Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series. The series began with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter Michael McCullers, and once again stars Myers as the title character. Myers also plays Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard.
The film's title is a play on the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me and contains plot elements from James Bond films Diamonds Are Forever (Laser Gun Plot and Cloning) , You Only Live Twice (Secret Volcano Base), Moonraker (Outer Space Ventures), The Man With The Golden Gun (Mini Me based on character Nick Nack from Bond film mentioned) and On Her Majesty's Secret Service (opening sequence in which Vanessa Kensington dies).
The film grossed around US$310 million in worldwide ticket sales, making more money during its opening weekend than the entire box office proceeds of its predecessor.
Plot
NATO’s monitoring facility observes the return of Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) and informs British intelligence. At Dr. Evil’s Seattle headquarters, Dr. Evil is presented with a one-eighth-size clone of himself (Verne Troyer) whom he calls Mini-Me. Number Two (Robert Wagner), who survived his incineration towards the end of the previous film, also reveals the enormous profits they have made by legitimately investing in a previously unknown startup company called "Starbucks". However, Dr. Evil is unimpressed and unveils his latest evil plan—he has developed a time machine to go back to the sixties and steal Austin Powers’ (also Mike Myers) mojo, a fluid inside his "family jewels" which is the source of Austin's incredible sexual prowess and appeal.
Meanwhile, back in 1999, Austin is still enjoying his honeymoon with his wife—the former Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley). Unfortunately, something goes amiss, and it turns out that she is actually one of Dr. Evil’s kamikaze fembots who attempts to kill Austin, but eventually self-destructs. He grieves briefly, but then proceeds to the lobby naked and celebrates being single again.
Dr. Evil and Mini-Me go back to 1969 and meet up with a younger Number Two (Rob Lowe) and (a not-so-young) Frau Farbissina (Mindy Sterling). A disgruntled “Scottish Guard” with unusual eating habits called Fat Bastard (again, Mike Myers) has been hired to extract Austin’s mojo from his frozen body at the Ministry of Defence Cryo Chamber.
British intelligence warns Austin that one of Dr Evil’s agents is after him, and during a photo shoot the wanton Ivana Humpalot (Kristen Johnston) seduces him, but at the last moment she admits to her orders and claims he is too sexy. They then proceed to have sex in her bed. Unfortunately they do not get far before he discovers that he has lost his mojo. The MOD learns that Dr. Evil has developed a time machine and sends Austin back to 1969 with its own time travel device, in a convertible Volkswagen New Beetle painted with 60's LSD-themed colours. Austin arrives back at a party in his London pad and with the assistance of a CIA agent, Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham), escapes another assassination attempt by two of Dr. Evil’s operatives. However, the two of them are chased by Mustafa (Will Ferrell), yet another of Dr. Evil's henchmen, and when caught he reveals the existence of a secret volcano lair (due to an inability to withhold the answer should he be asked the exact same question three times in a row), but is prevented from divulging its location by the intervention of Mini-Me. After examining photographs from the crime scene at MOD headquarters, Austin identifies Fat Bastard as the perpetrator of the theft.
At Dr. Evil’s secret volcano lair, Fat Bastard arrives with Austin’s mojo. Dr. Evil drinks some of it and engages in some “private time” with Frau Farbissina. This results in an awkward “sometime after” situation when Frau reveals that she is “late.” However, at the same moment Scott Evil arrives through the time portal. Dr. Evil announces his latest plan: to hold the United States — and the whole world — ransom by threatening to destroy Washington D.C., and then additional major cities each hour, using a giant laser on the moon.
In London, Austin and Felicity get to know each other, but he has to reject her advances owing to the loss of his mojo. Under MOD instructions to implant a homing device, Felicity seduces Fat Bastard. Unfortunately, it is left in a public toilet, but a stool sample (which Austin accidentally drinks) from the scene is analysed to reveal traces of a rare vegetable that only grows on one Caribbean island.
Austin and Felicity arrive on the island but are apprehended. They are put in a cell with a single guard who is overcome by the fact that Felicity shows off her breasts, upon which the mesmerized guard falls into a pool of lava. Dr. Evil and Mini-Me leave for the moon to install the giant laser and are followed by Austin and Felicity, who hitch a ride on Apollo 11. In Dr. Evil’s moon base, Austin battles with Mini-Me, whom he eventually flushes into space.
As Austin confronts Dr. Evil, the giant laser is fired, but Austin manages to divert it and save Washington D.C., although Felicity is killed by poison gas. However, using Dr. Evil’s time portal Austin travels back ten minutes and meets up with himself to save both the world and Felicity.
Foiled again, Dr. Evil initiates the self-destruction mechanism of the moon base and escapes in his rocket after throwing the bottle of Austin's mojo in the air. Despite his attempts to save his sex drive, he fails to catch it and it crashes on the floor, destroying his mojo. However, Felicity points out that all the things he has done show that he never really lost his mojo in the first place. With seconds to spare they escape through the time portal back to 1999.
Fat Bastard makes another attempt to assassinate Austin but, after an emotional moment, is kicked in the "Mommy and Daddy Button" by Felicity. Finally, Dr. Evil recovers Mini-Me from space and once again vows to "get" Austin Powers.
Later, on Jerry Springer Scott (Seth Green) learns he was not created in a test tube but is actually the love child of Dr. Evil and Frau Farbissina.
