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Saturday Night Live alum Mike Myers (Wayne’s World) stars as Austin Powers, an over-the-top British agent and flirtatious womanizer from the 1960s, who pursues his mortal enemy, Dr. Evil (also Myers) into cryogenic sleep for thirty years. Now, in the late ’90s, Dr. Evil is hatching another scheme to destroy the world unless every nation ponies up one million dollars — er, better make that one hundred billion dollars. With the help of another agent and love interest (Elizabeth Hurley), Austin dodges Dr. Evil’s henchman and uncovers clues that lead him to Dr. Evil’s secret lair for a comical showdown.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a good lampoon of the James Bond franchise, mining it’s penchant for comical villainy and tongue-in-cheek humor. My favorite homage is a character named Alotta Fagina, an obvious reference to Bond’s infamous Pussy Galore. But some of the best gags are original ones, including a pair of scenes that feature nude characters whose private parts are conveniently covered in elaborate, ridiculous ways. Myers, who also wrote the film, carries the film squarely on his shoulders. Powers can be a grating character in large doses, but I never tire of Dr. Evil. His scenes with Seth Green, playing his rebellious teenaged son, are among the film’s best. Powers’ encounter with Dr. Evil’s deadly ‘fem-bots’ is another comic highlight.
At 89-minutes long, Austin Powers takes a bow before he outstays his welcome. And it’s a good thing. These kind of parody movies can get pretty tedious without any grounded storytelling or character development to hang onto. Director Jay Roach (Meet the Parents) makes the affair more cinematic than most comedies, with colorful sets and costumes shot in the wider, scope aspect ratio. The soundtrack features several memorable songs, with Quincy Jones’ wonderful “Soul Bossa Nova” serving as Austin’s main title theme song.
With Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mimi Rogers, and Will Ferrell.