Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
If he were any cooler, he'd still be frozen, baby!
Frozen in the 60's... thawing spring '97, baby!
Debonair. Defiant. Defrosted.
Austin Powers is a 60's spy who is cryonically frozen and released in the 1990's. The world is a very different place for Powers. Unfortunately for Austin, everyone is no longer sex-mad. Although he may be in a different decade, his mission is still the same. He has teamed up with Vanessa Kensington to stop the evil Dr. Evil, who was also frozen in the past. Dr. Evil stole a nuclear weapon and is demanding a payment of (when he realises its the 90's) 100 billion dollars. Can Austin Powers stop this madman? or will he caught up with Evil's henchman, with names like Alotta Fagina and Random Task? Only time will tell!
| Mike Myers | Austin Powers/Dr. Evil |
| Elizabeth Hurley | Vanessa Kensington |
| Michael York | Basil Exposition |
| Mimi Rogers | Mrs. Kensington |
| Robert Wagner | Number Two |
| Seth Green | Scott Evil |
| Fabiana Udenio | Alotta Fagina |
| Mindy Sterling | Frau Farbissina |
| Paul Dillon | Patty O'Brien |
| Charles Napier | Commander Gilmour |
| Will Ferrell | Mustafa |
| Afifi Alaouie | '60s Model |
| Monet Mazur | Mod Girl |
| Jay Roach |
7.10 out of 10 (57278 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Low comedy; decent spoof; good nostalgia; poor production
posted on 25 Jul 2009Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery is funny. It's not witty. It's none too smart. It could have been much, much funnier. However it is undeniably funny, if you like disjointed sketch comedy stretch out to its maximum degree and if you have seen the plethora of films being spoofed. It isn't just James Bond films (Connery only, Myers has some taste) being parodied, nor even the genre (Avengers, The Prisoner, Secret Agent, Our Man Flint), it is also the 'long-60's era' (The Graduate, The better Carry On films, Casino Royale, The Mouse That Roared, I Love You Alice B. Toklas, Smashing Time, Sleeper).The main problem here is that in Casino Royale, for instance, Peter Sellers - Myers' obvious template - already did a fantastic sendup of Bond. In that same film Ursula Andress was far more interesting and sexy than Alotta Fagina. Robert Wagner couldn't even begin to have the screen presence of Orson Welles as Le Chifre. In fact virtually nothing in Austin Powers is original. It's just a different person's vision of the same thing: parody revisited. In the best such parodies, however, the comedy is most effective when played straight. Austin Powers is intentionally camp and thus loses the edge it could have had, especially if it had been better written.Two things *are* original, or very nearly. The contextual juxtaposition of the 60's and the 90's is amusing and should have been taken much further. The character of Dr Evil - who in a reverse of the Bond norm is the only character *with* a character - is very interesting and could have been further explored. And this is exactly where the film shows its true character: half developed ideas lost in the attempt to spoof an era. This is just a long series of sketches welded together...vaguely. The production quality is also low. This may have been part of the parody, but I don't think it is.If you want to see hilarious, intelligent low-budget sketch comedy beautifully welded into a single story, see Monty Python and the Holy Grail. If you want a good giggle and someone else pays, Austin Powers is a good choice...if you've seen the right movies to get the jokes.
An Antidote For A Rainy Day
posted on 25 Jul 2009I'm not a Mike Myers fan, and I avoided this film--and its sequels--like the plague when they were on the big screen. But I now know the error of my ways: AUSTIN POWERS is one of the freshest bits of purely entertaining, mindless fluff to come along in quite a while, the perfect antidote to an overcast and bad-mood sort of day.The story is an amalgamation of the more excessive plot ideas of such films as DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and OUR MAN FLINT. Fashion photographer by day and swinging spy by night, Austin Powers is the toast of psychedelic London--and more than a match for Dr. Evil. But when Dr. Evil has himself frozen, Powers does the same, and the two defrost some thirty years later and resume their battle in the much more up-tight 1990s. The most obvious target of the spoof is the James Bond films, but fans of 1960s film will have a field day spotting the film's take offs on such characters as Matt Helm, Derek Flint, Emma Peel, celebrities like The Beatles and Andy Warhol, and such diverse films as THE TENTH VICTIM and the camp classic DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMB. And dare we mention the sixties' own classic swinging spy spoof, the infamous CASINO ROYALE? Myers is greatly amusing in the double role of Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, both of whom have considerable difficulty adjusting to everything from safe sex to inflation, and Elizabeth Hurley is quite good in the Diana Rigg-ish role of sidekick Vanessa Kensington. But the real fun here is in the details--and the details include every one from Michael York to Robert Wagner to Burt Bacharach to Carrie Fisher, "Fembots" with killer pasties, and Italian sexpot Fabiana Udenio as a character with the most devastating name since Honor Blackman hit the screen in GOLDFINGER. The soundtrack is just as swinging as it gets, with blasts of everything from "These Boots Are Made For Walking" and "I Touch Myself." And look for a hilarious spoof of Bob Fosse-inspired choreography during the main credits! You won't find any deep thoughts in AUSTIN POWERS, and thank heaven for it: giggles and grins are the order of the day, and the film delivers them in abundance. The DVD is a nice one as well, offering your choice of widescreen or pan-and-scan, some entertaining notes and deleted scenes, and amusing commentary. Buy it and keep on your shelf for that rainy day.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
funny it hurts!!
