Susan Granger’s review of “AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME” (New Line Cinema)
This comedy sequel continues the satirical adventures of “The International Man of Mystery,” beginning with a James Bond’ish theme as the “Star Wars”-inspired introduction scrolls up the screen. In a nutshell: After Austin Powers (Mike Myers) discovers that his beloved bride, Vanessa Carrington (Elizabeth Hurley), is really a Fem-Bot (female robot), he is informed by the Head of British Intelligence (Michael York) that fiendish Fat Bastard (Mike Myers), the Scottish henchman of Dr. Evil (Mike Myers), has stolen his mojo (his essence, his life force, his sex drive), using time travel machine to go back to 1967 when Austin was cryogenically frozen. So Austin has to go back to the swingin’, shagadelic ’60s to retrieve his manhood. That’s where he meets groovy CIA babe, Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham): “Shagwell by name. Shag-very-well by reputation.” So much for plot. Relying primarily on sight gags and toilet humor, director Jay Roach desperately grabs laughs wherever he can find them. And that includes a Jerry Springer Show riff in which Dr. Evil’s son (Seth Green) confronts his father, along with Nazi and Ku Klux Klan sons, claiming: “My Father is Evil and Wants to Take Over the World.” What’s new? Dr. Evil has a tiny clone, known as Mini-Me. Robert Wagner and Rob Lowe play the ’90s/ ’60s versions of Dr. Evil’s second-in-command – and Rob does the best R.J. Wagner impression I’ve ever seen! Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, Tim Robbins, Willie Nelson, and Woody Harrelson pop up in cameos. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” is a goofy, sporadically funny, silly 6. Oh, behave! And stay for the credits.
