Made on a budget of $16.5m this movie went on to make $67.7m and was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It defined an era and become a cultural icon with lines from this movie creeping into everyday conversations that to a much lesser extend still used today. Released in 1997 this movie really did capture the imagination of the nation as people were talking about this movie long before I mustered up to motivation to go and watch it for /myself. And just before I get into the plot this has to be the closed scores yet, with IMDb 7/10 and Rotten Tomato’s at 71% and me just 2 points up then I think we are all in agreement that this is a good movie so let me jump straight into the plot.
Dr Evil is attempting an assassination which is thwarted by Austin Powers in the sixties. Dr Evil escapes in a space rocket and goes into cryogenic frozen state. Austin who is a secret agent suggests to the Ministry of Defence puts him in frozen animation as well, that way if Dr Evil returns, they can bring him back to fight him again. Leap forward thirty years and Dr Evil has been defrosted and setting about making as much money illegally as possible, he is now the head of a legitimate business making millions but he wants to do this the evil way. So, he goes about stealing a nuclear weapon just so he can hold the world to ransom and finally after working out that the value of the dollar has shrunk thanks to inflation demands $100 billion dollars. He could have done more with it than The Last Jedi. Sorry I digress. The MoD have Austin defrosted to help foil the plot. Unfortunately, not only has inflation changed in thirty year but so has attitudes so Austin’s free love and sexy attitude to life is less appealing to current modern women. Particularly his new partner. The Bond like plot is set up and the story won’t take a genius to work out from there but this was so popular is spawned another two movies.
So, with such a glowing build up why is this movie in the 200 and not the 20’s in my list? I will begin with saying that I like Mike Myers and many of his movies and I do find him funny. This is a very funny movie and there are elements that influence comments today. Expressions and impressions as well with people saying things like oh behave, groovy baby and get in my belly would not be here if it wasn’t for Austin Powers. It is strange that with some movies I feel I have to justify why its so low and others why its so high. Well this is a great comedy and it does exactly what it sets out to do. Be funny! Ok there are elements where it could be construed as crude or just plan rude and having woman with gun boobs epitomises this exactly. I am never one for liking something because everyone else does. Added to this if some tells me to go and do something well if they aren’t my boss the chances are, I will have to come around to that instruction over a long period of time and deliberation. Well these feelings are probably the reason why I don’t have Austin Powers posters on my walls. I shout things like oh behave and could quote this movie backwards and forwards like many of my friend did and still does. If something is so popular right now then I will wait and see if the greatness last or not actually worth my efforts. So, this is a great funny romp of a movie and you will enjoy its crude and rude play on the sixty’s v’s nineties culture with an air of stupidity in many areas of this film. It is a laugh out loud movie that I enjoyed but too many other people like it as well which takes the gloss off of my connection with it.
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