Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Austin Powers (Myers) is back, again pitting his wits against his arch-nemesis Dr Evil (Myers), who’s plan to take over the world this time involves travelling back in time to 1969 when Powers is cryogenically frozen, enabling Dr. Evil to steal his mojo (the source of Austin’s powers.) and then hold the world to ransom for (holding little to finger to corner of mouth) one billion dollars.

In order to carry out his plan, Dr. Evil enlists the help of some of his familiar cronies and a host of new ones. Ivana Humpalot (Kristen Johnson) a Russian femme fetale, Fat Bastard (Myers) an overweight Scot of questionable parentage, who steals Powers’ mojo, Number two (Wagner and Rob Lowe) and Frau Fabissina who succumbs to the wily charm of Evil once he has Powers’ mojo. Not forgetting Mini-me an exact clone of Dr. Evil but one eighth his height, who we meet in the 60’s. With Power’s out of the way Dr Evil builds a laser on the moon, his “Death Star” holding the world ransom.

However present day Austin travels back in time to stop Dr Evil and get his mojo back, this time aided by CIA agent Felicity Shagwell (Graham), a female version of Powers, with a penchant for wearing minuscule outfits.

This film is incredibly similar to the first, so you know what you’re getting before you see it. That’s not to say that’s a bad thing, this film is easily as funny as the first and the release was eagerly anticipated (It knocked Phantom Menace from box office number one both sides of the Atlantic). The soundtrack is perhaps not as catchy as the first, but it is still fairly good, from Beautiful Stranger by Madonna to tracks by Lenny Kravitz, REM and Greenday, to a Burt Bacarach and Elvis Costello duet, and the hilarious version of Just the two of us, performed by Dr Evil and Mini-me.

Kirsty Stokes