Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jay Roach
Produced by
Written by Mike Myers
Starring
Music by George S. Clinton
Cinematography Peter Deming
Edited by
  • Debra Neil-Fisher
  • Dawn Hoggatt
Production
companies
Distributed by New Line Cinema[2]
Release date
  • May 2, 1997 (1997-05-02)
Running time
 91 minutes[3]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $16.5 million
Box office $67.7 million[4]

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (or simply Austin Powers[1]) is the first installment in a series of American comedy films directed by Jay Roach. It stars franchise co-producer and writer Mike Myers as Austin Powers and Dr. Evil,[5][6] Powers' arch-enemy. Supporting roles include Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, and Michael York. The film is an affectionate spoof of the James Bond films and other popular culture from the 1960s.[7]

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 later spawned two sequels, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), with Myers repeatedly mentioning the possibility of a fourth film over the years (as of 2018).[8][9]

Plot

In 1967, British spy Austin Powers thwarts an assassination attempt by his nemesis Dr. Evil in a London nightclub called Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club. Dr. Evil escapes in a space rocket disguised as a Big Boy statue, 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 by genuine business, Dr. Evil conspires to steal nuclear weapons and hold the world hostage for $1 million, only to increase his demand to $100 billion when told that a million dollars is not as valuable as it was when he was frozen in the 1960s. Dr. Evil also learns that, during his absence, his associates have artificially created his son, Scott Evil, apparently by using his frozen semen. Now a Generation X teenager, Scott is resentful of his father’s absence and resists Dr. Evil's 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 sidekick in the 1960s, Mrs. Kensington. Posing as a married couple, Powers and Kensington track Number 2 to Las Vegas and meet his Italian secretary, Alotta Fagina. Later, Powers infiltrates Fagina's penthouse suite for reconnaissance and discovers plans for Dr. Evil's "Project Vulcan", which involves drilling a nuclear warhead into the Earth's molten core and triggering volcanic eruptions worldwide. Fagina discovers Powers in her suite and seduces him into revealing his true identity. Learning that Powers is back, Dr. Evil and his entourage conspire to defeat the spy by creating a series of fembots: beautiful, female androids equipped with automatic guns concealed in their breasts. The fembots are tested on security guards, who are asked to shoot them but they all die because they cannot resist the fembots.

Powers and Kensington attempt to infiltrate the Virtucon headquarters but are soon apprehended by Dr. Evil's henchman, Random Task. Meanwhile, the United Nations accede to the demands of Dr. Evil, who proceeds with Project Vulcan regardless. Powers and Kensington are placed in a death trap by Dr. Evil, but they easily escape, and Kensington is sent for help. While searching for Dr. Evil, Powers is confronted by the fembots and ends up in bed surrounded by them. After he finally breaks free and heads to the door, the fembots try to seduce him so they can kill him, but Powers seduces them in turn with a striptease that makes them explode one by one. Kensington and two guards catch Powers still dancing even though the fembots have already been terminated, but Powers explains the truth and, at Kensington's insistence, redresses for battle. British forces raid the underground lair, while Powers finds the doomsday device and deactivates it. 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 just as a nuclear explosion destroys the lair.

Powers and Kensington are later married, and during their honeymoon Powers is attacked by Random Task. Powers subdues the assassin using a penis pump, allowing Kensington to knock him out using a bottle of champagne. Afterwards, the newlyweds adjourn to the balcony. Among the stars, Powers spots the cryogenic chamber of Dr. Evil, who vows revenge on Powers.

Cast

Production

Inspiration

Mike Myers created the character of Austin Powers for the faux 1960s rock band Ming Tea that Myers started with Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs following his Saturday Night Live stint in the early 1990s.[10][11] Myers said that the movie and the character were inspired by the British films, music and comedy of the 1960s and 70s his father had introduced him to as a child. "After my dad died in 1991, I was taking stock of his influence on me as a person and his influence on me with comedy in general. So Austin Powers was a tribute to my father, who [introduced me to] James Bond, Peter Sellers, The Beatles, The Goodies, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore".[12] Dana Carvey felt that Myers copied Carvey's impression of Lorne Michaels for the Dr. Evil character.[13][14]

Casting

Myers sought out Jim Carrey to play Dr. Evil, as his initial plan was not to play multiple characters in the series. Carrey was interested in the part, but had to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with Liar Liar.[15]

James Bond references

The film parodies many characters, lines, set pieces, and plot points of the James Bond films. Primarily these elements are drawn from the early 1960s Bond movies, but there are references to later films in the series as well. These allusions include:

