man who can stop him. Yes, it's Austin Powers! Unfortunately, you can take Powers out of the '60s, but you can't take the '60s out of Powers. The movie may not be rich in plot, but it's right on the mark in skewering the fashions, slang, sexuality and sheer audacity of the late '60s.

It also pokes fun at the stereotypical characters found in the early Bond films thanks to Elizabeth Hurley's sexy sidekick and Robert Wagner as a henchman-turned-corporate genius. The film is at its best when it sets up and knocks down typical spy thriller conventions. Or, to put it another way: "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" is simple Shagariffic!

"Austin Powers" gets a B.

* Jeff: "Wild America" (Warner Brothers Home Video, rated PG, VHS /Laserdisc): It's the summer of 1967 and three brothers leave their home in Fort Smith, Ark. to embark on an adventure that will last a lifetime. The boys hit the open road with their movie camera and the hopes of documenting America's vanishing wildlife.

Over the course of six weeks, the three brothers learn to trust and depend on each other while filming wildlife in its unspoiled settings. Some of the sequences are a bit over the top: Jonathan Taylor Thomas caught in the antlers of a moose running amok; Devon Sawa nearly devoured by an alligator; the boys accidentally awakening a cave full of hibernating grizzly bears ... in August!

"Wild America" is inspired by the true story of the Stouffer brothers, whose own documentary series of the same name has revealed the mystery and charm of some of nature's most elusive and endangered creatures to audiences around the world. This is a great adventure for the whole family, starring some of Hollywood's most talented young actors.

"Wild America" get a B.

* Jeff: "Batman & Robin" (Warner Home Video, rated PG-13, VHS/ Laserdisc): Here's the fourth installment of the "Batman" films. George Clooney of "ER" is Gotham city's Dark Knight this time around, with Chris O'Donnell returning as Robin, the Boy Wonder. This time the dynamic duo try to foil the frozen fiendishness of Mr. Freeze, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, doing a villain for the first time since "The Terminator."

But the cold criminal is not alone, for at his side is the Siren of Soil, Poison Ivy, played by Uma Thurman. Equipped with innovative gadgets, redesigned Bat vehicles and an all new Batcave, Batman & Robin, along with Batgirl (alicia Silverstone), must confront Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy to save Gotham City from an icy doom.

Director Joel Schumacher has created a three-dimensional comic book, complete with neon lights, fluorescent paint, and a trunk full of one-liners that would make any old-time comedian proud. Easily the most implausible "Batman" movie to date, it requires an essential suspension of disbelief.

"Batman & Robin" gets a B.