Okay, here's the deal. I love it when Hollywood gets beat down with a stupid stick.
Just over two years ago, SNL alum, Mike Myers, recovering from a career dry spell, cashed in some favors, gathered some friends and some film stock, and produced a little spy spoof called Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Major studios ignored it, critics dismissed it as "lightweight", and pundents scoffed at its piddling 40 million box office take.
A few months passed and these know-it-alls trudged off and rang their bells for the likes of Batman and Robin, Godzilla, and The Avengers.
But despite the West Coast cold-sholder, folks like yours truly worked to spread the word about the shagadelic Powers and his swinging exploits. Everywhere I went, I told people to read my review, get the video, tell your friends, and before too long Austin Powers became a cult sensation on video. Due in part to the word-of-mouth groundswell, and New Line's pricing the sellthrough at ten bucks, the video scooped up over 70 mil in purchase alone, making it one of the biggest video hits of the year. Now, I'm not taking sole credit for the video success of Austin Powers -- there were people the world over who were evangelizing -- yet it's a great example of the "masses" reminding the "suits" who's boss. And, like those folks around the world (probably even you) I relished watching it over and over, memorizing dialogue and tossing around catchphrases like "oh, behave" and "I'm hip -- I'm with it". My only regret was that I'd have to wait over two years for a sequel.
Well, folks, the wait is over! And during the interim, Hollywood has wised up to the fact that Austin Powers is a major frickin' phenomenon. Fueled by only a tweak less hype than Phantom Menace, Austin's back, baby, and he's just as funny, if not more, this time out. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me is out, and it looks to be the best "new hope" for a consistently entertaining recurring film series. (Star Wars diehards, please pardon the pun.)
Mike Myers makes the wardrobe sprint again, playing Austin Powers, and Powers' archenemy, Dr. Evil. In the sequel, Dr. Evil has returned, invented a time machine, zipped back through history, and stolen Austin's mojo, that special something that makes Austin the sexy, charismatic, world-savin' mystery man that he is. And, faced with the prospect of world destruction and no mojo, Austin has to travel back to 1969 to get it.
There's a lot of dancing I have to do here, 'cause I don't want to spill too many plot beans and spoil punchlines. I'll just cough it up this way -- not only Evil has returned. We also get Dr. Evil's sullen test-tube baby son Scott (Seth Green), Robert Wagner's "cycloptic" henchman Number Two, and Mindy Sterling's Nazi-esque Frau Farbissina, but, thanks to some cloning and time travel, we get Mini-Me (Verne Troyer), a half-sized version of Dr. Evil with twice the attitude, and Rob Lowe, doing a frighteningly "on" impression of Robert Wagner as Young Number Two.
Oh, and did I mention Felicity Shagwell, Austin's new assistant? Heather Graham in hot pants.... (Please give me a moment while I gather myself.) Thanks.
Anyway, this time out, Myers and co-writer Michael McCullers go crazier than last time. Not only do we get the spy jokes and wink-wink stuff; we get jabs at every pop culture phenom-of-the-moment. Nothing is safe. They've been poking at Star Wars since the previews, but Jerry Springer, Hot Pockets, and Starbucks also take direct hits.
Oddly enough, though, instead of keeping the spirit of the first one, where most of the spark was sexual humor, Myers and McCullers have swapped this for potty jokes -- greasy gaseous kilted Scotsmen (also played by Myers), shadow plays that end with gerbil references, and more. This might have a bit to do with the constant talk of toys and cartoon shows. Gearing Austin Powers for the kids means you must have certain noises of a Whoopee-Cushion nature and less Penis Enlarger Machine jokes (..."It's not mine, baby!") While I don't completely agree with the swap, I readily admit that it still works. It takes the "Bond-cool" out of the mix a bit, but it steers the series into South Park/Farrelly Brothers territory, and, well, if it works, ride it. I laughed just as much as I did the first time, just not at the same things.
Folks, I'm kinda writing with my hands tied, but it is safe to say that you will not be disappointed if you're an Austin Powers fan. A couple of the jokes fall a tad flat, most notably the attempts to recreate gags from the first outing, but the stumbles are very few and very far between. Most every movie being made today has to show off and run longer than two hours, often leaving the audience in kind of a stupor of time-wasting scenes. Jay Roach, the director, and Myers and McCullers keep their film at just over ninety minutes, and they keep it packed with humor. Some subtle, some tasteless, and almost all of it funny. Oh, if only more knew how to load a film like this.
Give it up, people! Austin Powers is back, and he's as funny as he was last time! Rejoice, baby! Yeah! A comedy that delivers everything it promised! Now just how shagadelic is that?
Image copyright New Line Cinema.
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