  • Dr. No (1962): the shower sequence during the unfreeze sequence; Austin's and Vanessa's change of clothing and dinner with Dr. Evil; Dr. Evil's outfit and general surroundings during the climax; Vanessa's bikini identical to Honey Rider's.
  • From Russia with Love (1963): modeling the Irish assassin on both Red Grant and the leprechaun character from the Lucky Charms commercials; Frau Farbissina partly modeled on Rosa Klebb.
  • Goldfinger (1964): Random Task's name and role modeled on Oddjob; the dialogue "do you expect them to pay? - No, I expect them to die" based on "Do you expect me to talk? - No, I expect you to die"; Random Task/Odd Job chopping off the head of a statue; the final fight between Austin and Random Task against a wall modeled on fight between Bond and Odd Job against a wall inside Fort Knox; Powers stating to Random Task "Who throws a shoe, honestly?" (in Goldfinger, Oddjob kills by throwing his hat); the character Alotta Fagina modeled after the name of Auric Goldfinger's companion and partner in crime, Pussy Galore.
  • Thunderball (1965): Dr. Evil's headquarters, where he kills people around the table; the plot about stealing nuclear arms and holding the world to ransom; conversation about a swimming pool with sharks; Austin playing Black Jack with No 2.; No. 2 modeled on Emilio Largo; both Austin and Bond fighting with a bad-guy in drag—though the audience does not know that it is the bad-guy in drag until the fighting begins.
  • Casino Royale (1967): the song "The Look Of Love"; the rotating bed; psychedelic set during Dr. Evil's initial 1967 escape; No. 2 cheating at cards by having special glasses modelled on a similar sequence with Orson Welles.
  • You Only Live Twice (1967): the lines "this organization does not tolerate failure" and "in Japan men come first"; the scenes with the Jaguar and the video communication with Basil Exposition at the very beginning modeled on similar sequences with Bond, Aki and Tiger Tanaka; external shots of the Virtucon enterprise modeled on external shots of the Osato enterprise; interior of Alotta's apartment; bath tub sequence in Alotta's apartment; Austin's poetry similar to Tiger Tanaka's reading of poetry (actually written by Bond in the novel); Mr. Bigglesworth (Dr. Evil's cat) being a parody of Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld's white Persian, although it becomes hairless due to the cryostasis; interior of Dr. Evil's lair modelling interior of Blofeld's volcano lair; face and suit of Dr. Evil modeled on Blofeld.
  • On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969): the look and behaviour of Austin Powers modeled on Lazenby's Bond; Frau Farbissina modelled on Irma Bunt; the Fembots are based on Blofeld's angels of death.
  • Diamonds Are Forever (1971): Nevada and Las Vegas locations; Austin climbing through the window into Alotta Fagina's apartment modeled on how Bond enters Blofeld's apartment; double entendres by Austin and Vanessa modeled after those made by the two homosexual hitmen (i.e. "moving", "heartwarming" in the original film); No. 2 using a model of the US to explain the enterprise; Dr. Evil's global attack being counted down in similar style; final attack on Austin at the hotel modeled on similar final sequence on the Queen Elizabeth.
  • Live and Let Die (1973): Dr. Evil's shark tank is an allusion to Kananga's shark tank.
  • Moonraker (1979) Lois Chiles who played Dr. Goodhead in Moonraker also has a cameo role in a deleted scene as the wife of the security guard who is killed by Austin by the steamroller in the Virtucon compound.
  • For Your Eyes Only (1981) When Austin is captured by the fembots, the scene of him viewed from one of their two legs is reminiscent of For Your Eyes Only's poster.
  • Octopussy (1983): Mustafa modeled on Gobinda.
  • A View to a Kill (1985): Vanessa knocking out Random Task by hitting him on the head with a bottle of champagne is a reference to Stacey Sutton knocking out one of Max Zorin's henchman by hitting him on the head with an urn containing her grandfather's ashes.[16][17][18] The bed onboard Austin's jet is an homage to Bond's onboard his personal submarine craft. The tub scene with Allota Fagina is similar to the scene Bond has with Pola Ivanova.
  • The Living Daylights (1987): Patty O'Brien partly modeled on Necros.

Additionally, Mike Myers has stated that Austin's thick chest hair is based on Sean Connery's.

