Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Like any sequel, this summer's second-most-anticipated movie has a lot to live up to. The success of the original Austin Powers movie was a pleasant surprise to Mike Myers, who created the character on a whim and never expected to have complete strangers quoting his own catch-phrases to him on the street.

The original Austin grossed a respectable $54 million in theatres, and became an unqualified smash hit upon its release on video. To this day, arguments everywhere are "settled" with Dr. Evil's famous exchange: "Knock knock. Who's there? Shhh!"

However, many people still questioned whether there was enough real substance in the original to make a sequel worthwhile. After all, you can only hear Austin's "Do I make you horny, baby, do I?" so many times before it starts to get old (trust me, I know: my boss has the motion-sensitive, talking carboard Austin standee outside his office, which is right next to mine. If some misfortune should sadly happen to befall this creation, I know nothing about it and would never dream of running it through the big document shredder on the fifth floor, next to the mail room).

The marketing team for the sequel got off to a great start, first with a delightful title for the movie--"Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," a spoof of the late-70's Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me"--and then with a clever, Star Wars-themed trailer touting the Powers movie as "the second most important movie to see this summer." And clearly the press kids did their job, as reflected in the sequel's eye-popping weekend take of $54.7million, already surpassing the original film's full-run take. But does the sequel live up to the original?

Absolutely.

Returning Powers fans, who enjoyed the original film's low-brow jokes regarding penis size, excretory functions, and sexual prowess, will enjoy more--MUCH more--of the same. Austin is back, and he's as randy as ever--thanks to the cleverly-devised, hasty departure of wife Vanessa (Elizabeth Hurley returns for a brief cameo) at the opening of the movie.

Dr. Evil (also played by Myers; I only mention this because one of the people with whom I saw the sequel hadn't realized that Myers played both parts in the original!) is back as well, along with his rebellious, non-evil son Scott (played Seth Green, who steals several scenes from his more seasoned co-star).

But the sequel isn't just for devotees of the original; there is plenty here to appeal to those not yet familiar with Austin's peculiar charms. The film has a goofiness and a light-hearted spirit not seen in many of today's paint-by-number comedies (both the Big Sad Puppy Eyes romantic comedy series, and the Velvet Elvis in Sequins black comedy series; look for both at an arts & crafts shop near you). From the very first chords of "Soul Bossa Nova" in the opening credits, Myers takes us on a delightfully silly tour through his honeymoon hotel, prancing in the buff, posing near strategically-placed ham hocks, billiard balls, and a gigantic plate of sausage. The sequence closes outside in the hotel pool, with a great synchronized-swimming piece reminiscent of the classic Saturday Night Live skit featuring Martin Short & Christopher Guest.

The plot is driven, as in the original, by Dr. Evil's quest for world domination. This time, he decides to use time travel to return to the 60's and steal Austin's "mojo", or sex drive, to render Austin defenseless in the 90's. As his level-headed son Scott tries to point out, Dr. Evil could just as easily have travelled back even further, to prevent Austin from ever having been conceived, for example, but that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.

The Spy Who Shagged Me introduces several entertaining new characters, the most imposing of which is the revolting Fat Bastard (Myers again), essentially a cross between his Scottish shopkeeper character from SNL ("If it's not Scottish, it's crap!") and the projectile vomit-spewing restaurant diner from Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life". It's not a pretty combination (especially since we have to see him do a love scene...ewwww!), but it makes for a very good villain. Aiding Fat Bastard and Dr. Evil in their dirty work is a one-eighth-scale clone of Dr. Evil (complete with bald pate and scar) dubbed "Mini-Me" (played by Verne Troyer), who provides great comedy both as a warrior and as Scott Evil's rival for his father's affection.

No spy movie would be complete without at least one love interest, and Heather Graham does a serviceable job as Felicity Shagwell ("Shagwell by name, shag VERY well by reputation"), a secret agent working with Powers to help regain his mojo and thwart Dr. Evil once and for all. Heather absolutely looks the part, all lanky legs, beautiful blond hair and baby-blue eye shadow, but her acting in this is not as good as she's done elsewhere (particularly as Rollergirl in Boogie Nights). Kristen Johnson of Third Rock from the Sun also turns up briefly as Russian model Ivana Humpalot, but does anyone besides me have a problem seeing this woman as a desirable sexpot? Just curious.

At any rate, film has plenty to offer returning Austin Powers fans and newcomers alike. The first half-hour is rock solid, with laughs coming from all directions and a compelling, suspenseful plot. One particularly fun sequence features a series of unrelated characters--including a few choice cameos--commenting in quick succession on the phallic shape of Dr. Evil's spaceship.

The remainder of the movie is a bit less satisfying--the potty humor and Austin's relentless mugging do get a little wearing after a while--but still enjoyable. So, park your brain at the door, grab your favorite shagadelic little minx and your best velvet pantsuit, and set out to enjoy one of the biggest hits of the summer.