Best movie of this year hands down!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

After an evil genius by the name of "Dr. Evil" (Mike Myers) has himself cryogenically frozen in order to return when the world least expects it, the secret agent known as "Austin Powers" (also played by Mike Myers) allows himself to undergo the same process to thwart any future attempts of world domination. What neither of them count on is the manner in which the world has changed and their ability to adapt poses a serious problem for both of them. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this movie provided an amusing contrast between life in the 60's and life in Western society 30 years later. No doubt those familiar with the 60's will appreciate much of the humor in this parody of several James Bond films. Likewise, the presence of both Elizabeth Hurley (as "Vanessa Kensington") and Fabiana Udenio ("Alotta Fagina") certainly didn't hurt the scenery in any way either. Unfortunately, I thought some of the comedy was unnecessarily crude which, in my opinion, negated the film's overall entertainment value to a certain degree and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

It's 1967 and famous British spy Austin Powers has defeated his nemesis Dr. Evil. Dr. Evil proceeds to do the only logical thing, escape in a rocket ship disguised as a Big Boy statue and cryogenically freeze himself (and his cat). Austin Powers volunteers to be frozen in case Dr. Evil returns to wreak havoc in the future. Thirty years pass. It's 1997 and Dr. Evil is back. Time to unfreeze Austin Powers who is about to find out the '90s aren't quite as groovy as the '60s.Dr. Evil plots to steal a nuclear weapon and hold the world hostage for one million dollars! Er, one hundred billion dollars! A million bucks just doesn't buy what it used to. Dr. Evil has got a lot to catch up on, as does Austin Powers, the product of the swinging '60s who is very much out of place in the more sedate '90s. This leads to some good laughs, many of which center around Austin's attempt to get his new partner, the stunningly beautiful Vanessa Kensington, to sleep with him. Sadly, Austin's tried-and-true '60s seduction techniques aren't going to work on Vanessa. Meanwhile, there's the small matter of foiling Dr. Evil's dastardly plan.The movie maybe never hits the heights of comedic genius. It's never uproariously funny but it is reasonably amusing. And charming too. Mike Myers does very well with the dual roles of Austin Powers and Dr. Evil though there is the nagging sense that the bad guy is funnier than the titular hero. There is little question the funniest moments come from Dr. Evil, the prototypical James Bond villain who knows he's the prototypical James Bond villain. Among other things this means he must have over-elaborate ways of doing everything when he knows darned well a simpler way would surely suffice. And it also of course means he is fated to be frustrated. What's a guy got to do to get some sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads? Dr. Evil is a hoot, Austin Powers sometimes less so but you root for him. He's charming in his own very unique way. Maybe Vanessa will even come to love him. Happily Elizabeth Hurley, playing Vanessa, proves to be a model who can actually act. She more than holds her own with Myers, the two work well together. There are other familiar faces in the cast, including Michael York, Robert Wagner and Seth Green, who all do well with their respective roles. But the movie obviously belongs to Myers, this is his baby. And he pulls it off well enough. Yes, the humor is hit and miss but there are enough hits to keep you smiling. This is the spoof James Bond deserved. Yeah, baby, yeah!

What a great premise: 1960s hero and arch villain both frozen, then unfrozen after thirty years to resume their global fight for power. A satire of the James Bond series, "Austin Powers ..." (played by Mike Myers) is a real disappointment. I laughed a couple of times. Otherwise, I endured the crude gags, stilted gimmicks, and the repellent character of Powers, with that grimaced smile and those ugly teeth.The problem here is the writing. The script just isn't funny. The humor is all forced. And there's a lot of missed opportunities. For example, Austin opens up a laptop, a device that wasn't available in the 1960s. Yet, he has no problem using it to chatter with Number Two (Robert Wagner). What an ideal setup for some laughs about changes in technology. But no; the script passes over this opportunity for some real comparisons to the 60s. Instead, we get way too much time spent on Porky's style bathroom "humor" that has nothing to do with cultural changes.The film is certainly colorful, as was the style for much of the latter half of the 1960s. Cinematography dazzles with flashy, glitzy, glittering visuals. But for what purpose? Probably the best element is the music. At least they brought back a couple of pop songs from the 60s. And the score is quite reminiscent of the earlier era.Casting is what it is. If you like Mike Myers, you'll no doubt like the film, since "Austin Powers ..." is basically a Mike Myers vehicle. Otherwise, the casting is largely irrelevant. Performances, beyond Myers' silliness, are neither good nor bad, since they're all exaggerated.I had hoped for humor that was more natural, more organic, and some clever comparisons to the 1960s. I got neither. This film is a blunt, in-your-face cinematic example of shallow, puerile, trashy insignificance that I suppose Mike Myers has become known for. Too bad.

Austin Powers has the rare distinction of being a spoof film that is also original. Mike Myers stars as Groovy British spy Austin Powers. Who is cryogenically frozen in 1969 to do battle with the evil Blofeld Lookalike Dr.Evil (Also Myers). Austin is thawed out in 1997 to a very different world where Swingers are all but extinct. He is partnered up with the daughter of his original partner Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley) to do battle with Dr.Evil and his hilarious Minions like Number 2 (Robert Wagner) and Frau Farbissina.Perfect film for James Bond fans; packed with lots of references to James Bond and the Spy Genre whilst also being able to be original. It has lots of quotable quotes like "Groovy". It also features parodies of Iconic James Bond scenes and great 60's costumes and locations. Great film and would highly recommend it- 10/10