Austin Powers

Series of action-comedy films written by Mike Myers, who also stars as the title character and several of the villains. The movies are directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema.

The movies parody James Bond, Derek Flint, Jason King, and Matt Helm films, characters, and video games. The parody incorporates a myriad of other elements of popular culture and follows the British spy's heroic quest to bring the villain Doctor Evil to justice.

In the first film, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin and Dr. Evil are awakened after being frozen for 30 years. Continuing to cultural elements of the 1960s and 1970s, the second and third films, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), involve time travel as a plot device and deliberately overlook inconsistencies. A fourth movie is in the making.[1]

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Mike Myers plays Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, the film co-stars Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, and Michael York. The film costs US$16.5 million and opened on May 2, 1997. It made an impact at the box office, grossing US$53 million from its North American release and about US$68 million worldwide. [2]

Plot

In 1967 the British agent Austin Powers wants to arrest his enemy Dr. Evil, in his own nightclub, the Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club. Dr. Evil can escape, by launching himself in a space rocket hidden in a Bob's Big Boy Statue. Austin Powers volunteers to be frozen until Dr. Evil returns.

Thirty years later in 1997 Dr. Evil returns to dominate the world. Dr. Evil has several plans to threaten the world for more money, but every plan has already happened during his absence. He falls back on his usual plan, stealing nuclear weapons. He finds out that his henchwoman Frau Farbissina has used his semen to create a son, Scott Evil, a teenager. Scott is angry with his father, despite Dr. Evil's attempts to get closer to him through therapy.

Having experienced that Dr. Evil is back, the British Ministry of Defence unfreezes Powers, to acclimatise him to the year 1997 he gets the help of agent Vanessa Kensington, the daughter of his sidekick in the 1960s, Mrs. Kensington.

Powers finds out, that his 1960s credo of free love is out of touch with the 1990s, he is unable to turn Vanessa onto his charms. Later, the two pose as a married couple in a Las Vegas hotel and meet No. 2's Italian secretary, Alotta Fagina. Powers later breaks into her penthouse suite and discover plans for Dr. Evil's Project Vulcan, which aims to drill a nuclear warhead into the Earth's molten core and trigger volcanic eruptions worldwide.

Dr. Evil creates a series of seductive female robots (Fembots) to lure Powers with their charm before killing him. Austin apologizes to Vanessa for the affair with Alotta, he wants to be only with her. The couple infiltrates Dr. Evil's headquarters but are captured by his henchman. Dr. Evil makes his requirements to the world, he says that after he receives the money he will proceed with Project Vulcan.

Austin and Vanessa are placed in a death trap, but they can easily escape. Vanessa goes to get help and Austin destroys the fembots, he performes a striptease to arouse them, their heads explode. Vanessa returns with British forces. Powers finds the doomsday gadget, in the last moment he deactivates it. After that he finds Dr. Evil in a chamber with Alotta Fagina who is holding Vanessa hostage, Dr. Evil's henchman Number 2 appears and betrays Dr. Evil by making a deal with Powers. Dr. Evil kills Number 2 and wants to escape to his rocket setting off the base's self-destruct system. Vanessa and Powers can escape before the building explodes.

Powers and Vanessa marry, but during their honeymoon they are attacked by Random Task. Powers defeats the assassin and the couple returns to their balcony to have wild sex. Noticing a rather bright star, Powers pulls out a telescope to discover that it is in fact Dr. Evil's chamber in which he vows revenge.

Cast

Austin Powers (Based - not only - on: James Bond): Mike Myers

Dr. Evil (Based on: Ernst Stavro Blofeld; Dr. Julius No): Mike Myers

Vanessa Kensington (Based on: Tracy Bond; Holly Goodhead; Sylvia Trench): Elizabeth Hurley

Basil Exposition (Based on: M; Major Boothroyd): Michael York

Marie Kensington (Based on: Emma Peel from the Avengers): Mimi Rogers

Commander Gilmour: Charles Napier

General Borschevsky (Based on: General Gogol): Elya Baskin

Frau Farbissina ((Based on: Rosa Klebb; Irma Bunt): Mindy Sterling

Number 2 (Based on: Emilio Largo): Robert Wagner

Scott Evil: Seth Green

Alotta Fagina (Based on: Pussy Galore; Fiona Volpe and every evil Bond girl): Fabiana Udenio

Mustafa: Will Ferrell

Random Task (Based on: Oddjob): Joe Son

Inspiration

Mike Myers said that he was inspired to create the character after hearing the song "The Look of Love" on the radio, which was the theme song of Ursula Andress' character, Vesper Lynd, in the 1967 version of Casino Royale. Not only Casino Royale, but elements from all the early James Bond movies are used for inspiration. Mike Myers said that the hairstyle of Austin Powers is inspired by Sean Connery's, further the character and the movie is inspired by the movie Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine and the TV series Adam Adamant Lives! The setting is inspired by the 1960s rock band Ming Tea, much of the film was improvised. [3]

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Second movie of the Austin Powers movie trilogy from 1999. The film is also directed by Jay Roach and co-written by Mike Myers. Like in the first movie Myers plays the main character Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard. The title is inspired by the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me and contains plot elements from other James Bond movies.

