Rating 15
Length 1h34
Release 05.09.1997
Director Jay Roach
About Austin Powers, a cryogenically frozen British spy from 1960s, is thawed and reinstated when his arch nemesis Dr. Evil returns from space and terrorizes earth with his evil schemes.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Netflix
Trailer:
The Good
I have the funny bone of a 12 year old boy, so the fart jokes, the pee jokes, the naughty puns…. they always will make me laugh. This is one of those rare films in which the toilet scene works and I appreciate the pay off of having Robert Wagner being named Number 2.
This is a spoof before Scary Movie ruined it all. This is a jovial send up, instead of the bad taste and in spite movie that the genre became in the early 00s. I love the reanimation process and its parody of Demolition Man.
Seth Green was my crush at the time and he’s still the perfect guy. He represented pretty much all of us going through out teen years at this point and he plays off Myer’s brilliantly.
The film gives us a perfect example of consent. Yes, he’s all about sex all of the time. However, an intoxicated woman throwing themselves at him?! Austin is all class.
The Bad
Will Farrell’s ‘brown face’. Again, it’s a reference to spy movies and the various inappropriate and downright offensive representation of various ethnicities while hiring primarily white actors. Doesn’t make this right. Also made what could have been an incredibly funny scene, something that I just wanted over.
The Ugly
The use of the “that’s not a woman” ‘joke’. Not one, but twice. Yes, the first time it’s clear that there’s two people playing the agent and the second Austin has gotten it wrong, but it just doesn’t work today.
Final Thoughts
This franchise was part of my personality. It was the main reason I have always wanted a sphinx and until I left them in my childhood home, owned the action figures.
It hasn’t aged incredibly well, but it certainly brought a smile to my face.
The Queens of Geekdom 