During the credits, Austin is seen returning to his pad, only to hear Felicity having sex with another man. However, when he enters the room, he discovers that it is in fact the past Austin, who makes the claim that since he and Austin are the same person, it's not cheating. Austin of course forgives Felicity ("I can't blame you, Felicity, I mean... the man is handsome, baby!") As he discovers he's got his mojo back, both Austins then make their move on Felicity as the clip fades back to the credits.
Cast
Production
Title censorship
When the film was released, the title proved controversial in the United Kingdom, where the word shag is used to refer to sexual intercourse.
In the UK, two sets of TV adverts for the film existed, pre- and post-watershed. The former was designed to air during daytime hours and only gave part of the title, (Austin Powers: The Spy Who—), before cutting off with one of a range of slightly suggestive scenes from the film, such as Austin squeezing out the contents of a massage oil bottle. The post watershed adverts, aired later in the evening, gave the full title. There were also two variations of the movie posters; one of them asterisked out the middle of the offending word or had named the film as Austin Powers 2.
Singapore briefly forced a title change to The Spy Who Shioked Me (shioked means “treated nicely”). In Finland the film was called Agentti joka tuuppasi minua (The spy who bumped me), in China The Spy Who Liked Me a Lot. The Italian version was titled La spia che ci provava, which can be roughly translated as The spy who tried to seduce, but in a slightly more provocative way.
Not all countries translated the title into something less raunchy. The Norwegian title of the movie is Spionen som spermet meg, which is a slightly dirtier way of saying “The Spy Who Ejaculated on Me”. In Quebec, the title is "Austin Powers: Agent 00sexe" (Austin Powers: Agent 00sex).
Deleted scenes
As with the first film, the international release of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me differers from its North American releases, as it includes scenes omitted in the North American version. Many of these scenes are accessible on the Region 1 DVD.
Cultural references
- At Dr. Evil's Seattle headquarters, a picture of a shark with a laser beam on its head is found by the condiments table. This is a reference to Dr. Evil's demand for "sharks with frickin' laser beams on their heads" in the first film.
- When Dr. Evil tells his son Scott it Zip It, he says, "Look, I'm Zippi Longstockings!!" He also sings Zip It to the tune of Devo's "Whip It."
- When Fat Bastard first makes threats to eat Mini Me, he sings the "Chili's (Welcome to Chili's!)" advertising jingle.
- Dr. Evil's Base in the moon is divided in two units: Moon Unit Alpha and Moon Unit Zappa - the latter being the name of Frank Zappa's daughter, Moon Unit Zappa.
- Dr. Evil names his moon-based laser after the Progressive rock band Alan Parsons Project. Coincidentally, in 1999, Alan Parsons released an album entitled The Time Machine, which featured a bonus track titled "Dr. Evil Edit" featuring Mike Myers.
- When Dr. Evil threatens the 1969 U.S. government with his laser, he uses the White House explosion scene from the Independence Day film trailer to demonstrate its destructive capabilities.
- When the president and his cabinet laugh at Dr. Evil's demands of $100 billion, Dr. Evil responds with the line, "Show me the money!", which is from the 1997 film Jerry Maguire.
- The scene of Austin and Felicity leaving for the moon uses rocket launch scenes from Apollo 13.
- Before Austin and Felicity make their escape back to 1999, Felicity tells Austin she wants to experience the '70s and '80s. Austin tells her there is nothing to see in those eras except "a gas shortage and A Flock of Seagulls" (the former being the 1973 oil crisis and the latter being the '80s New Wave band).
Soundtrack
The movie's soundtrack contains the 1999 smash hit "Beautiful Stranger" by Madonna. The song won a Grammy in 2000. Mike Myers appears as Austin Powers in the video, directed by Brett Ratner.
Dr. Evil also sings a parody of Will Smith's popular 1997 cover of the Bill Withers classic "Just the Two of Us", referring in this case to his clone Mini-Me.
Track listing
- "Beautiful Stranger" - Madonna
- "My Generation" - The Who (live)
- "Draggin' the Line" - R.E.M.
- "American Woman" - Lenny Kravitz
- "Word Up" - Melanie B - credited as "Melanie G (aka Scary Spice)"
- "Just The Two Of Us" - Dr. Evil (Dr. Evil mix) (Mike Myers)
- "Espionage" - Green Day
- "Time of the Season" - Big Blue Missile/Scott Weiland
- "Buggin'" - The Flaming Lips
- "Alright" - The Lucy Nation
- "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" - Burt Bacharach/Elvis Costello
- "Soul Bossa Nova (Dim's Space-A-Nova)" - Quincy Jones & His Orchestra
The soundtrack sold over 1 million copies in the USA and was certified Platinum. A second soundtrack was also released, entitled More Music From the Motion Picture.
More Music track listing
- "Austin Meets Felicity" - Film Dialogue
- "Am I Sexy?" - Lords of Acid
- "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees
- "Magic Carpet Ride" - Steppenwolf
- "American Woman" - The Guess Who
- "Get The Girl" - The Bangles
- "Bachelord Pad" (FPM Edit) - Fantastic Plastic Machine
- "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye
- "Crash!" - Propellerheads
- "Time of the Season" - The Zombies
- "Dr. Evil" - They Might be Giants
- "The Austin Powers Shagaphonic Medley" - George S. Clinton
- "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Radio Mix) - Madonna
External links
|
Films directed by Jay Roach |
|
| 1990s |
|
|
| 2000s |
|
|
| Television |
|
|
