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AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME Send This Review to a Friend
Let's face it. The grossest moments of comedy based on sexual innuendo or toilet humor
in the new Mike Myers flick are the funniest parts. Myers, an acquired taste, has his eager
fans. Once again he plays the intrepid agent Austin Powers, a comically sleazy version of
James Bond, and he delivers the crazy antics and low humor that have earned him his
popularity. Unfortunately this summer romp is a mixed concoction, funny only some of
the time. The mayhem grows tiresome, but every once in a while there's a good dirty
belly-laugh or some outrageous gag idea. Myers wrote the screenplay with Michael
McCullers and Jay Roach directed.
The plot involves the comically wicked Dr. Evil (also played by Myers), who wants to
destroy the world. In his service is Fat Bastard (Myers again), a disgusting mountain of
flab. Dr. Evil has also cloned himself into a pint-sized lookalike, Mini-Me (Verne J.
Troyer), who provides lots more amusement than sidekick Jar-Jar in the "StarWars"
prequel. Add such ingredients as round-trip time travel between the 1990s and the 1960s,
rockets, super lasers, pulchritude, Austin's fake hairy chest and plenty of double-
entendres and you have some idea of what's in store.
The bad guys aim to steal Austin's mojo, a euphemism for both his libido, or in this
comedy's double-entendre world, for you know what. Heather Graham provides the
feminine charm as Austin's mate in love and action, Felicity Shagwell--and you know
what shag means. There's lots of play on names. One funny sequence involves a litany of
slang for penis by cutting to people with such proper names as Dick, Peter, Johnson etc.
Myers is emerging as a sort of new-age Mel Brooks, although with more horseplay than
wit. There seems to be much worry these days about what children watch. Given Myers's
popularity, there's little chance of keeping kids away from the sex or dirty humor. In fact,
young fans are likely to find the gross stuff the best. There's one scene in which Fat
Bastard's turd is sent to a lab for analysis and Myers confuses the beaker holding that
with one containing coffee. Are you ready for that? A New Line Cinema release.
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