In the movie industry, each decade had its charm and uniqueness, especially the 90s. With the world entering the new twentieth century, the movie industry was booming with different themes and genres.
Action movies were a massive hit during this era. However, horror and thrillers along with rom-coms were also on the rise and netted some big audiences.
Amidst this turn of the century, there was one name that gained massive popularity, Mike Myers, the mastermind behind one of the most popular franchises, Austin Powers.
Even though the movie is certainly R rated, the series is one of the most popular comedy classics of all time and is filled with hilarious comedy scenes with excellent storytelling and editing.
Most of the ’90s kids grew up watching this weird, not-so-kid-friendly movie. However, the audience back then loved it.
From dirty sexist jokes to weirdly designed female bots, Austin powers would have certainly raised some eyebrows if it was released today. Luckily, it was able to fulfill the wish for something new for the viewers back then.
But even to this day, why do people keep talking about Austin Powers? Well, it’s obviously for the memes.
Well, okay, not really JUST for the memes, as nobody really goes Yeah, Baby! Yeah!, these days.
The memes are certainly a point to be noted. However, because people still do enjoy going through history and watching classic movies, the Austin powers trilogy still catch the attention of the viewers.
Even after decades of its release, Austin Power still remains one of the greatest comedy trilogies of all time. So, if you are curious to revisit the Austin Powers or even to check them out for the first time, here’s how you can watch them in order.
But first, let’s know a little about this superhit comedy franchise.
Austin Powers
The trilogy, Austin Powers, is a popular action spy comedy series that is based on the spoofs of some popular characters like James Bond and Jason King.
Because spy and thrillers movies were so much in trend at that time, a spoof of such genre was bound to be a hit.
The Austin Powers franchise parodied numerous films and characters that were the talk of the town during that time.
It also incorporated numerous other elements of popular culture, as it followed a British spy’s pursuit to bring his nemesis down.
With many inside and should, we say inappropriate jokes, the series also represented the archetype of 1960s Swinging London, with Austin’s advocacy of free love, his use of obscure impressions, and his clothing style.
How many Austin Powers movies are there?
The 1997 hit trilogy has three movies to its name: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Austin Powers in Goldmember.
The films were produced and written by Mike Myers, who also starred as the title character, and Dr. Evil.
Are Austin Powers movies connected?
The movies do have a character continuity and are connected in terms of the plot of the main plot which is the Rivalry between Austin and Dr. Evil.
The entire series does involve references from the previous events and plots. So, to understand them, you need to watch the previous movies.
Do you have to watch Austin Powers in order?
Well, even though it is a series, the plot of each movie is different. However, the plots may be different but they all do stick to the main plot that the movie intended.
Since they have their own plots, they can be enjoyed watching as a standalone. However, because each movie takes a reference to its previous plots, we do suggest you watch them in order to understand them well.
Watching the movies in order will not only boost your viewing experience but will also help you to understand the characters’ backgrounds and the movie plot well.
So even though it’s not compulsory, it is very highly recommended to watch the movies in order.
What order should I watch Austin Powers in?
The best order to watch the Austin Powers series is to follow the release order.
With the introduction to the characters and main plot of the story, watching them in the order of their release will help you understand and enjoy the trilogy to its fullest.
Here, we have put the Austin Powers movies in order of their release.
1. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Year: 1997
Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers
Producers: Demi Moore, Mike Myers, Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd
Language: English
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Runtime: 1h 29m
Main Plot
As the first installment in the series, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, became a huge hit.
The first movie of the series, showed a British spy, Austin Powers who was cryogenically frozen in the 60s and then released in the 1990s.
The movie was a spoof of the spy films from the 60s. The story unfolds with Dr. Evil being cryogenically frozen so that he could be revived again in the future.
Getting the info on Dr. Evil, Austin also voluntarily gets preserved so that when Dr. Evil gets revived again, he would be there to stop him.
The preserved super agent, Austin Powers, was revived in the present day but soon he realized that his vocabulary, fashion sense, and even his attitude towards women were hopelessly out of date.
So as an aid in his mission to stop Dr. Evil and to help him adapt to the new world, Austin’s old partner’s daughter, Miss Vanessa Kensington, becomes his sidekick.
Together they go on a mission to stop Dr.Evil, who stole the nuclear weapon and was a threat to the world.
The first movie was like a breath of fresh air for the audiences. Jammed packed with quotes that dominated the popular culture for decades, the first Austin Powers movie gave some amazing memorable moments and something to look forward to in the next series.
The talented actors, such as Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Mimi Rogers, and others exhibited amazing skills that did justice to their roles.
Likewise, the character of Dr. Evil was also very popular as he definitely wasn’t like your ordinary textbook villains.
The movie did stand out for its calm and collected plot line, as well as perfectly timed and understandable jokes. However, what really stood out was the excellent mannerism of the villain, Dr. Evil.
We don’t usually see this well-mannered Villain, do we?
So, to get into the Austin Powers movies, better start watching from the very start.
2. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Year: 1999
Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Michael York
Producers: Suzanne Todd, Jeniffer Todd, Eric McLeod, Demi Moore, Mike Myers, John Lyons
Language: English
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Runtime: 1h 35 m
After the success of the first movie, a second movie was what the audience wanted and in the year 1999, they got just that with the release of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
If you think, the first movie was a hit, the second one was a blockbuster. The craze and hype the first movie created was nothing in front of the massive success of the second one.
