Review: AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME

MIKE MYERS SHAGS ‘EM ROTTEN…AGAIN

(reviewed at marple 10 Saturday, June 12th, 1999 with Jack)

    The original “Austin Powers” film was a major hit for one reason: It was funny. The good thing about it, though, was that it was one of the freshest breaths of air Hollywood received in years. It didn’t involve gangsters or bloodbaths or independent charm. It was about a swinging sixties oddity love machine, Austin Powers, and his nemesis Dr. Evil, one of the best villains ever. It was better than the other comedies out there because most of them relayed on relationships and/or same-old syndrome. “Austin Powers” showed up and not only made us laugh until it hurt, but was such an original film that we had to love it. It was great, it was new, it was something we’d never seen before. It was a wild ride.
    So now, what the hell do you do for a followup? 1999’s “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” answers that question by more or less re-making the first film. Yes, with new gags and two new baddies, but for the most part, the sequel is the exact same film as the first one…but that isn’t exactly a bad thing. The sequel is hilarious, smart, ridiculous, and the key to a popcorn summer film that “The Phantom Menace” didn’t have: FUN.
    This time around, the plot is reversed as Austin Powers travels back to 1969 where Dr. Evil has stolen his “mojo”. What is a “mojo”? It’s not his cock, if that’s where you were going. It’s his sexual being, his entity, his “swingness”, his “shagadelic” personality. He can’t be Austin without it. He can’t shag like two crazed weasels without it. And he has Heather Fucking Graham staring at him with what the City Paper called a Fuck-Me look with those saucer blue eyes and flowing blonde hair and sexiness and she wants every inch of him…but he can’t divulge. Yeah…I’d want my mojo back too if Rollergirl was waiting for me.
    So Austin, with the help of Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham) go out to destroy the evil Dr. once again.
    And once again…the most laughs come from the villain and his “circle”. This time around we are introduced to Dr. Evil’s newest recruit, a 1/8th version of himself, Mini-Me, and an obese Scottsman dubbed Fat Bastard.
    Even though this time around it’s more of the same, it’s definitely one of the funniest movies in years, and to give away any of the precious gags the previews have hid so well is to ruin the experience for anyone else. Go to the theater, and shag away, babee. **1/2