The movie grossed US$310 million in worldwide sales, it was nominated at the Oscars for best Makeup. [4]

Plot

The NATO observes the return of Dr. Evil and informs British intelligence. In Dr. Evil's Seattle headquarter he is presented with a little clone of himself, he calls him Mini-Me. His henchman Number 2 survived the end of the first movie and shows him the profits they have made with a new company called "Starbucks". But Dr. Evil is unimpressed and he has a new plan, he has developed a "time machine". So he wants to go back to the sixties and steal Austin Powers’ mojo, a fluid inside his testicles which is the source of Austin's incredible sexual prowess and appeal.

Back in 1999 Austin Powers is still enjoying his honeymoon with his wife Vanessa Kensington, who is, at it turns out, one of Dr. Evil's fembots. She wants to kill Austin after being malfunctioned by Austin's TV remote, but eventually self-destructs. A short time he is sad, but then he goes to the lobby naked and celebrates his new single life.

Meanwhile Dr. Evil and Mini-Me go back to 1969 and meet a younger Number 2 and Frau Farbissina, a Scottish guy called Fat Bastard (Mike Myers) should extract the mojo from Austin's frozen body at the Ministry of Defence Cryo Chamber.

Austin is warned that one of Dr. Evil's agents is his after him, during a photo shoot the sexy Ivana Humpalot seduces him, but she confesses to her orders and that he is too sexy for her to go through with killing him. They want to have sex in his bed, but he then discovers that he has lost his mojo and is now impotent.

The Ministry of Defense find out that Dr. Evil has a time machine, so they send Austin back to 1969 in his own time machine, a Volkswagen New Beetle painted with 1960 colours. Austin arrives at a party in London. The CIA agent Felicity Shagwell assists him, they can escape Dr. Evil's assassins. But they are chased by Mustafa, another Dr. Evil henchman, he reveals that there is another secret volcano lair. Mustafa cant tell where the lair is, because Mini-Me shoots him in the neck. After that Mustafa falls off a cliff, but he is still alive. Mustafa asks Austin for help, he ignores him. At the headquarter of the Ministry of Defense Austin finds out that Fat Bastard has stolen his mojo.

In Dr. Evil's secret lair Fat Bastard arrives with the stolen mojo, Dr. Evil drinks it and needs then some private time with Frau Farbissina. After a little time Frau Farbissina reveals that she maybe is pregnant, meanwhile Scott Dr. Evil's son arrives through the time machine. Dr. Evil explain his new plan, he wants to destroy Wahington D.C and he wants to destroy other main cities every hour with a laser on the moon.

In London Felicity want to have sex with Austin, but he fends her off because of his lost mojo. The Ministry of Defense wants to implant a homing device into Fat Bastard, Felicity seduces him and he allows her to put it in his buttocks. He forces it out of his bowels into a public toilet, a stool sample reveals traces of a rare vegetable that only grows on one Caribbean island.

Felicity and Austin arrive on the island, but they get arrested immediately. Felicity shows her breasts to the guard of their cell and so they come free, at this time Dr. Evil and Mini-Me leave off to the moon to install the laser. Austin and Felicity can follow them because they hitch a ride on Apollo 11, in the moon base Austin battles with Mini-Me, at the end of the fight Austin flushes Mini-Me into space.

Dr. Evil gives Austin a chance when they meet, he can choose Felicity or the world. Felicity is locked into a chamber with gas, she tells Austin to save the world. Austin can rescue the world by beating Frau Farbissina, but Felicity is killed in the chamber. He chases Dr. Evil and kills him, but before this Dr. Evil tells him that he could use the time machine to rescue Felicity. Austin travels back in time for 10 minutes, he can save the world and Felicity, but also Dr. Evil is alive again. Dr. Evil destroys the moon base and escapes in his rocket, after throwing the bottle with Austin's mojo in the air. The bottle crashes on the floor, Austin is depressed but Felicity shows Austin that all the things he has done show that he never lost his mojo. They can escape through the time portal back to 1999.

Back in London, Fat Bastard makes another attemp to kill Austin, Felicity fends him off by asking him if he is happy, after a little emotional moment Felicity kicks him into the "Mommy and Daddy Button". After that Austin and Felicity have a party with many other people. Dr. Evil recovers Mini-Me from space, he vows that he will get Austin.

Later, Scott is in the Jerry Springer Show, where he learns that he was not created in a tube and is actually the love child of Dr. Evil and Frau Farbissina.

At the end of the movie Austin returns to his flat, where Felicity has sex with another man. But he discovers that it was the past Austin, he claims that he and Austin are the same person and so it is no cheating. He forgives her and he discovers that he has his mojo back, so the two Austins make their move on Felicity.