Other sources of inspiration

The film also drew inspiration and elements from other movies and television shows of the late 1960s, including:

Myers estimated that about 30–40% of film was improvised.[19]

Filming locations

The film was shot at the following locations:

Deleted scenes

The international release differs from the North American release, as it includes these additional scenes:

  • Evel Knievel is among the celebrities frozen in cryo-stasis alongside Austin.
  • When Austin and Vanessa first enter the restricted area at Virtucon, Austin hypnotizes the guard (played by Christian Slater) with a mind control technique he learned on a trip to India.
  • Immediately after one of Dr. Evil's security guards is crushed by a steam roller driven by Austin and Vanessa, the security guard's wife (played by former Bond Girl Lois Chiles) and stepson are informed of his death.
  • After another guard has his head eaten by ill-tempered mutated sea bass, his friends (led by Rob Lowe, who would play the younger No. 2 in the sequel and has previously worked with Mike Myers in the film version of Wayne's World and with Seth Green in The Hotel New Hampshire) hosting a surprise Bachelor's Party at a Hooters are informed of his death.
  • While Austin and Vanessa are escaping Dr. Evil's underground lair which is about to explode, the guard Austin hypnotized earlier in the movie shows up and gives Austin a container of orange Sherbet.
  • Austin's fight with Random Task is longer, with Austin reaching for a knife, a candlestick, and a coral rake during the fight.
  • A scene with Gary Coleman, Evel Knievel, and Vanilla Ice unfrozen

The UK release deleted the Princess Diana joke from the theatrical release as the film was released on the week of her death. The joke was subsequently restored in the VHS and DVD releases, as well as its TV broadcast on UK's Channel 4.

In addition, many scenes cut from the theatrical release are found on the DVD:

  • While No. 2 talks about the business ventures he created during Dr. Evil's absence, he mentions the Franklin Mint Cheeses of the World Series Commemorative Plates
  • Austin's flirting with the lead stewardess (played by Cheri Oteri, who later acted with Mike Myers in Shrek the Third) aboard his Jumbo Jet. A portion of this scene was played in the official trailer
  • During Austin's final confrontation with Dr. Evil, No. 2 attempts to bribe Austin with $1 billion in a Fendi briefcase. When Austin grabs just one stack of $100 bills, he notes that the money is $832 short of a billion, to which No. 2 mentions that the cost of the Fendi briefcase makes up the remainder. They continue to argue until Dr. Evil presses the button to eliminate No. 2
  • Three alternate endings, all of which show Austin and Vanessa in a lifeboat.

Soundtrack

Original Soundtrack: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released April 15, 1997
Recorded 1996–1997
Genre Rock, pop, jazz
Length 78:44
Label Hollywood Records
Austin Powers series chronology
Original Soundtrack: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
(1997)		 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: Music From the Motion Picture
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[21]

Track listing

  1. "The Magic Piper (of Love)" by Edwyn Collins
  2. "BBC" by Ming Tea
  3. "Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock
  4. "Carnival" by The Cardigans
  5. "Mas Que Nada" by Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66
  6. "Female Of The Species" (Fembot Mix) by Space
  7. "You Showed Me" by The Lightning Seeds
  8. "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones and His Orchestra
  9. "These Days" by Luxury
  10. "Austin's Theme" by The James Taylor Quartet
  11. "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls
  12. "Call Me" by The Mike Flowers Pops
  13. "The Look Of Love" by Susanna Hoffs
  14. "What The World Needs Now Is Love" by Burt Bacharach and The Posies
  15. "The Book Lovers" by Broadcast
  16. "Austin Powers" by Wondermints
  17. "The 'Shag-adelic' Austin Powers Score Medley" by George S. Clinton
  18. "Green Tambourine" by The Lemon Pipers
  19. "Happy Together" by The Turtles

There are two notable omissions: "Secret Agent Man", which is played during the attack on Dr. Evil's compound, and "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", which plays during the Fembot presentation.

Another CD featuring George S. Clinton's scores to the film and its sequel was later released in 2000.[22]

Home video releases

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was released to region 1 single disc "flipper disc" DVD with widescreen and full screen versions on opposing sides of the disc. The widescreen transfer is unusual in that it is a modified version of the theatrical ratio: despite being filmed in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, on DVD it is presented as 2:1 ratio, "as specified by the director" according to the disc packaging. The film was featured in the correct theatrical aspect ratio for the first time when it was released on Blu-ray, in the Austin Powers Collection.

All versions of the film released on home video (including VHS) have two alternate endings and a set of deleted scenes. The DVD and Blu-ray versions feature a commentary, as well. However, all US versions of the films are the PG-13 cut, with edits to sexual humor/language.[23] International versions are uncut.

Legacy

On their official website, the UK Ministry of Justice revealed that every week they have one person who wants to change their middle name to 'Danger' – claiming that this was inspired by the line in Man of Mystery, "Danger is my middle name!".[24] (This phrase, however, had been in common use for many years prior to the film: it may be found in James Wallerstein's The Cactus Wildcat (1954) and E.B. White's The Trumpet of the Swan (1970)[25].)

