Austin Powers Trilogy Retrospective

Thanks to the continuing devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, practically every major blockbuster that was set to come out this year (apart from Tenet and Mulan) has been pushed back to 2021. This includes what was quite arguably the first big release to get pushed back once COVID rolled around, No Time to Die, the 25^th installment of the James Bond franchise and, by all accounts, Daniel Craig’s final foray as 007. Originally set for an April 2020 release, it was pushed back to this month… but was then pushed back again and is now set to come out a full year after its pre-COVID intended release. But to make up for the absence of what is arguably the most prominent spy franchise in all of pop culture, today I decided that it’d be fun to look at a franchise that was greatly inspired by James Bond. Yes, folks, today we’re talking about the grooviest of franchises, baby, the Austin Powers films. There have been several works that have parodied the James Bond franchise over the years such as the Johnny English trilogy and even some of the unofficial Bond films like 1967’s Casino Royale (obviously not to be confused with Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond from 2006). And yet, there are arguably none that are more prominent than the adventures of the spy whose mojo is wholly unmatched, Austin Powers. The series, created by SNL alum Mike Myers, largely parodies the Bond films of the 60’s while also paying homage to the various bits of ’60s and 70’s British pop culture that Myers was raised on thanks to his dad. Myers, of course, headlines the franchise as the titular Austin Powers but also portrays several of the villains that he contends with, including his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil. Three Austin Powers films were released from 1997 to 2002, and while the critical reception towards them was generally varied, they were all huge hits financially. And while nothing’s been set in stone yet, Myers and series director Jay Roach have frequently hinted at the possibility of a fourth film. Until then, get ready to live dangerously as we look at the James Bond franchise’s most famous spoof, the Austin Powers trilogy. Yeah baby!!!

AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (1997)

The film that started it all for this franchise, 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, is exactly that, a franchise starter. It does its job of setting up many of the franchise’s most definitive aspects that were then promptly expanded upon in the sequels. Overall, though, this film is mostly just… average. As a Bond fan, I do appreciate all the comedic riffs on the franchise, such as its take on the cliché of the villain putting the main protagonist in an “easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death”. But as far as the humor is concerned, this film can admittedly be hit-or-miss when it comes to its jokes. Part of this can be attributed to the main character himself, Austin Powers. He does have some standout moments here and there, but at the end of the day, I think many would agree that he’s not the main reason why these films were such a hit. Instead, that honor goes to Mike Myers’ other lead character from this franchise, Dr. Evil, a character who’s just as delightfully sinister as he is hilariously dorky. Any of the scenes in which he interacts with his associates, whether it’s his allies such as Number 2 (Robert Wagner) and Frau Farbissina (Mindy Sterling) or his emotionally distant son Scott (Seth Green) are easily the best parts of the film and they do make up for any of its lesser moments. Still, like I said before, this first Austin Powers film is only ‘okay’. I’ll admit that, from a personal perspective, this is probably because I’m not really part of the generation that ‘grew up’ with this series nor am I that familiar with classic British pop culture aside from the Connery-era Bond films. Case in point, my recent viewing of this film was the first time that I ever watched it in full. As such, the best thing that I can say about this film is that it’s a decently entertaining spoof of the James Bond franchise but there’s not much else to it aside from that.

Rating: 3.5/5

AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME (1999)

The best way to describe the second Austin Powers film, The Spy Who Shagged Me, is that it appropriately mirrors the evolution that the James Bond franchise went through after Dr. No. You see, as much as Dr. No is responsible for kick-starting 007’s cinematic adventures, newcomers to the franchise may be surprised to learn that it doesn’t feature some of the most common elements of a Bond film (e.g. a proper opening titles song, getting gadgets from Q, etc.). Instead, it was its immediate follow-ups, From Russia with Love and Goldfinger, that were largely responsible for incorporating many of the things that made the franchise a cultural phenomenon. And sure enough, the same can be said about The Spy Who Shagged Me as it introduces some of the most standout parts of the trilogy that weren’t in the first film, highlighted, of course, by the introduction of Verne Troyer as Dr. Evil’s clone, Mini-Me. With all that in mind, The Spy Who Shagged Me is a superior follow-up to the original film in several ways. Whereas the original’s heavily improv-based comedy resulted in a film that often felt quite aimless, this one opts for a more traditional plot complete with a time-travel concept that, in an utterly hilarious manner, is something that not even the film tries to take too seriously. And because of this, the humor is a lot more consistent this time around to the point where many of Austin Powers’ bits are just as hilarious as the ones with Dr. Evil and company, which is a huge step-up from the previous film. Sure, it may not be as focused on being a Bond spoof as its predecessor was, but it certainly one-ups it when it comes to having a stronger sense of humor. As such, it’s easy to see why this one is often considered to be the definitive Austin Powers film, especially since it is the highest-grossing entry of the trilogy having grossed over $312 million worldwide. While International Man of Mystery was a solidly entertaining Bond spoof, its gags were largely hit-or-miss. By comparison, The Spy Who Shagged Me is a bona fide comedic riot throughout and is the very definition of a better-made and all-around superior sequel.

Rating: 4.5/5

AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (2002)

Boasting the largest budget of any film in the trilogy with $63 million, Austin Powers in Goldmember is very much the ‘blockbuster’ of the trilogy as it’s a film that fully embraces its franchise’s popularity any chance that it gets. But while it was a smash hit financially like The Spy Who Shagged Me and wasn’t outright panned or anything, it seems like most Austin Powers fans tend to ignore this one and there’s one easily discernable reason why. As far as these films are concerned, Goldmember is a blatant case of ‘been there, done that’ as it rehashes practically all the biggest gags from the previous two films. It’s also worth noting that, at this point, the series is more focused on satirizing pop culture in general rather than being a Bond spoof. And so, because of all this, the film is ultimately more on par with the generally hit-or-miss International Man of Mystery than it is with the consistently funny Spy Who Shagged Me even though it is following many of the same beats that worked so well for the latter. Now, in the film’s defense, this doesn’t mean that its humor is non-existent or anything because there are some solid gags such as the sight of an in-universe Austin Powers film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise in the titular role or the scene in which Austin keeps misreading subtitles. Plus, the film also brings in Michael Caine, who’s great as always in the role of Austin’s equally suave father Nigel. Overall, though, Goldmember ends up being a considerable step down in quality in the wake of The Spy Who Shagged Me. And since International Man of Mystery was, at the very least, not the latest installment of an ongoing series, that means that Goldmember basically ends up being the worst installment of the trilogy by default because of how shamelessly routine it is. Again, this doesn’t mean that I think that it’s downright terrible, but at the same time, if that potential fourth Austin Powers film ends up getting made, Myers and company are going to need to shake things up considerably so that it doesn’t end up feeling like an outdated revival of a popular franchise from the 90’s.

Rating: 2.5/5

And that concludes Rhode Island Movie Corner’s retrospective of the Austin Powers trilogy. As I noted earlier, while I’m technically part of the generation that grew up with these films, this was the first time that I ever watched them. So, with that in mind, for those who have obviously watched these films a lot more often than I have, be sure to sound off in the comments below with your own personal memories of this franchise. Until then, thanks for following along and to paraphrase the man himself, remember to stay groovy, baby!