Austin Powers Trilogy

No love here, sorry. I think Myer's shtick falls flat after the first movie. He goes to the well one too many times with his jokes, rehashing the same ideas over and over. In fact, it was after these movies that I realized that's ALL he does (with Wayne's World 1 & 2, these movies, The Love Guru). He finds a character, some funny gags, and runs them into the freaking ground.

I was one of the only people I knew that didn't like the Austin Powers films. Still don't either.

To hell with the Myers backlash, these 3 films are classics in chez Decade & always will be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dranbon 

No love here, sorry. I think Myer's shtick falls flat after the first movie. He goes to the well one too many times with his jokes, rehashing the same ideas over and over. In fact, it was after these movies that I realized that's ALL he does (with Wayne's World 1 & 2, these movies, The Love Guru). He finds a character, some funny gags, and runs them into the freaking ground.

I think it's even worse if you watched his "Saturday Night Live" work. I think it's interesting just from the perspective of how sketch comedians work, in that they often reuse and reuse and reuse the same material somewhat baldfaced, assuming viewers haven't seen their earlier work. Sometimes it's just reusing shades and loose concepts - Ron Burgundy is a LOT like Will Ferrell's Robert Goulet impersonation - and sometimes it's Myers, who ripped off his own jokes WHOLESALE from SNL, to the point where a good 25% of the Austin Powers movies feel like one of those SNL greatest hits compilations.

A bit distracting for some of the SNL fans, but it wouldn't matter if these movies had stories or satirical points to fall back on. Aside from the riffing on James Bond's sexual prowess, they don't. I've only seen half of the third one on TV, so maybe things got better. I just remember how the first film was barely amusing, and the second one just felt like a slog to get through.

I did hope that Myers would get to make "Dieter", his Sprockets adaptation that would have been the point he had been working towards his entire career. I think there are flashes of this in Wayne's World, but Myers loves loves LOVES French New Wave, and a draft of "Dieter" that I read was definitely unfinished, but it had all the hallmarks of a quirky New Wave riff mixed with German expressionism. You could tell it needed a few more drafts, and a lot of it felt placeholder-y, but I think that could have been Myers' chance to really break out as something of a misunderstood genius. I am completely unsure of what happened to him once Cat In The Hat happened.

I cannot take comedy with such shameless mugging. Also, why does the character always need to laugh at his own goddamned jokes? 

I'm somewhere in between the first two posts.  I pretty much love the first film.  Maybe it helps if you're a fan of sixties spy movies.  The second one I thought lost its focus, forgot what it was poking fun of and homaging, and just devolved into chaos and poo humor.  The third was a step back up, gleefully insane, but still managed to find its focus again.  I still think the first is infinitely superior to either of the sequels, and is the only one I own, or intend to.  But I have no hate for any of them.

I think there's a revisionist hate-on for Meyers now that's managed to obscure how good he once was.  Mind you, I think the distaste for his modern work is entirely justified, but I'm not going to let it ruin my enjoyment of his older work.  Peter Sellers had the same arc; it just took him a lot longer to commence to sucking.

I really don't think he was ever good. But maybe there's some SNL sketch I can't remember. That isn't Sprockets or Waynes World or Simon or the kid tied to the jungle gym (was that one sketch, or a series). Because those are all really terrible. I mean, comedy's subjective and all but GODDAMMIT were those sketches unfunny.

The Austin Powers series is one of those rare things that is both overrated and overHATED at the same time.  All 3 movies are one-time-onlys, but I got solid laughs out of each installment. 

I unabashedly love "Sprockets", though.  A Dieter movie could, COULD, have been Myers' Anchorman. 

I'd argue that So I Married An Axe-Murderer was his Anchorman. It's endlessly quotable.

Regarding Austin Powers being overrated: as a younger anglophile, the first AP was a timely Britpop-era Bond send-up & it was genuinely surprising when it began to catch on with the masses. IMO. it was the popularity surrounding the 2nd & 3rd ones that put the sour taint on the trilogy. Pushing what was at first a fresh & hilarious cult satire into Hot Topic/Ed Hardy brand over-exposure.

