The “Austin Powers” series has never really worked for me, this first is easily the best as at least it is original (kind of). The franchise parodies the “James Bond” films and the 60s in general but it does in such a one-dimensional way with its toilet humour and sex gags that it never really clicks; this one occasionally beats you down and gets a chuckle out of you but that’s it.

In “Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery”, Mike Myers (“Wayne’s World”, “Shrek 2”) stars as the titular British spy character and his evil nemesis Dr. Evil. Both are frozen in the 60s and resurface in 1997 to continue their battle against each other as Dr. Evil plans to cause all volcanoes in the world to simultaneously erupt. It’s up to Austin Powers and his female spy accomplice Vanessa (Elizabeth Hurley “Bedazzled”).

I’ll give Myers some credit for making me giggle at his Dr. Evil character but Austin Powers is such a lousy creation; he’s just so basic and boring that I couldn’t find myself enjoying anything about him. Elizabeth Hurley is pretty decent as Austin’s girl in this one as she has some personality. The other characters just aren’t very funny either and that’s a real shame.

The “Austin Powers” films are really obvious and simplistic mockeries of “James Bond” and never really show any level of intellect unlike something such as “South Park”, “Austin Powers” shares the same league with other brainless gross comedies like “Ted” and the appropriately named “Dumb and Dumberer”. I don’t understand what’s so appealing about this film and the others as all they do is represent 60s Britain at its most simplistic level without every delving deeper and finding something smart to say or do. Like I say this one is the best as this one came up with the jokes and while I don’t like them they are original.