Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

PG-13

Now Playing

1 hr. 29 min.

Comedy

List

73%

71 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A world-class playboy and part-time special agent, Powers is defrosted after 30 years in a cryogenic freeze to match wits with his nemesis, Dr. Evil (also played by Myers). Possessing antiquated spy skills and mod mannerisms from the `60s, Austin must confront a villain like no other while making peace with his own out-of-date, swinging sexuality.

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Critics Consensus

A light and goofy comedy which provides laughs, largely due to performances and screenwriting by Myers.

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Michael W

Firstly, I want to mention that I want to try and avoid making comparisons to other films in this review but I feel like I have to. This first Austin Powers flick is one of the all time great spoof films, and while the sequels are fun they're a big step down, so I can't help but compare where this film went right and where they went wrong. As someone who grew up with the old Bond films and the Carry On films, I've always really appreciated this film. Despite being an American production it has a very British feel to it, well after all the Bond series that it parodies it British itself. Comparing it to the sequels, they were much more Americanised and while this isn't in itself an inherently bad thing this one has a certain uniqueness and charm that isn't found in many other films in general. It has a wonderful soundtrack, and amazing sets and costumes that look great and the intentionally over-the-top nature of it all is just too amusing for me to resist. The casting is very strong with Michael York brilliant as Basil Exposition, a parody of Q from Bond, and there's super fun cameos with Will Ferrell, Tom Arnold and Carrie Fisher. Liz Hurley fits her role like a glove and plays really well alongside Myers, such great chemistry. The jokes themselves are hilarious, there's loads of great, well written observations about the cliches of Bond movies. Examples of this include Seth Green pointing out the inconsistencies of Dr Evil's plans, the gag about the deceased henchman, and Dr Evil's monologue playing up the fact that villains often have strange backstories. It's no exaggeration to say that this monologue is perfectly written, with every word perfectly used, and Myers delivery of it was faultless. My personal favourite though is the blackjack scene, my interpretation of it is that it parodies James Bond's ability to win at casino games of chance through skill, luck & cunning even if his opponents are cheating. This turns that on its head by having Austin Powers not even understand the basic concepts of the game. The film does have crude sexual humour, but much of this isn't there needlessly and is a parody of just how over-the-top these 60s Bond films were with their nature and outrageous character names. The sequels lean into slapstick and broader humour far more, but the jokes present in this one are seemingly all well thought out and it never once appears as forced. Comparing it to, say, Scary Movie (or even this film's sequels), they push themselves to cramming in a joke in every sentence, while this means the film has plenty of laughs in it, it all gets a bit tedious and many of them don't land anyways. Here, the humour never feels rushed or forced, and it all feels natural. It has a lighthearted tone and is never mean spirited, Myers love of the period and it's spy movies really shine through. With this film even if you don't know much about the source material it's still funny, a trait also present in Mel Brook's best films or, say, Galaxy Quest. If you know the source material well, then this only enhances what should already be a very entertaining experience. If you're a comedy movie lover, you really can't go wrong here. A classic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/24

Full Review

Estevan G

Comedic gem that hilariously parodies the spy genre.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/24

Full Review

Phillip L

An iconic classic that has stood the test of time and always will. A must see

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/24

Full Review

Sawyer E

This movie is the perfect comedy.it's Just over the top and ridiculous enough that it'll make you die laughing!!! 😂

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/27/24

Full Review

Mike S

Great comedy!! Hilarious

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/24

Full Review

BRENDEN J

Austin Powers International man of mystery was a great classic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

Full Review

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Jay Roach

Director

Mike Myers

Austin Danger Powers

Elizabeth Hurley

Miss Vanessa Kensington

Michael York

Basil Exposition

Mimi Rogers

Mrs. Kensington

Robert Wagner

Number Two

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

John F. Kelly

Washington Post

We may not need as many Austin Powers movies as there are James Bond pictures, but one or two more might be nice.

Apr 1, 2008

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Jay Roach directed with just the right amount of period tackiness.

Apr 1, 2008

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...an inherently-compelling premise that’s employed to continually engaging and hilarious effect by Roach...

Rated: 4/4

Dec 1, 2022

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Mike Meyers’ parody of classic James Bond movies and various 1960s copycats like Matt Helm and Derek Flint careens from gag to gag with such pop art color and energy that you don’t really mind that it misses the target so often.

Oct 9, 2022

Full Review

Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

Of course the plot isn't the most engaging and the film isn't super deep or impactful, but I had a legitimately great time with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery!

Rated: B+

Aug 28, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

A world-class playboy and part-time special agent, Powers is defrosted after 30 years in a cryogenic freeze to match wits with his nemesis, Dr. Evil (also played by Myers). Possessing antiquated spy skills and mod mannerisms from the `60s, Austin must confront a villain like no other while making peace with his own out-of-date, swinging sexuality.

Director: Jay Roach
Executive Producer: Eric McLeod, Claire Rudnick Polstein
Screenwriter: Mike Myers
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: Moving Pictures, New Line Cinema, Eric's Boy, Capella International
Rating: PG-13 (Sex-Related Dialogue|Nudity|Sex-Related Humor)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 2, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $53.9M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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