posted on 25 Jul 2009"Austin. Danger. Powers." Anyone who is not laughing must be really square. Those who deem it stupidly elementary must have no funny bone to be tickled, or they must have laid their inner, silly child to death. What a pity really. Mike Myers is responsible for 2 of the most funny characters ever on screen: Austin and Dr. Evil, the latter having a slight edge. It is tight, clever comedy and not at all stupid, unlike a lot of the other grossed out comedies that it may be grouped with. "Honestly, who fights with a shoe?"The best comedic film i've ever seen is The Princess Bride, then the Toy Story series. Austin takes third place, which is a huge compliment. Mike, you can be at any of my parties: i'm not worthy!
A Comedic Masterpiece (really!)
posted on 19 Jul 2009There's something I'd like people to know about this movie: no, it isn't a sophisticated comedy. It's full of site gags, obscene jokes, and the like. But it doesn't matter. Because all these elements make this one of the funniest comedies ever. I can't stand people I know bashing the film because they think it's too dumb for them. C'mon, if you don't find it funny, then I'd say that's pretty dumb. But what do I know? :-PJUST SEE IT! Trust me!
Funny and Entertaining!
posted on 04 Jul 2009Very funny comedy, but the least funny of the Trilogy. This is the one with the least 'Toilet Humor' and 'Gross Out' stuff. But, I enjoyed the Sequels more... 'Maybe 'Cuz I'm as 'Lo-Brow' as they come. Classical jokes here, see this one to get some of the jokes in the sequels, they carry them from Movie to Movie alot.
Get off the intellectual high-horse.
posted on 28 Jun 2009This movie simply cannot be judged by normal standards. When I first walked in on someone watching this movie, I thought 'What a load of B.S.'. Now, however, it seems that my first reaction seems to be just that: a first reaction. Enjoying 'Austin Powers' is about letting loose, getting off that intellectual high horse, and opening up to a brand of humour. The thing is, everyone creating Austin Powers KNOWS the jokes are farcical, overdone and lame; they know their material is widely associated with bad comedy. Yet, they take that fact and turn it 180 degrees to create a comedy style that offers more: a parody of itself almost. Most definitely, a love it or leave it movie. No; there IS a third option: Shag it, baby, yeah!To enjoy: lose pretentious aesthetic taste.
Superb!!!
posted on 16 Jun 2009Austin Powers is a super-shagadelic movie!!! I
bought it the day it came out on video! Mike
Myers is pure comic genius (rent the "Wayne's World" movies) Dr. Evil is one of the greatest comedic creations of all time. Hey, this movie even made TOM ARNOLD funny! A true ode to James Bond and his kin, a step above parody! Have I raved enough?I'm there for the sequel, and the halloween costumes, and even the plush dr. evil dolls!!!!!!!! YEAH BABY YEAH!
The Pamela Urge
posted on 13 Jun 2009I saw this with Borat. It didn't work for me. Neither comedy did; the reasons seem related.If you put distance between something and it's source, then you have opportunity for low humor. The closer you get to the original or the reference, the sharper you have to be on both sides of the screen.I thought "Wayne's World" was sharp stuff. It moved seamlessly from being in a genre to making fun of it, moving randomly.This is comparatively a safe and lazy project. The distance is great and the humor broad and repetitive. Yet it didn't work for me.The reason is that the humor depends on the thing being trashed being something that someone has valued. That "distance" I mentioned is usually distance between you and the people being made fun of.The joke is that someone actually thought the prototypes were worth investing in. "Escape" (as in escape movies) is a powerful thing and we do not choose our escapes casually. We define ourselves in significant degree this way.I never did with this genre. I was lucky enough to have escaped valuing the excesses of the 70s by being "stuck" in the 60s.There are only a few strokes in the references here anyway: an evil overload behind a threatening conspiracy; a strangely magnetic, privileged and successful agent; and a collection of style-related things from the 70s: fashion, phrases, music and a very few cinematic references. Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
very funny movie
posted on 10 Jun 2009This movie is really funny. Mike Myers deserve an award for his roles. It's really funny the way Dr. Evil talks to people or his actions. I just felt sorry for Dr. Evil's son, the normal one. I mean he's normal and his dad is a whacko! This is the kind of comedy movie I've been looking for. Part 3 of this movie just came out last week and I hope there will be part 4,5,6,etc. I give this movie 8 out of 10.
Hilarious! The funniest movie I've ever seen!
posted on 04 Jun 2009This is the funniest movie that I have ever seen. The dialogue may seem a little callow at first, but there are so many hidden jokes that the movie needs to be watched over and over to catch. Everyone in my family loves this movie, from my six year old brother, to my middle-aged father. Mike Myers is, as always, great. He is such a versatile actor as displayed in his opposite portrayals of Austin Powers and Dr. Evil. After I watched the movie, I was asking myself who played Dr. Evil, until I realized that it was the same person, a fact that I was amazed by. There was no aspect of this movie that wasn't great, and I am extremely excited to see the much-hyped sequel.
