Austin Powers Opening Sequence

In this extract, narratives (characters and events) are used to try create a sense of jeopardy and suspense. Ultimately, this scene amuses me as it is the only scene in the entire film with an exciting convention of suspense and/or jeopardy (seeing as it is a spoof movie) The opening sequence uses two different conventions to try and put across an image of excitement typical in an AA movie (but not in a spoof) One such convention is "Speed and Motion" During the opening sequence, the protagonist (Austin Powers) flies through the sky the somehow lands directly into the drivers seat of his 'Shaguar' (a cheap but nonetheless effective play on words) In the car, the protagonist is being chased by a helicopter (further propelling the convention of speed and motion) He is driving the car at full speed and dashing forward, while the helicopter is effectively chasing after him. As the two vehicles will clearly both be going at high speed, it reflects the 'speed' context




Another of these handsome conventions is jeopardy and suspense. The part of the opening that uses this convention is when Austin powers is driving directly towards the helicopter and suddenly pushes an ejector button which makes him fly out of his seat and towards the helicopter. The jeopardy convention is the fact that he is flying through the air at an extremely fast speed right in front of the guns and blades of the helicopter. As he flies over the top of the cockpit, he shoots the driver with two fully automated sub machine guns that appear out of nowhere. While this is happening, the suspense is created as the camera shot changes to slow motion, and dramatic music plays in the back ground (while over exaggerated shots of the helicopter pilot dying are shown) The helicopter hilariously explodes for no apparent and/or deliberate reason (considering it was only riddled with a few bullets through glass) and Austin lands on the ground without any kind of external or internal injury considering he did fly through the air (well what can I say, it is meant to be a stereotypical AA movie opening- which it does very well) , but I guess it goes to show that all action heroes are invincible! Especially the extremely suave ones from 1960s England that are played by Mike Myers.