Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

WHEN IS AN Austin Powers movie like a John Cassavetes film? When it’s directed by Roach, who — like the late indie idol — has a fondness for letting his actors improvise. By Myers’ estimation, ”AP2” is 40 percent improv. ”But I’m not trying to compare ourselves to a Cassavetes film, I’d like to make that 100 percent clear,” insists the Cassavetes-reverent Myers. Not to worry: No one would mistake a film that has Myers playing — among many others — a 500-pound bad guy named Fat Bastard for ”The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.”

While 1997’s ”Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” wasn’t exactly a blockbuster, its profit margin and success on video made a sequel nearly inevitable. Roach returned as director, and Myers once again stars as Dr. Evil, who goes back in time to suck the mojo out of Powers (Myers again), sending the superagent back to the ’60s to recover it. Also giving Austin grief: a 32-inch version of Dr. Evil called Mini-Me (played by the diminutive Verne Troyer) and ”3rd Rock From the Sun”’s Kristen Johnston as double agent Ivana Humpalot. At least Austin’s got the very randy Felicity Shagwell (Graham) backing him up. Graham (”Boogie Nights”) prepared for her part by watching old episodes of ”The Avengers” and ”Laugh-In” but had to overcome her own reverence for Myers to work the Austin improv scene. ”When I first started I was like: ‘Omigod, I’m so intimidated! There’s Mike Myers. What am I going to do?”’ Myers says the actress actually did just fine, boasting all the qualifications for a Powers girl: ”sweetness, sexiness, and can handle a firearm.”

As for Austin himself, says Roach, ”the character was being workshopped in the first film. Now that he’s been tested, we can push it further.” Then how ’bout another? ”Every two years, as long as people keep coming,” says Myers.