Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is special because it doesn’t just spoof the James Bond era—it throws a glittering, lava-lamp love letter at it, then winks at the camera as it dances away. Mike Myers’ dual performance is a comic engine that never stops purring, balancing silly voices and big physical gags with a surprisingly sharp sense of how culture changed between the freewheeling ’60s and the sleeker, more cynical ’90s. Jay Roach keeps the vibe buoyant and colorful—part spy caper, part sketch-comedy fever dream—so even the dumb jokes land with the confidence of a film that knows exactly what it is. Fair warning: the humor is wall-to-wall innuendo and deliberately juvenile at times, but if you’re even mildly fond of spy movies or broad comedy, this one is an irresistibly fun time capsule with real comedic craft behind the shagadelic nonsense.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is trying to be a loving, silly takedown of James Bond swagger while also poking fun at how out of place ‘60s libido looks in the ‘90s. When it works, it’s because Mike Myers commits hard to the characters and the movie nails a few genuinely iconic comic bits. But the truth is the plot is basically a clothesline for catchphrases and broad sketches, and if the specific brand of repetitive innuendo, mugging, and “look how outrageous this is” humor doesn’t hit you early, it’s going to feel like a long wait for the next good laugh. If you want a sharper spoof or story-driven comedy, skip it; if you’re in the mood for dumb, quote-heavy silliness and don’t mind near-constant sexual jokes and some nudity played for comedy, it’ll do the job.