Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Jay Roach

Writer (WGA):

Mike Myers (written by)

Release Date:

2 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

If he were any cooler, he'd still be frozen, baby!

Plot:

A 1960's hipster secret agent is brought out of cryofreeze to oppose his greatest enemy into the 1990's where his social attitudes are glaringly out of place.

Plot Keywords:

Secret Agent | Spy | Agent | 1960s | Spoof

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

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
Joann Richter	...	'60s Model
Anastasia Sakelaris	...	'60s Model (as Anastasia Nicole Sakelaris)
Afifi Alaouie	...	'60s Model
Monet Mazur	...	Mod Girl

Also Known As:

Austin Powers (USA) (working title)
Austin Powers - Das Schärfste, was Ihre Majestät zu bieten hat (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for nudity, sex-related dialogue and humor.

Runtime:

94 min | Turkey:68 min (TV version)

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18SX | Netherlands:12 (VHS/DVD rating) | Netherlands:6 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | Finland:S (DVD rating) | France:U | Germany:12 | Iceland:L | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34834)

Filming Locations:

Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino - 3535 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Capella International

Trivia:

The word "fembot" was coined by writer Arthur Rowe for an episode of "The Bionic Woman" (1976) entitled "Kill Oscar" which first aired on 27 Oct 1976. It involved a plot (masterminded by John Houseman) to replace all the secretaries at the Office of Scientific Intelligence with robot look-alikes. They reappear in "Fembots in Las Vegas," which aired on 24 Sep. 1977.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Austin breaks into Alotta Fagina's penthouse apartment, he is taking pictures of Virtucon's plans with a miniature Hit camera. It sounds like there is a motor drive advancing the film, but Hit cameras were not so equipped.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Evil: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my underground lair. I have gathered here before me the world's deadliest assassins, and yet each of you has failed to kill Austin Powers. That makes me angry. And when Dr. Evil gets angry, Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset. And when Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset... people DIE!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Top Gear: (2004-11-21)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

These Days

Dirty, funny spoof if you're in the mood

In the 1960's Austin Powers is one of the UK's best secret agents. He works as an international playboy who also fights international terrorists. However when Dr Evil tries fails to kill him, Dr Evil escapes into space where he is frozen until a time when he can return. Austin Powers also freezes himself to be defrosted later. In the late 90's Dr Evil returns to wreck havoc on the world and only a defrosted Powers can stop him – if he can adapt to the new world order. Mike Myers is very much an acquired taste but he did seem to hit it big with this series of films. The original film set the tone with not very basic jokes but certainly plenty of crude ones. The main film is split between a fish out of water film, with Austin trying to come to terms with the 90's, and also a James Bond spoof with Dr Evil as a more frustrated Bond baddie (complete with cat and bald head). The fish out of water stuff works well as Austin is a funny swinger and the 60's stuff is cool, however the best bits for me all relate to Dr Evil – whether it be his relationship with his son or the asides where the see the consequences of the death of his henchmen. The spoof on Bond movies gets the best laughs from me. Myers is good in both roles and clearly has fun with both. Hurley is OK but a bit wooden as Vanessa while Robert Wagner is good as number one. Michael York (whoooooo?) is good as control and there are some good cameos – Rob Lowe is funny but I still don't understand why the whole Christian Slater bit was put in the final cut?! Overall it may be rude and slightly crude in places but there's still plenty to enjoy. It's 90 minutes long but it's very funny and rushes by. You may not remember much of the plot but at least you go away chuckling.