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Originally Posted by Greg David 

I'm somewhere in between the first two posts.  I pretty much love the first film.  Maybe it helps if you're a fan of sixties spy movies.  The second one I thought lost its focus, forgot what it was poking fun of and homaging, and just devolved into chaos and poo humor.  The third was a step back up, gleefully insane, but still managed to find its focus again.  I still think the first is infinitely superior to either of the sequels, and is the only one I own, or intend to.  But I have no hate for any of them.

 

I think there's a revisionist hate-on for Meyers now that's managed to obscure how good he once was.  Mind you, I think the distaste for his modern work is entirely justified, but I'm not going to let it ruin my enjoyment of his older work.  Peter Sellers had the same arc; it just took him a lot longer to commence to sucking.

Agree with all this, particularly about how the sequel(s? Never felt the need to try the 3rd) lost sight of the 60's parody aspects that are half the appeal of the original and became more about taking the catchphrases and physical comedy etc at surface value. But I like the first Austin Powers and both Wayne's World films just fine, and even if his last decade has been pretty barren, it's not like the guy is overexposed so I don't quite get why he's treated as such a pariah.

I rewatched all of these just last week, and 1 and 3 both held up well. The second one is pretty bad, though. I laughed maybe 3 times, which is one less than the first time I saw it.

Heather Graham totally ruined the second movie for me. She's a terrible actress.

I do love these movies, though. As has been mentioned, the first is the best and still holds up quite well.

Dig those films alot. Weird since I typically don't dig parody films. For those interested you can get the whole trilogy on blu-ray for like 20 bucks in some places.

I'm basically some strange amalgamation of every post here.  I still like the first movie.  It has an innocent charm that's hard to resist.  It was when the movie didn't assume it would lead to a blockbuster trilogy and I didn't have to get completely cynical about it.  Then the second one caused everyone and their grandmothers to start going, "Yeah, baby, YEAH!"  That and the 2nd film sucking killed it for me to the point I probably never gave the third movie a fair shot.  Absolute hate.  

I have cock.  Heather Graham looked great.  But she WAS terrible.  Ugh.  Cock-distractingly terrible.  

Elizabeth Hurley was the best.

I like all 3 of them, but it's the first that really holds up.

I remember laughing so much at Dr. Evil's therapy session with his son. His run through of his back ground is still hilarious during the therapy session is still hilarious.

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Originally Posted by Rene (Mr.Eko) 

I I remember laughing so much at Dr. Evil's therapy session with his son. His run through of his back ground is still hilarious during the therapy session.

 "He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark".

I like all three of the Austin Powers movies, but Goldmember could have used a little more Fat Bastard.

No its shit like Fat Bastard that ruined it. 

The thing that sets the first film apart is a genuine sense of affection for the era, you can tell it was written as a love letter to the 60's. I always loved the scene where Powers is going through his book and realises all his friends are dead as a direct result of the lifestyle they were leading at the time. It's a quiet scene that works, despite the Mamma Cass gag at the end. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Decade 

I'd argue that So I Married An Axe-Murderer was his Anchorman. It's endlessly quotable.

 

Damn right it is, Why this film does not get any love is beyond me.

Over Christmas I had this discussion with my 24 year old cousin. I said it was an underrated move, and he argued that "everyone" loves it. I rarely find people who love it, let alone know about it. In any case, its great and as mentioned, endlessly quotable. 

"I'm not kidding, that boy's head is like Sputnik; spherical but quite pointy at parts! He'll be crying himself to sleep tonight, on his huge pillow."

From wikiquote:

AXE MURDERER is fucking gold. Nearly the entire movie is quoteworthy, and features a cameo by Phil Hartman for the ages.

Wow, I thought Goldmember was pretty universally hated. I hate it, at least. It feels like it was mugging and had a stink of desperation to it. Yeah, the second one started that, but I really enjoy The Spy Who Shagged Me. The first one is gold though.

And, of course, it has Dr. Evil and Scott Evil in therapy, with that absolutely amazing monologue:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMIDpJ8H7H0&feature=related

"The details of my life are quite inconsequential." That line delivery gets me. as does his smirk that turns into the cautious stare when Dr. Evil is talking about really trying to kill Scott.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rene (Mr.Eko) 

"The details of my life are quite inconsequential." That line delivery gets me. as does his smirk that turns into the cautious stare when Dr. Evil is talking about really trying to kill Scott.

That whole performance is genius. Like when he says "He's quite wiley, like his old man." there's a blink and you miss it proud papa smile.