Looking back, the 1970s through the early 1990s were a period when silly spoof films were almost incessantly released in theatres. Monty Python, Hotshots, Spaceballs, Airplane, and a ton more come to mind. It’s incredible to think that a parody of a James Bond film hadn’t been released until 1997. Since the early 1960s, the 007 films had been appearing and begging to be parodied, and Mike Myers is the one who finally stepped forward and did what had to be done. Of course, as always, Myers and director Jay Roach did an incredibly good job of making something that is wholly original.
How to Download Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
You can download the film from a digital store. You can also stream it. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Check out also our review of the third film in the series – Austin Powers in Goldmember.
The Movie Review
Austin Powers, the swinging hipster from the 1960s, imprisons himself in a deep freezer for thirty years in order to hunt out his archnemesis Dr. Evil in the future. When Dr. Evil finally makes a comeback in the 1990s and is preparing to drill a missile into the planet’s core in order to wipe out the planet’s core and ultimately the entire globe, Austin thaws himself out of the ice!
Now, Austin Powers must acquire the aid of his one true love Vanessa Kensington and must find a means to stop Dr. Evil and of course, shag Vanessa while he’s at it. However, Dr. Evil and his extremely hazardous team consisting of Number Two, Frau Farbissina, Mustafa, and his son Scott Evil, will be watching Powers’ every move, waiting to pounce!
The single most crucial aspect of a parody film that makes it good is undoubtedly the fact that Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery never disrespects the films it parodies. This is why, to provide a couple of instances, the Scary Movie franchise was such abject, abhorrent critical failures. They attempted to be amusing by savagely mocking many of the films that they were parodying, but because they have such a tenuous basis for doing so, they come off as foolish and arrogant at most.
The fact that the Austin Powers movie is so funny, despite having a lot of slapstick and obviously staged humor, I believe speaks volumes about the film’s caliber. We see all of the typical Bond clichés being represented within this film. You’ll find the typical corny one-liners, which are extensively and spectacularly parodied here.
You’ll also find the luxury automobiles, the ridiculous cockiness, the theme tune that makes you want to punch a hole in the wall due to how obviously spoofy it is, and the improbable appeal that Powers as a degenerate has with women. It’s just infectiously funny!
Austin is portrayed by Meyers as an awkward womanizer with significant dental issues, and Dr. Evil is portrayed as a stereotypical villain with a hilariously adorable side. The humor largely stems from the fact that neither of the two main characters — a spy and an evil doctor who doesn’t have a medical degree — seem to fit in their respective roles, and it’s tremendously well-executed. They both spend the majority of the film in the future, 30 years from the 60s where they are from, and of course, they’re entirely unaware of the modern world in which they’ve found themselves.
A bit of criticism that I can offer here is that not every joke succeeds in building to a crescendo, and many of the gags also seem to fall short. None of these, though, are as striking as this movie’s visual style. Despite having some pretty beautiful set design and aesthetics, the movie has some seriously ‘bleh’ cinematography. The atmosphere is amplified by the typical ‘spy’ soundtrack blaring in, but it does get a tad annoying after a small period of time.
The Verdict
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is not for everyone, so heed our warning. But you should certainly give this movie a shot if you enjoy filthy humor, brilliant parodies of the spy genre, and a ton of Mike Myers. It is not only skillfully written and directed, but it is also a steady source of entertainment that never fails to surprise and delight!
