Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

This is going to be a review on each movie, then a final comparison of the two. There will be 3 main sections essentially. First will be Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, second will be Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and then finally the compare/contrast section.

The first time I even heard about Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, I was sitting at home watching TV when all of a sudden the trailer for the movie came on. I don’t know why, but I especially remember being lured into the movie because of the part in the preview when he is pumping up the Puma basketball shoe, and all the white powder bursts in his face. I thought that was hilarious, and the rest of the preview wasn’t bad. So, I saw the movie, and I felt like I had discovered a gold mine. I never laughed so hard, and I began to remember how huge a fan I was of Mike Myers on SNL. Since the movie wasn’t doing so well I felt it was my duty to spread the word. And that’s exactly what I did. It’s not like my part in the publicity helped, but I felt good trying and I loved people’s responses when they said something like, “Thanks for recommending that movie, it was hilarious. I never really knew Mike Myers to be that funny. Thanks again.” That's enough of my background story; let's get on to the real meaty part of the review.

Synopsis (Austin Powers 1)
Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) and his dishonorable doings led to the cryogenic freezing of swinger/agent Austin Powers (Mike Myers). Now, 30 years later, Dr. Evil is back on Earth coming up for plans for world domination, and it’s up to Austin Powers to save the world. Once rejuvenated, Austin Powers is trying to track down Dr. Evil and get to the bottom of his plans. Finding that he is way behind in the times, Austin is given a new partner, Agent Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley). Austin and Vanessa’s efforts to defeat Dr. Evil are hindered by their “more than friends relationship” and Dr. Evil’s henchmen. The movie follows the conflicts and hardships Austin and Dr. Evil face in the present time.

Storyline (Austin Powers 1)
They took about 10 minutes of story, and tied it together with many puns, spoofs, and jokes. I love it. The way they made this movie is great. The parody style of the Bond movies is a classic, and everything is carried out tremendously. I particularly loved how Austin and Dr. Evil had to adjust and reassure themselves that they were in fact still cool, and “with it.” Director Jay Roach transformed this loose, but funny, script (written by Mike Myers) into an amazing hilarious theatrical spoof. I’d say that Jay Roach was one of the key aspects to this movie’s success (the success on video and DVD, because the movie didn’t do too well in theaters). The fact that a movie with such a simple plot (thwart the bad guy’s plans with your typical protagonist) was so funny is astonishing to me, but in a good way. I think the movie’s humor was the best kind of humor. It was the humor for all ages. The jokes rarely crossed the line, but when they did, it was appropriate. This was truly fun for all ages, and everyone got a kick out of the bad teeth and silly shaggadelic lines.

Characters (Austin Powers 1)
The characters in this movie were phenomenal. They were all funny, they were all mostly unique, and they all complemented each other perfectly in the movie. Mike Myers is a very talented man. He played 2 roles, both of them the main characters. Dr. Evil was great because he was a mix of all the villains, therefore making him unique. His bald head and his large scar starting from his eye were key to his appearance. His attitude was also marvelous because he gave off a funny-bad-guy type vibe. It was really classic. Austin Powers, the hilarious hero, delivered one of the funniest comedy performances I’ve ever seen. He was so great with his bad teeth, and his flamboyant outfits, he really came to life as a British shaggadelic spy. I loved him, and I really thought he was great. What good is a hero VS villain type movie without a great actor for both? The answer is; no good. You simply can’t have a good movie without great roles and actors for both parts. Mike Myers was the answer to all our needs as he delivered a superior performance in both roles. Now, here comes the criticism. Elizabeth Hurley really nails the beautiful, tempting agent that Austin can’t get enough of, but she’s not too great an actress. I really didn’t notice this until the 10th time I saw this movie, but it’s true. She’s got the looks and she’s got the attitude, but she doesn’t have the acting down well enough. She was the worst actress in the movie, but that didn’t really matter because she had great actors acting opposite her, and the movie turned out great.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a gem. I loved the humor and for the most part, I loved the acting. The idea for the movie was semi-original and absolutely carried out wonderfully. The jobs that were done were great, and the movie really shows that. If you want a good spoof that will put you in a delightful mood, then do yourself a favor and watch Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, you won’t regret it.

Now, when I heard that Mike Myers was planning on doing a sequel, I was absolutely thrilled. I was anticipating the opening day so badly, and when I heard the release date of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, I started x-ing out the days on my calendar. It was one big countdown for one comedy that I couldn’t bare to miss. Then, the best thing happened, I got really lucky, and got to go to a screening of the movie like 2 weeks in advance. I watched the sequel and almost immediately fell in love. I was holding my gut from all the laughter, and the introduction of the new characters was magnificent. Anyways, that's enough of my personal experience, let's get on to the important factors.

