Review of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) by Sharon F — 21 Sep 2013

Never gave seeing this movie a second thought when it was in the theaters. I figured it was yet another over-rated film by an SNL alumnus. When it came out on video, I happened to be waiting in line at the video store when the clerks popped it in as background noise for the overhead monitors, and I almost fell down laughing after watching the first 7 minutes.

Here is a film with an aesthetic that is unafraid to follow up an esoteric reference to a minor (non-spy) cult film with a sophomoric attempt at bathroom humor and manage to make both funny, so the humor works on multiple levels without becoming stale.