“Allow myself to introduce…myself.”
Yeah, baby! Yeah! The sexy, swinging secret agent Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery landed in cinemas in 1997. This brainchild of Mike Myers seemingly came out of nowhere, fueled by pop-culture reverence and action-spy-movie inspiration. Already a star with his Wayne’s World films, Myers pivoted into a role he actually seemed to have more comfort and fun with. Punctuated with jokes at the expense of 1960s culture, Austin Powers found a place in the hearts of 1990s audience members and is still there today.
Looking back on the 1990s today is similar to what looking back on the ’60s would feel like from the ’90s perspective. A lot of changes have occurred worldwide. Societal norms have shifted. 25 years ago in 1997, audiences got to live vicariously through the lens of gentlemen super-spy Austin Powers (Mike Myers) as he was defrosted from cryogenic sleep to once again fight the wicked Dr. Evil (also Mike Myers). Both Powers and Evil, walking time capsules, contend with the new world they live in while fumbling and fighting through one of the funniest films to come out of the late ’90s.
Austin Powers has since become a groovy cult classic; a quotable pop-culture fixture. The eventual trilogy of films has permeated the world so deeply that a few simple quotes have permanently attached themselves to our lexicon. The first film stars Mike Myers in dual roles as both eponymous hero and silly villain, as well as Elizabeth Hurley, Seth Green, Mindy Sterling, and Robert Wagner, with fun cameos by Will Ferrell and Tom Arnold. Directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers (who wrote the first draft in a mere two weeks), Austin Powers was the genesis of two benchmarks in Myers’ life. One was growing up on ’60s spy movies, most notably the James Bond series. The other was his evolving routine from his Saturday Night Live characters, which also were mostly derived from 007-esque films.
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The plot is absolutely silly. Powers freezes himself in the ’60s in the case that Dr. Evil, who also freezes himself, returns to wreak havoc. Powers eventually defrosts and teams up with Agent Vanessa Kensington, the daughter of his former partner to save the day. Hijinks and hilarity ensue as Austin wades through the ’90s ecosystem, trying to find his niche in a new world.
It would be easy to poke fun at this film’s dated humor, especially in the context of today’s world. But that would be missing the point entirely. This is still a funny film and lends itself to smart moments of self-awareness, irony, and parody. To quote the famous Roger Ebert, “the joke here is that both Powers and Dr. Evil are creatures from the ’60s that time has passed by.” To my earlier point, if Austin Powers was from the ’90s and transported to the 2020s, he would still have the technological handicaps and social faux pas that would be funny to watch.
The humor carves itself out of the script because these characters were in a world they were not prepared for, bringing in their sensibilities and preconceptions with them. When Dr. Evil threatens world leaders for a mere $1,000,000 ransom, they laugh at him. Powers’ teeth become a running joke that Vanessa dismisses as unattractive, juxtaposed to his prior social status as a sex symbol that says more on identity and self-worth; these values of identity resonate still today.
The cast is fantastic. No one feels out of place. Seth Green as Scott Evil, Dr. Evil’s test-tube baby, mirrors the late ’90s angst of many teenagers of the time. I know, I was there for that. All he wants is to connect with his absent father, even recommending killing Powers himself. Elizabeth Hurley fills the role of Powers’ partner as Vanessa Kensington, a beautiful but liberated feminist female agent. She rebuffs Austin Powers’ charms at first, letting him know that times have changed and such things as boundaries exist. Robert Wagner shines as the incomparable No. 2. Who can forget the seductive temptress Austin faces, who calls herself, “Alotta Fagina”? Surface level, it sounds cheeky, but James Bond scholars will recall “Pussy Galore” from Goldfinger, and laugh a tad longer.
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The themes of parental connection accompany the more overtly sexist and misogynistic themes. The humor in the script plays up or dumbs down these themes within the framework of jokes. The good thing is that our hero Austin grows in more ways than one throughout the story. Myers plays it with an innocent earnestness that redeems any besmirching a contemporary audience could lay on.
Laughing and smiling are still byproducts of watching Austin Powers to this day; in fact, they’re pretty much compulsory actions. There’s witty writing buttressed up against silly gags. The scene where Austin’s “bait-and-tackle” is constantly being obscured by objects in the foreground was innovative and clever, before becoming a trope. Wordplay and call backs to other films are a tasty extra for more savvy film aficionados. Austin Powers, both the character and the movie, gives Mike Myers license to contrast decades’ differences in agency and humor. He and director Jay Roach delivered a funny film, blending the two worlds so incredibly well. The true measure of their hard work has paid off. After 25 years, it’s clear this film isn’t dated, but truly timeless.