Cast

Austin Powers: Mike Myers

Dr. Evil (Based on: Ernst Stavro Blofeld; Dr. Julius No): Mike Myers

Basil Exposition (Based on: M; Major Boothroyd/Q.): Michael York

Vanessa Kensington: Elizabeth Hurley

Felicity Shagwell: Heather Graham

Frau Farbissina (Based on: Rosa Klebb; Irma Bunt): Mindy Sterling

Mini-Me: Verne Troyer

Number 2 (Based on: Emilio Largo): Robert Wagner

Scott Evil: Seth Green

Fat Bastard: Mike Myers

Mustafa: Will Ferrell

Censorship

When the film was released in the United Kingdom the title proved controversial, because the word "shag" is used for sexual intercourse.

TV gave only parts of the title (Austin Powers: The Spy Who-) before cutting off the spot with a range of scenes from the movie. Spots aired later gave the whole title, there also had been two different posters, one showed the full title and the other one showed only the title Austin Powers 2.[5]

In Singapore the title was changed into Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shioked Me (Shioked = treated nicely) [5], in Finland the movie was called The Spy who Bumped Me, in China the movie was called The Spy Who Liked Me a Lot. Not every country changed the title into a less raunchy title. The Norwegian title was Spionen som spermet meg that means The Spy Who Ejaculated on Me, in Germany the title was Spion in geheimer Missionarsstellung.

Austin Powers in Goldmember

Third movie from the Austin Powers film series. The film is directed by Jay Roach and co-written by Mike Myers, he also plays the title role.

As a self parody of the movies there is a film in the film. Austin is featured in a movie called Austinpussy (an allusion to James Bond movie Octopussy)directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise as Austin.

The movie took US$296.6 million from ticket sale worldwide. [6]

Plot

2002: Dr. Evil has a new lair behind the Hollywood sign, he publishes his new plan to his followers. He will travel back in time to 1975 to bring back Johan van der Smut, aka Goldmember. Goldmember developed a cold fusion unit for a tractor beam, the project is called Preparation H by Dr. Evil. With the tractor beam Dr. Evil wants to pull a meteor into the Earth to destroy the polar caps and cause global flooding.

After telling his plan Dr. Evil is attacked and arrested by Austin Powers and the British Secret Service. Austin is knighted for his services, but when his father the famous spy Nigel Powers (played by Michael Caine, who used to star in the Harry-Palmer series) does not turn up at the event, he is dissapointed.

The Oedipal drama continues when Austin finds out that his father has been kidnapped by Goldmember. So Austin travels back to 1975 and infiltrates Goldmember's roller disco club "Studio 69". Great to-ing and fro-ing in time and space ensue.

Meanwhile in 2002: Dr. Evil and Mini-Me can escape out of prison.

The plot thickens, but lacks some Oriental flavours. Hence, Austin, Foxxy and half the world's villainies meet again in Tokyo, where - after further to-ing and fro-ing - everyone faces the final showdown. Austin wants to shoot Dr. Evil, but Nigel Exposition appears and reveals that Dr. Evil and Austin are brothers. They were separated when they were toddlers, because their mother was killed, so Dr. Evil was found and raised by Belgians. Austin and Dr. Evil embrace, but Goldmember tries to start the tractor beam. He pulls his pants off and reveals his golden genitals as a second key for the tractor beam.

Now they know that they're brothers Austin and Dr. Evil work together, they reverse the polarity of the tractor beam and destroy the meteor and save the world. The brothers can arrest Goldmember, he turns to the camera and - lo and behold! - it's John Travolta! In a final post-modern frame break we are back to the action movie Austinpussy, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise as Austin, Kevin Spacey as Dr. Evil, Danny DeVito as Mini-Me and John Travolta as Goldmember.

Cast

Austin Powers (Based - not only - on: James Bond): Mike Myers

Dr. Evil (Based on: Ernst Stavro Blofeld; Dr. Julius No): Mike Myers

Basil Exposition (Based on: M; Major Boothroyd/Q): Michael York

Foxxy Cleopatra (Based on: Rosie Carver and all the great disco queens of the 1970s): Beyonce Knwoles

Nigel Powers (based on his starring roles as Harry Palmer and Charlie Croker from The Italian Job): Michael Caine

Frau Farbissina (Based on: Rosa Klebb; Irma Bunt): Mindy Sterling

Mini-Me: Verne Troyer

Number 2 (Based on: Emilio Largo): Robert Wagner

Scott Evil: Seth Green

Fat Bastard (making fun of an ungraciously aging Sean Connery): Mike Myers

Goldmember (Based on: Auric Goldfinger): Mike Myers

References

[1] Link: [1] seen on: 16. 06. 2012

[2] Link: [2] seen on: 15. 06. 2012

[3] Link: [3] seen on: 16. 06. 2012

[4] Link: [4] seen on: 15. 06. 2012

[5] Link: [5] seen on: 16. 06. 2012

[6] Link: [6] seen on: 15. 06. 2012