Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

1997 Comedy

Less a parody of the early James Bond film than a parody of the films that parodied the early James Bond films, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery stars Mike Myers as Austin Powers, by day a hipster fashion photographer in mid-'60s swingin' London and by night a crime-fighting secret agent. Austin's wardrobe is pure Carnaby Street at its most outrageous, his vocabulary is crowded by the cool lingo of the day ("Groovy, baby! Yeah!!"), and he's irresistible to women, despite the fact that he can be charitably described as "stocky" and has teeth that strike fear into any practicing dentist. When his nemesis, the arch-enemy Dr. Evil (also played by Myers), has himself cryogenically frozen and sent into space, Powers also has himself put on ice so he can be thawed out when Dr. Evil returns. Come 1997, Dr. Evil returns to Earth and is back to his old tricks, so Austin is thawed out and returned to active service -- though he soon discovers his style doesn't play so well 30 years on. The supporting cast includes Elizabeth Hurley as Austin's sidekick, Vanessa Kensington; Michael York as his boss, Basil Exposition; Robert Wagner as Dr. Evil's assistant, Number Two; and Seth Green as Dr. Evil's troubled son, Scott Evil. Ming Tea, the swingin' pop band that periodically backs up Austin, includes real life pop-rockers Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a mild box-office hit but an even bigger success on home video, which led to the 1999 sequel, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. more..

Director: Jay Roach

Starring: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Seth Green, Robert Wagner

Reviews

  • A funny movie that only gets funnier the more familiar you are with the James Bond movies, all the Bond clones and countless other 1960s films.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    11 May 2013

  • A little of this sort of thing goes a long way, but no one does it better than Myers.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    11 May 2013

  • Austin Powers sounded like a silly idea, but it turns out to be one of the best comedies of the year.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    11 May 2013

  • His (Myers) affection for the era and its gaudy, bawdy movies inject this bit of fluff with giddy energy.

    Susan Wloszczyna - USA Today

    11 May 2013

  • The key to the film, however, is the joyous performance of Mike Myers, who plays both the Beatle-mopped Austin Powers and the bald-headed Dr. Evil.

    John Petrakis - The Chicago Tribune

    11 May 2013

Awards

  • Best Fantasy Film

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (1998)

  • Favorite Actor - Comedy

    Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (1998)

     
  • Best Dance Sequence

    MTV Movie Awards (1998)