The Spy Who Shagged Me, was a hit at the box office. Just in its opening weekend, it landed the top position, grossing $54.9 million.
This was more than the entire gross of its previous movie, setting a record for a June opening and the biggest opening ever for a comedy.
Main Plot
After the hit of the first sequel, Myers decided to do something New. So, what else could be done except create a world dominated by the Starbucks franchise?
Well, that is exactly what he did and along with it, he sent Dr. Evil back in time. The story of the movie basically revolves around Austin Powers, “Mojo”, the viscous liquid essence of Austin Powers’ sex drive.
On his second screen, Austin returned to 1969. His arch-enemy, Dr. Evil, ventured back to that year and was successful in stealing Austin’s Mojo.
Dr. Evil used a Time Machine to travel back in time and steal Austin’s mojo. He even set up a powerful laser and aimed it at Earth.
So the whole plot of the story revolved around Austin’s attempt to stop Dr. Evil’s plans and get his mojo back.
With the help of a gorgeous agent Felicity Shagwell, the newly single Austin not only had to go against his old enemy Dr. Evil but also his vicious, pint-size attack clone, the Mini Me.
The whole story about losing one Mojo is itself a very unique concept that Myers came up with. With the success of the first movie, the second was also bound to be a hit, as it came up with many new elements that the audience enjoyed.
Fans loved Dr. Evil’s character more when he ran wildly as he discovered love and developed a close relationship with himself, which showed remarkable character development.
Other interesting and influential characters such as Felicity Shagwell, Mini Me, and Fat Bastard were also introduced, which added freshness and that little extra spice to the storyline.
With new characters and plot lines, the movie was certainly better than its predecessor. Even though it had relatively little promotion, the movie became a big success and played successfully for a long period of time.
3. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
Year: 2002
Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Mike Myers, Beyoncé Knowles, Seth Green, Michael York, Rober Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer, Michael Caine
Producers: Suzzane Todd, Jeniffer Todd, Eric McLeod, Demi Moore, Mike Myers, John Lyons
Language: English
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Runtime: 1h 35m
Main Plot
What happens after the successful first and second movies? A third one is released.
After the massive success of the first two movies, Austin Powers in Goldmember is the third and last movie to be scripted and produced for now.
It had been three years since, Austin encountered his deadly archenemy, Dr. Evil. However, Dr, Evil and his vicious clone, Mini-Me, escaped from a high-security Prison.
Things went haywire when Dr. Evil joined forces with super freaky Goldmember and kidnapped Austin’s father, Nigel Powers.
The master spy, Nigel Powers, was kidnapped in an evil time travel scheme to rule over the world.
So, to save the world once again comes Austin along with his old flame, streetwise and stylish detective Foxxy Cleopatra.
Austin traveled back to 1975 and teamed up with Foxxy. Together they came up with a plan to save Austin’s father, Nigel, and stop Dr. Evil and Goldmember from performing their mischievous mayhem.
Although people had mixed opinions about this movie, with stars cast such as Beyoncé, Seth Green, Michael York, and many more, the movie did do well on the big screens.
Why was the trilogy so popular?
The main reason could be its excellent comedic theme and interesting way to capture the audience’s attention.
Because Mike Myers was at the peak of his career, his movies depicted funny stories which were really enjoyed by the audiences back then.
It was something new so people were obsessed with it. People even dressed up as Austin Powers at the Halloween parties, hoping they would be the center of attractions.
And what can we, they sure were the center of the party.
Do people still like the movie?
As the movie was already a spoof of the then popular spy and thriller genres, which were massively popular among the audiences, the franchise was bound to be a hit.
But what’s more interesting is that even after all these years, the movies are still very popular to this day.
The movie franchise contains all the components of a good spy movie. From great actions, Intelligence, a villain who wants to destroy the world to surprising twists, Austin Powers surely rely on classic spy movies.
Even the rivalry between Austin Powers and Dr. Evil is fondly remembered as one of the best in the movie industry.
The rivalry between Austin Powers and Dr. Evil (based primarily on Bond’s Ernst Stavro Blofeld) is fondly remembered as one of the best.
With elements such as the spy theme, cool and sleek cars, and even time travel, this movie franchise has a lot to offer to the audience.
The franchise is more than just a retro romp as it is also about how the relationship between Austin Powers and Dr. Evil developed beyond protagonist vs. antagonist.
These little details about the movie are what keep the movie fans together and still go in the long run.
Will there be another sequel?
The most prominent question about the trilogy is whether will there be another part of the franchise. Well, it is very obvious that fans would demand more, as all three of the movies did really well.
The answer to this question is a yes for now. The director of the movie, Jay Roach did provide some assurance regarding the fourth movie.
However, even after the constant assurances from the director himself, the release date of its fourth part is yet be to announced.
Many fans do believe that the movie is already ready and the director will soon make an announcement regarding it.
So, for now, after almost twenty long years of interval, we can finally confirm that there will certainly be a fourth addition to the franchise.
However, the fourth release of Austin Powers might have to wait for a while. But the fans are equally excited to relive the one-of-a-kind trilogy and so are we.
