everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Way back when Mike Myers didn't rely on a certain green ogre for a salary, he starred in three hugely successful Austin Powers movies, affectionate spoofs of the '60s spy genre, the first of which saw the titular 'International Man of Mystery' (Myers) and his nemesis Dr. Evil (also played by Myers) being thawed out in 1997 after thirty years in cryonic suspension. Continuing where they left off in 1967, Dr. Evil plots to hold the world to ransom, while Powers teams up with a sexy new sidekick, Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley), to try and defeat him.Written by Myers, and directed by Jay Roach, Austin Powers delivers a barrage of visual buffoonery, bawdy innuendo, toilet humour, and general lunacy, most of which hits the mark, with lots of cool cameos from the likes of Christian Slater, Carrie Fisher, Will Ferrell, Tom Arnold, and Rob Lowe, to name just a few. Even if madcap humour isn't your thing, it would take a joyless soul not to laugh at at least some of the craziness on display (I defy anyone to keep a straight face during the scene that takes place in a toilet stall!). Myers' groovy schtick would become even funnier in subsequent sequels; it's no wonder that he is currently planning to revive his flagging career with a fourth film in the series.7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for Hurley in that silver quasi-futuristic mini-dress.

After an evil genius by the name of "Dr. Evil" (Mike Myers) has himself cryogenically frozen in order to return when the world least expects it, the secret agent known as "Austin Powers" (also played by Mike Myers) allows himself to undergo the same process to thwart any future attempts of world domination. What neither of them count on is the manner in which the world has changed and their ability to adapt poses a serious problem for both of them. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this movie provided an amusing contrast between life in the 60's and life in Western society 30 years later. No doubt those familiar with the 60's will appreciate much of the humor in this parody of several James Bond films. Likewise, the presence of both Elizabeth Hurley (as "Vanessa Kensington") and Fabiana Udenio ("Alotta Fagina") certainly didn't hurt the scenery in any way either. Unfortunately, I thought some of the comedy was unnecessarily crude which, in my opinion, negated the film's overall entertainment value to a certain degree and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Let me just say right here that Dr. Evil in the first AUSTIN POWERS is Mike Myers' greatest comedic contribution. His tics, his line delivery, his scenes with Seth Green; genuinely hilarious stuff. And on the whole, the first movie still stands head and shoulders above the others - if for no other reason than it doesn't topple over into overkill. Everything here is just right: the spoof of all the iconic OO7 elements (Dr. No, Blofeld's cat, Oddjob, Pussy Galore), Powers' goofy charm, even the odd DEMOLITION MAN gag thrown in. The idea of bringing the misogynistic '60s face-to-face with the PC '90s is brilliant, and makes for several great jokes. It tickles me that they got Robert Wagner and Michael York to do this movie. They even manage to wring some laugh out of Tom Arnold (no mean feat).Easily Myers' best movie.8/10

What a great premise: 1960s hero and arch villain both frozen, then unfrozen after thirty years to resume their global fight for power. A satire of the James Bond series, "Austin Powers ..." (played by Mike Myers) is a real disappointment. I laughed a couple of times. Otherwise, I endured the crude gags, stilted gimmicks, and the repellent character of Powers, with that grimaced smile and those ugly teeth.The problem here is the writing. The script just isn't funny. The humor is all forced. And there's a lot of missed opportunities. For example, Austin opens up a laptop, a device that wasn't available in the 1960s. Yet, he has no problem using it to chatter with Number Two (Robert Wagner). What an ideal setup for some laughs about changes in technology. But no; the script passes over this opportunity for some real comparisons to the 60s. Instead, we get way too much time spent on Porky's style bathroom "humor" that has nothing to do with cultural changes.The film is certainly colorful, as was the style for much of the latter half of the 1960s. Cinematography dazzles with flashy, glitzy, glittering visuals. But for what purpose? Probably the best element is the music. At least they brought back a couple of pop songs from the 60s. And the score is quite reminiscent of the earlier era.Casting is what it is. If you like Mike Myers, you'll no doubt like the film, since "Austin Powers ..." is basically a Mike Myers vehicle. Otherwise, the casting is largely irrelevant. Performances, beyond Myers' silliness, are neither good nor bad, since they're all exaggerated.I had hoped for humor that was more natural, more organic, and some clever comparisons to the 1960s. I got neither. This film is a blunt, in-your-face cinematic example of shallow, puerile, trashy insignificance that I suppose Mike Myers has become known for. Too bad.