Introduction"Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" is a 1999 action comedy movie, the second installation in the Austin Powers series. It is directed by Jay Roach and stars Mike Myers in multiple roles, including the movie's titular character. The film also features Heather Graham, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, and Rob Lowe. The movie is a parody of 1960s spy films and loaded with absurd humor that spares nobody, from celebs to political leaders to popular culture.
PlotReturning from the victory over his arch-enemy Dr. Evil (likewise played by Myers) in the very first film, British secret agent Austin Powers is all set to wed his girlfriend Vanessa. However, he is stunned when Vanessa turns out to be a fembot controlled by Dr. Evil, who self-destructs right after exposing her true identity. Disheartened, Austin guarantees to never ever fall in love once again and tosses himself into his work.
In the meantime, Dr. Evil hatches a new plan to take over the world. He takes a trip back in time to 1969 and steals Austin's "mojo" (essentially his sex drive and potency) while he is cryogenically frozen. Austin wakes up to discover himself defenseless and chooses to look for the aid of the British Intelligence to fight back. He partners with CIA representative Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham) and they take a trip back in time to recover Austin's mojo and stop Dr. Evil's strategy.
Characters, Reality, and HumorThe time-travel property allows the film to engage in a wild flight of parody where truth and time are constantly tinkered with for comedic effect. The film maintains the original's structure of converging storylines in between Austin and Dr. Evil, with Myers playing both functions. There is an amusing representation of Austin working out the changed mores of late '90s sex and relationships compared to his '60s free-loving, swinging way of life, stabilized with an unexpected heart beneath his ridiculous façade.
When It Comes To Dr. Evil, he aims to keep an uncomfortable father-son relationship with his clone, Mini-Me, while settling his plan, that includes an insanely funny attempt to direct a laser on the Moon to ruin Washington D.C. Myers brings another character to life, Fat Bastard, a Scottish henchman, who provides a huge selection of body-size jokes.
ConclusionAustin and Felicity successfully recover Austin's mojo, and he has the ability to defeat Dr. Evil and his large clone, Fat Bastard. At the end of the film, Austin and Felicity get together but Felicity is revealed to be a fembot by Basil Exposition (Michael York), who guarantees Austin that he's particularly designed to not get up and kill him in the middle of the night.
In general, "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" stands as an effective follow up to its predecessor, magnifying the absurdity and funny that made the original so popular. The movie marries a storyline of high-stakes espionage with saucy humor, cheekier characters, and a huge dosage of '60s fond memories. With its outrageous humor, good-natured spoofing of spy film tropes, and outstanding performances, the movie is a precious and amusing contribution to the comedy category.
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