WAAAAY OVER-HYPED...
posted on 04 Jun 2009If I had to describe this movie in one word, I would say: Flat. Boredom interrupted by a few good lines. People calling it the 'funniest movie ever' should watch some really funny movies like 'The Party', 'Take the Money and Run', 'Play It Again, Sam', 'Airplane 1/2', 'Naked Gun' series, etc. Then come back and tell me where Austin Powers really belongs. This movie would have been a great one if it was shortened to 10 minutes. All in all, it is below average at best. Very much like Wayne's World 1/2 - all good punchlines fit nicely in the trailer. Duh.
Sometimes funny
posted on 04 Jun 2009Austin Powers, part 1, is a movie that has his jokes during the first 30 minutes. Afterwards it is all going down. I mean, most movies have an OK-beginning , a good centre part and a good ending. This one does it the other way round. I think ( spoiler warning ) the best part is the beginning, when the guys dance in the streets ( that is very funny ). But then it goes the whole way down, from 9/10 to 3/10. I rated this movie a 7/10 , I think, because of the funny beginning. But the sequel is much better.
Very Entertaining
posted on 29 May 2009I watched this movie in Brazil (in english) only a few hours before I was to board a plane and leave. It was very entertaining and very enjoyable. It can appeal to people of all ages (well not very young children) as some jokes are pure stupid-humor and some are more intelligent. Mike Myers did a brilliant job writing the script for this Bond spoof movie filled with laughs and spoofs from every direction. One of the funniest movies I have ever seen (keep in mind it's not a comedy to be taken seriously). Mike Myers in a double role of Austin Powers and Austin's enemy, Dr. Evil is hilariously funny and Elizabeth Hurley was well cast as the Bond-girl character. If you liked this movie you will most definitely enjoy the sequel- The Spy Who Shagged Me.Oh, and as for the person who said that eighth graders can't appreciate certain lines- I'm an eighth grader and have high respect for this movie.
Can't wait for "The Spy Who Shagged Me"
posted on 17 May 2009The best comedy of 1997! Mike Myers the best of the 90s Saturday Night Live castoffs when it comes to movies. So I Married an Axe Murderer and Austin Powers show off his talents at playing multiple roles, a la Eddie Murphy. I just hope his sequel to this movie doesn't turn out to be anything like Wayne's World 2, which shouldn't have been made in my opinion
Don't look at it like it's freakin' Frankenstein give the flick a hug!
posted on 05 May 2009Austin Powers is highly inventive, one of the most creative comedies in decades - Myers is at his best. Wayne's World was good, but pales in comparison to this shagadelic flick. It pays homage to the 60's and James Bond Movies with a wink rather than a stab. Yes, it's overblown, and yes parts are ridiculous, but that is part of the fun. The opening sequence and titles made me cry I was laughing so hard. I think some of the ones who don't like the flick may not pick up on a lot of the references to other films or fads. Can't wait for the sequel - it's in the top three of my summer must see's, behind Episode One and Eyes Wide Shut. Notice how this flick opened up a whole new door for slang and vocabulary -- smashing baby - shagadelic - yeah, baby --- people who've seen the movie know exactly what you're saying. Now that's funny --- a 9 out of 10.
The first (and best) in the series.
posted on 26 Apr 2009A silly yet fresh movie--hip and entertaining. Very, very clever and funny.
There's so much to say about Austin Powers it's becoming hard to describe it concisely. The sequels, though also over-the-top funny, are mediocre in comparison. One of Myers's best flicks--a "smashing" writing credit to him for his creativity.
Funny and silly
posted on 17 Apr 2009There's not a lot to say about this one. It is just a comedy and I must say that it's very funny indeed. Really. The are a lot of Bond-jokes beside the obvious ones. And the scenes where their genitals are hidden are brilliant.What I really liked were the few unusual ideas. The short breaks with Austin dancing 60's style are great and the story of the dead security men is really something new. And I liked the father-son problems.Not a masterpiece or something like that but just a funny film.7/10 \ 3/4 \ 2- (1+ - 6-)
Shagadelic baby, yeah!
posted on 27 Aug 2009Absoloutely wonderful movie. Mike Myers plays a superb double part - each character with his own way of talking and mannerisms. Many times during the movie you forget that they are played by the same person, they are so brilliantly played. Amazing. Characterization down to a tee. As for the gags, I can't fault them - Mike Myers' writing skills are great and very funny - even more so as he is prepared to play the 2 main characters himself. Just take a look at the memorable quotes section if you're in any doubt. The inclusion of Scott, Dr. Evil's teenage son, is absolutely side-splitting, especially the "sh" routine. Yeah, baby! As for Liz Hurley, well, she's a babe. Also a very good actress, though. Anyway, I love the film. I have been going round with my little finger to my lips for the past week since I saw it, it's so funny and compelling that you can't help but be picked up in this wonderful pschycadelic James Bond spoof that is Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (cue that extremely annoying theme song) 10 out of 10! Shagadelic! Switched-on! Smashing baby, yeah!