When you watch the “Austin Powers” movies, you get the full load of Mike Myers: he wrote the screenplay and slipped into the role not only of the protagonist of the same name, but also that of his iconic antagonist Dr. parodies of the “James Bond” movies, but have also developed an independent cult following.
This is due to their unique selling points, which go beyond the “James Bond” reference. On the one hand, the movies have beautiful outfits that fit into the gaudy overall aesthetic. On the other hand, with Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, they design two characters portrayed by Myers so aptly that they are still relevant to pop culture today. Last but not least, the perfect timing shows how much love poured into the movies. No wonder: behind the cheerful pastiche there is a personal story.
A tribute to the father and the cop cinema of the sixties
In an interview with Mike Myers explained that he wrote the screenplay for Austin Powers in memory of his father: “After my father died in 1991, I took stock of the influence he had on me as a person and my sense of humor in general. . Austin Powers was a tribute to my father who introduced me to James Bond, Peter Sellers, The Beatles, The Goodies, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore […] I didn’t know if someone who didn’t grow up in my house would understand the movie.”
Myers grew up on the spy movies of the 1960s, among other things, and wanted to pay tribute to them in his screenplay for “Austin Powers – The Hottest Thing Her Majesty Has To Offer”. It is therefore not surprising that the work, with its allusions, comes across as an ironic declaration of love for the “James Bond” films. Myer’s screenplay never comes across as mocking or condescending. Rejected by several studios, and when New Line Cinema finally committed to the project, they briefly questioned the decision to direct Jay Roach, who was already in close contact with Mike Myers at the time.
humor is everything
Myers doesn’t only owe his love for cop films to his father. He also seems to have learned a lot from him in terms of humor. In a word of thanks for Only for Laughs Festival 2015 Myers explained how his father taught him to find humor in frustrating situations. That included a disastrous camping holiday: “During breakfast we were sprinkled with DDT from an airplane. We stood there stunned, covered in white powder. My dad broke the silence, in true Liverpool tradition, and said, ‘Okay, how soon can we find this funny?'”
DDT is a chemical that has been used to control insects since the 1940s. It was later banned in most countries due to its harmful health effects. Myer’s little anecdote about the insecticide shows the humorous sense of timing his father instilled in him. And it fits perfectly with the “Austin Powers” movies, given the threats (including the horror scenario of a nuclear terrorist attack) that were handled with humorous ease.