Revisited - Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

When talking about comedy movies or even comedians, it won't take long for you to reach talking about Mike Meyers and his long stellar list of comedies he has made over the years. Like the likes of Jim Carrey, Steve Allen, Chevy Chase and of course the late great Robin Williams, Mike Meyers has deliver time and time again great movies to re-watch over and over and the one series that I feel he reached his peak in was the great Austin Powers series. The three part series that may become a four part sooner rather than later has brought a multitude of laughs around the world with it's stellar cast which mostly consists of Mike Meyers in fact and of course the writing which again was done by Mike Meyers.

I, like most great movies that I fall in love with, stumbled upon it while browsing my dad's DVD collection since of course I wasn't alive to see it when it came out. To keep it short, it made me cry laughing in almost every single scene I saw and still does, hell, I even quote the film every now and then as well as quotes from it's sequels. The film is expertly written as what a comedy should be or at least one that came out of the crazy late 90's. The film does a lot of things right but most importantly it feels genuinely made as well as it seems like the whole cast just had a crazy fun time in making it. It became one of the films that helped shaped my childhood and formed my love for comedies alike.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (or simply Austin Powers) is a 1997 American spy comedy film directed by Jay Roach. It is the first installment in the Austin Powers series. It stars franchise co-producer and writer Mike Myers, playing the role as Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, Powers' arch-enemy. Supporting roles are played by Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, and Michael York. The film is a parody of the James Bond films and other popular culture from the 1960s. The film, which cost US$16.5 million, opened on May 2, 1997, grossing US$53 million from its North American release and over $67 million worldwide. The film spawned two sequels, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). In the years following Austin Powers in Goldmember, Myers has discussed the possibility of a fourth film.

In 1967, British spy Austin Powers thwarts an assassination attempt by his nemesis Dr. Evil in a London nightclub. Dr. Evil escapes in a space rocket and cryogenically freezes himself. Powers volunteers to be placed into cryostasis in case Dr. Evil returns in the future.

Thirty years later, in 1997, Dr. Evil returns to discover his henchman Number 2 has developed Virtucon, the legitimate front of Evil's empire, into a multibillion-dollar enterprise. Uninterested in business, Dr. Evil conspires to steal nuclear weapons and hold the world hostage for $1 million. He increases his demand to $100 billion when he learns that the value of the dollar has fallen due to inflation. Dr. Evil also learns that, during his absence, his associates have artificially created his son, Scott Evil, using his frozen semen. Now a Generation X teenager, Scott is resentful of his father's absence and resists his attempts to get closer to him.

Having learned of Dr. Evil's return, the British Ministry of Defence unfreezes Powers, acclimatizing him to the 1990s with the help of agent Vanessa Kensington, the daughter of his 1960s sidekick Mrs. Kensington. Posing as a married couple, Powers and Kensington track Number 2 to Las Vegas and meet his Italian secretary, Alotta Fagina. Powers infiltrates Fagina's penthouse suite and discovers Dr. Evil's plans to drill a nuclear warhead into the Earth's core and trigger volcanic eruptions worldwide. Fagina discovers Powers and seduces him to learn his identity. Dr. Evil and his entourage conspire to defeat Powers by creating a series of fembots: beautiful female androids equipped with guns concealed in their breasts.

Powers and Kensington infiltrate the Virtucon headquarters but are apprehended by Dr.

Evil's henchman, Random Task. Meanwhile, the United Nations accede to the demands of Dr. Evil, who proceeds with his plan nonetheless. Powers and Kensington escape Dr. Evil's death trap and Kensington is sent for help. While searching for Dr. Evil, Powers is confronted by the fembots; Powers seduces them with a striptease that makes them explode.

British forces raid the underground lair, while Powers deactivates the doomsday device. Powers confronts Dr. Evil, but Fagina arrives holding Kensington hostage. They are interrupted by Number 2, who attempts to betray Dr. Evil by making a deal with Powers. Dr. Evil uses a trap door to eliminate Number 2, then activates the base's self-destruct mechanism and escapes. Powers and Kensington flee as a nuclear explosion destroys the lair.

Powers and Kensington marry. During their honeymoon, Powers is attacked by Random Task. Powers subdues him using a penis pump, allowing Kensington to knock him out. The newlyweds adjourn to the balcony. Among the stars, Powers spots the cryogenic chamber of Dr. Evil, who vows revenge.

All in all, this film is a masterpiece in comedy and with each sequel the jokes became more and more polished with it's jokes and deliveries. Watching James Bond is always great but spicing your day up with Austin Powers wont hurt anybody as you'll be laughing your butt off your seat before you know it so go out and revisit a comedy classic and hey, if you love it don't forget to check out the sequels. Ricardo Signing Off