Synopsis (Austin Powers 2)
Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) has returned for a second time and it’s up to Austin Powers (Mike Myers) to defeat him, yet again. Dr. Evil’s plan for world domination still exists, and he’s now come up with a laser to target the moon (the Allan Parsons Project). Now with the ability to travel back in time, Dr. Evil has decided to use his aid in the ministry of defense, Fat Bastard (Mike Myers), and steal Austin’s mojo. Dr. Evil is successful, and Austin Powers feels helpless. Austin then travels back in time and is paired up with the lovely, Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham). Austin and Felicity fall in love and strengthen their chances at success even though Austin is mojo-less. They try to take on Dr. Evil in the present and the past, and there are many great surprises along the way (i.e. Mini Me).

Storyline (Austin Powers 2)
This part was a little disappointing. They changed a few minor things, and the result was still funny, but not as original. I loved the 60’s and 90’s set designs, but that’s not really important. What’s important is the fact that this is the highest grossing comedy of all time. Personally, I think the movie’s success is highly based on the large demographic that this movie fits, because the comedy is great for all ages. The direction was also great because I just love the way everything was put into perspective. I enjoyed this movie very much, but I’m afraid not as much as the first Austin Powers. I liked the fact that time travel was included, and I really enjoyed all the puns and silly little spoofs. I’d say this movie had a great laugh factor, and I think my expectations were fulfilled. The key to getting the most out of this type of movie, is knowing that you’re just supposed to get a few laughs. It’s all about not expecting too much.

Characters (Austin Powers 2)
The characters saved this movie so much. The introduction of Fat Bastard and Mini Me (Verne Troyer) was fantastic. Fat Bastard is great, he weighs a “metric ton” and he is so funny. When he was chasing around Mini Me in the volcano lair, I was laughing hysterically. They used all the fat jokes and stereotypes and placed them into Fat Bastard. He was definitely the best new addition to Austin Powers 2. Mini Me was also great. The way he was introduced was hilarious. Dr. Evil was shocked as Mini Me came waddling through the room. I especially laughed hard when Mini Me kept biting on people’s hands, or when Dr. Evil was asking him if he was hungry (“Not even a hot pocket?”). These additions were superb, and I think they added lots of humor to the movie. Heather Graham is exactly like Elizabeth Hurley was. She’s a perfect agent for Austin and the movie atmosphere, but she’s just not a great actress. She’s beautiful and enthusiastic, but she’s just not a good actress. I think with some serious acting work she could be one of the leading women in Hollywood.

Comparison
Both of these movies were fine examples of parodies. I’d say the first Austin Powers is more original, and probably funnier, but the second Austin Powers has a better, funnier cast of characters. In the first Austin Powers, the story was fresh, and the parody was fresh because it had never really been done before. In the second Austin Powers, you were kind of sick of the James Bond references and the silly puns. In the first Austin Powers, you get a sense of the 2 main characters, Dr. Evil and Austin Powers. In the second Austin Powers, you get to see a more detailed look at Dr. Evil and Austin powers because you get to see more of them, and how they act (their habits, choices, etc.) But, in the first Austin Powers there weren’t enough original characters. In the second Austin Powers, there were plenty of unique characters with the addition of Mini Me, and Fat Bastard. Overall, I’d say Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a bit better then Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. But just as a side note, I was impressed that the second Austin Powers was developed in less then 2 years, that must’ve been hard to pull off.

Features
The only features that are worthwhile to discuss are the deleted scenes. Now, for American Pie 2 and Scary Movie 2, the deleted scenes were hardly funny and you could tell why they were cut out. But in both Austin Powers movies, the deleted scenes were top notch. The humor was sidesplitting, and I honestly questioned why they weren’t in the movie. Most scenes weren’t in the movie for obvious reasons though (i.e. some deleted scenes were the worse of 2 alternate endings), but some could have really worked in the movie. I guess that some were too vulgar and maybe inappropriate, but they were definitely worth some good laughs.

End
If you like parodies you need to check these movies out. If you like SNL or Mike Myers you need to check these out. But, if you like well thought out humorous movies that you need to pay close attention to, this movie may not be for you. Wow, I’ve written so much on this review, and I honestly hope it can provide some assistance to you. I loved both these movies and I though Mike Myers did a wonderful job. The humor is fresh and abundant, and you’ll probably enjoy the majority of these movies. They are both well done, and I hope you give them a chance.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD