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Austin Powers

From Austin Powers



Sir Austin Danger Powers was a fictional British secret agent presumably born in the mid 1940s, cryogenically frozen in the late 1960s and resurrected in the late 1990s. He was portrayed by Mike Myers in a series of three theatrical releases. The three films in order of release are: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember. The character was a parody of a number of mid-1960s spy movies.


Contents

[edit] Life

[edit] Early Childhood and Teens (As seen in Goldmember)

Austin was born in Britain, the son of Nigel Powers and an unnamed woman, and the brother of Douglas Powers. While on a vacation, however, Nigel's car exploded in an assassination attempt. Austin survived, but his mother was killed and his brother was presumed dead.

Presumably as a result of the accident, Austin and Nigel grew further and further apart, so much so that Nigel treated Austin more like a friend than like a son. By the time Austin was a teenager, he has enrolled in the British Intelligence Academy in an attempt to earn his father's respect by becoming an International Man of Mystery.

While in the Academy, Austin's swinger nature was in full force, constantly shagging with other female students, much to his then-roommate's Master Evil's chagrin. Despite Master Evil having the highest marks in the class, at graduation, Austin Powers was declared that years International Man of Mystery, but was subjected to laughter and ridicule when his father's reserved seat was empty.

[edit] 1967 (International Man Of Mystery)

Regardless, Austin Powers settled into life as a International Super Spy in the height of the 60s, finding a partner in Mrs. Kensington and a cover persona as a fashion photographer. One day, in 1967, he received word from Basil Exposition that Dr. Evil was planning a trap for him at the Electric Psychadelic Pussycat Swinger's Club. Sneaking into the club, Austin was attacked by one of Dr. Evil's assassins, but managed to overpower him with the help of Mrs. Kensington. However, Dr. Evil shot a harpoon, intending to kill Austin, but hit the assassin instead and escaped. Austin and Mrs. Kensington pursued, only to find Dr. Evil seal himself in a Cyrogenic Chamber and launch into space.

Knowing that one day, Dr. Evil would return to menace the Earth anew, Austin agreed to have himself cyrogenically frozen so he could battle Dr. Evil in the future.

[edit] 1997 (International Man of Mystery)

After being frozen for 30 Years, Dr. Evil's rocket landed in Nevada, and Commander Gilmore of the U.S. Military came to England to request the help of the Ministry of Defense. To that end, Austin Powers was unfrozen and reanimated to return to service, this time with Vanessa Kensington. Despite his troubles getting adapted to the 90s, Austin eventually wins over Vanessa, stops Dr. Evil's plan to launch a subterranean nuclear missile, banishes Dr. Evil into space, and settles down with Vanessa to live happily ever after. Or so he thought...

[edit] 1999 (The Spy Who Shagged Me)

After being married for almost two years, Austin suddenly found himself a widower when Vanessa was revealed to be a Fembot designed by Doctor Evil. Quickly returning to his old ways, Austin returned to the dating scene, and soon found himself in bed with Ivana Humpalot, another of Doctor Evil's assassins who he won over with his charm. However, during the shagging, Austin discovered something terrible: His "mojo" had disappeared!

It turned out that Doctor Evil had launched a new plan: Using a "Time Machine," he had sent himself back to 1969 and stole Austin Powers' mojo. Using a Time Machine Car developed by the Ministry of Defense, Austin himself went back to 1969 to put a stop to Doctor Evil's scheme.

[edit] 1969 (The Spy Who Shagged Me)

Having returned to the Sixties, Austin found himself back in much more familiar territory. However, trouble was not long in finding him, as he was attacked by two of Doctor Evil's hitmen. However, he managed to escape with the help of CIA Agent Felicity Shagwell. Through the efforts of both, they managed to foil Doctor Evil's plan to destroy the earth using a giant "laser" fired from the moon. Doctor Evil, however, escaped into space once again, and Austin and Felicity escaped through Dr. Evil's time portal back to 1999.


[edit] Original sources

Mike Myers himself has stated in interviews that the idea for Austin Powers came to him one night as he was driving home from hockey practice. His car radio was on, and as he was listening the song The Look of Love by Burt Bacharach began to play. As he heard the music the question "Where have all the swingers gone?" came to his mind and he began to conceive the character who would become Austin Powers. The first phrase he thought the character might say was "Do I make you horny?" which indeed became a catch phrase for the character.

Powers' flamboyant appearance and overt flirtation is probably based on the early 1970s TV character "Jason King," who originally appeared in the ITC Entertainment program Department S and later in his own spin-off show. The name "Austin Powers" may have either been inspired by Austin-Healey, a British sports car builder or possibly after actor Austin Pendleton who has crooked teeth and wears glasses similar to Powers in the 1972 theatrical release, What's Up, Doc?

Powers' "cover persona" to hide his job as an international agent is as a fashion photographer, which provides an opportunity in the first two films to satirize Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up as well as Dean Martin's "Matt Helm" character. The signature eye glasses hail from Michael Caine in the "Harry Palmer" films and perhaps also Peter Sellers in the 1967 James Bond spoof, Casino Royale. Appropriately, Caine played Austin's father Nigel Powers in Goldmember and wore the original glasses from The Ipcress File as well.

Another major source of humor derives from Powers having been cryogenically frozen in the 1960s and revived in the late 1990s, roughly parodying the 1966 spy series Adam Adamant Lives! about an Edwardian secret agent who was frozen without having any sense whatsoever of changes that have occurred in society the intervening years as evidenced by the following Austin Powers quote:

"...but as long as people are still having promiscuous sex with many anonymous partners without protection while at the same time experimenting with mind-expanding drugs in a consequence-free environment, I'll be sound as a pound!"

Powers' nemesis is Dr. Evil, a character based on "Ernst Stavro Blofeld" of the James Bond films and played by Myers as well. Other Bond-inspired villains include Frau Farbissina, most likely based on "Rosa Klebb" in From Russia With Love. Dr. Evil's right hand man, Number 2, was probably inspired by "Emilio Largo" of Thunderball. A reference to "Number 2" was also made in the cult television series The Prisoner. Other characters culled from the genre include Alotta Fagina, a pun on Goldfinger's "Pussy Galore" and Random Task, again a pun, this time on Goldfinger's "Oddjob." The figure "Goldmember" in the 2002 film is an obvious reference to "Auric Goldfinger."

Michael York's character Basil Exposition is named such because Basil literally provides the audience with the exposition of the plot. The name is a parody of the scenes in the Bond movies where "Q" or some other high-ranking official made use of highly sophisticated audiovisual devices to explained the plot and characters to Bond and therefore to the audience. These scenes were written to make sure the audience "got" the story, hence the parody. The Bond screenwriters were often aware how clunky these expositionary scenes could be. They made them more entertaining by having Bond briefed in exotic locations such as a hidden cave in the Egyptian desert in The Spy Who Loved Me, itself the basis of the title The Spy Who Shagged Me.

As for the female lead characters, Mrs. Kensington & her daughter Vanessa are based on the female partners of John Steed from The Avengers, most notably Dame Diana Rigg's "Emma Peel" character.

Felicity Shagwell in The Spy Who Shagged Me is based on the stereotypical "hippie chick" from the 1960s; the name is based on the double-entendre inspired names of several female James Bond characters such as "Pussy Galore" and "Xenia Onatopp". She could also be an American version of "Modesty Blaise."

Foxxy Cleopatra in Goldmember (played by Beyonce Knowles) is clearly based on female characters from 1970's "Blaxploitation" or "Soul Cinema" motion pictures, especially those featuring Pam Grier. The name itself is certainly based on Grier's "Foxy Brown." Another possible source is "Cleopatra Jones" played by Tamara Dobson. Other elements of her Foxxy's character are taken from Grier's characters in the films Coffy and Friday Foster. Teresa Graves' performance in the short-lived crime drama Get Christie Love! might also be an inspiration, but all of the vixens in the "soul cinema" genre might be considered formulaic.

A few other 1960's films that seem to have been source material for the satirical blend of the characters:

  • Dr. No (1962, the Blofeld/Dr. Evil appearance)
  • You Only Live Twice (1967, the Blofeld/Dr. Evil appearance.)
  • Casino Royale (1967, many elements, itself a spoof of the Bond films.)
  • Blow-Up (1966, the virile fashion photographer.)
  • Our Man Flint and In Like Flint (1966 and 1967, many elements. Austin, in 'The Spy Who Shagged Me,' says the latter title is his favorite movie.)
  • The Ipcress File (1965, Harry Palmer's glasses.)
  • Alfie (1966, mentioned and parodied throughout all three movies)

[edit] Trivia

  • The Austin Powers theme Soul Bossa Nova written by Quincy Jones and produced by DJ Green Lantern was sampled in Ludacris' 2004 single, #1 Spot on his album The Red Light District. The song was featured in the 1964 movie The Pawnbroker and also formed the basis for the hit 1991 rap song My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style by the Dream Warriors. Also, it was used as the theme to a 1970s Canadian television game show called Definition; Myers is known for inserting references to his native Canada into his films.
  • Austin's glasses are usually meant to be a reference to the glasses Michael Caine wore as "Harry Palmer" in The Ipcress File. When Caine was cast as Austin Powers' father Nigel in Austin Powers in Goldmember, he wore the actual Harry Palmer glasses.
  • In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted the Austin Powers movies collectively as the twelveth greatest comedy film of all time.
  • There has been some criticism for the excessive amount of product placement in the film. For example, the film depicts an exterior pad with the name "Virgin Atlantic" emblazoned on it.
  • Some of the incidental music played in the background of the series is strikingly similar to the incidental music for the Gerry Anderson UFO TV series.
  • Austin Powers was spoofed by the Steve Martin's character "Mr. Chairman" in the movie Looney Tunes: Back In Action.
  • Basil Exposition's mother was the parody of Dame Judi Dench's portrayal of "M" in the 1990s James Bond movies.
  • Someone dressed as Pokemon character "Charmander" fled from the car that crashed into the building in Austin Powers in Goldmember.

[edit] Catchphrases

  • "Oh, behave!"
  • "Groovy, baby!"
  • "Shagadelic!"
  • "Shall we shag now or shag later?"
  • "Do I make you randy?"
  • "Smashing!"
  • "Do I make you horny baby, do I?"
  • "Hey baby, what's your sign?"
  • "Honestly, it's not mine!"
  • "This sort of thing ain't my bag, baby!"

[edit] Video games

  • Austin Powers: Oh, Behave! (Game Boy Color)
  • Austin Powers: Welcome to My Underground Lair! (Game Boy Color)
  • Austin Powers in Operation Trivia (PC and Macintosh)
  • Austin Powers Pinball (PlayStation)
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