Daniel Craig, who has portrayed James Bond on screen since 2006, credited the Austin Powers franchise with the relatively serious tone of later Bond films. "We had to destroy the myth because Mike Myers fucked us," Craig said in a 2014 interview, making it "impossible to do the gags" of earlier Bond films which Austin Powers satirized.[26]

Reception

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery received positive reviews. The film received a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 60 reviews, with an average rating on 6.4/10. The site's critical consensus read, "A light and goofy comedy which provides laughs, largely due to performances and screenwriting by Myers".[27] The movie debuted at No.2 at the box office with US$9.5 million.[28][29][30] Time Out New York critic Andrew Johnston (critic) observed: "The film's greatest asset is its gentle tone: Rejecting the smug cynicism of Naked Gun-style parodies, it never loses the earnest naivete of the psychedelic era."[31]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Austin Powers International Man of Mystery (1997)". British Film Institute. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery". American Film Institute. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "AUSTIN POWERS : INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY | British Board of Film Classification". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  4. ↑ Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery at Box Office Mojo
  5. ↑ "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  6. ↑ Patricia Winters Lauro (14 June 1999). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Big marketers are betting on 'Austin Powers' to endear them to young people". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Parker, Ryan. "'Austin Powers' at 20: Mike Myers, Jay Roach, More Spill Secrets in Shagadelic Oral History". The Hollywood Reporter. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 28 March 2018. "...Austin Powers was a tribute to my father, who [introduced me to] James Bond, Peter Sellers, The Beatles, The Goodies, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore".
  8. ↑ Drew McWeeny (12 August 2011). "Exclusive: Mike Myers is signed, sealed, delivered for 'Austin Powers 4'". HitFix. HitFix.com. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  9. ↑ ""Austin Powers 4" official update!". moviepilot.com. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  10. ↑ Digital Hit (1997–2012). "Mike Myers". Digital Hit. Digital Hit Entertainment/ Multiplex Theatre Properties Inc. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  11. ↑ Cherie D. Abbey; Omnigraphics; Kevin Hillstrom (2004). Biography Today Performing Artists. Omnigraphics. p. 101. ISBN 078080709X.
  12. ↑ Parker, Ryan. "'Austin Powers' at 20: Mike Myers, Jay Roach, More Spill Secrets in Shagadelic Oral History". The Hollywood Reporter. Lynne Segall. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  13. ↑ Brandon Kirby (April 24, 2013). "Mike Myers, Dana Carvey Set Aside 'Wayne's World' Feud at Academy Screening". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-07-08. Carvey is said to have been upset that Myers' Dr. Evil character in Austin Powers bore a striking resemblance to Carvey's impression of SNL creator Lorne Michaels.
  14. ↑ "How Mike Myers and Dana Carvey Resolved Their 'Wayne's World'-'Austin Powers' Feud". The Hollywood Reporter. April 11, 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-08. Carvey felt Myers later stole his Dr. Evil impression for Austin Powers, which supposedly was based on Carvey's goof on Lorne Michaels.
  15. ↑ Evans, Bradford (17 March 2011). "The Lost Roles of Jim Carrey". Splitsider. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  16. ↑ Name Space:Main. "Chekhov's Ashes". TV Tropes. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  17. ↑ snell. "I Expect You To Die!: A View To A Kill". expectyoutodie.blogspot.com.
  18. ↑ "The bubbles tickle my . . . Tchaikovsky!". epinions.com.
  19. ↑ "This Sort Of Thing Is His Bag, Baby". Newsweek. May 18, 1997.
  20. 1 2 Cling, Carol (1997-04-28). "Two movies using Nevada as backdrop set to open Friday". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on 2001-09-08.
  21. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery at AllMusic
  22. ↑ "Amazon.com: George S. Clinton: Austin Powers International Man of Mystery and The Spy Who Shagged Me: Music". amazon.com.
  23. ↑ "Movie Censorship Report". Movie-censorship.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  24. ↑ "UK Deed Poll Service - Adding a middle name". Deedpoll.org.uk. 2011-05-28. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  25. ↑ "What is the origin of the sentence, 'Danger is my middle name'?". Quora.com. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  26. ↑ "Daniel Craig Foreshadows". mi6-hq.com. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  27. ↑ "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  28. ↑ Puig, Claudia (1997-05-06). "Weekend Box Office; Box Office Continues Its Breakout". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  29. ↑ "Breakdown, 'Austin Powers' Top 'Volcano' at Box Office". The Los Angeles Times. 1997-05-05. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
  30. ↑ MALCOLM JOHNSON (2 May 1997). "Talented Myers Out Of Control In `Powers'". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  31. ↑ Johnston, Andrew (May 1–8, 1997). "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery". Time Out New York: 64.
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