What we flagged
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Our take
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me is a spy spoof built around sexual jokes. Suggestive names, innuendo, brief rear nudity, and body gags run through the story, alongside cartoon fights and comic weapons. Drinking and smoking appear in the sixties setting. We put it at around M and up for families comfortable with frequent crude humour and dated jokes about bodies.
Uplifting themes
Stopping a cartoon takeover of the world is the thin moral. Friendship and a partner who can handle herself peek through the innuendo. Most of the runtime is still a dirty joke The female agent is capable, which is a small lift. The lead treats sex as a superpower and other people as bits. Laugh with care about who the film thinks is cool Older kids might clock how Bond films used to look, because this is a parody of that pose. It will not teach history. Use it, if at all, to talk about jokes that punch down
Story (may spoil tone)
When diabolical genius Dr. Evil travels back in time to steal superspy Austin Powers's ‘mojo,’ Austin must return to the swingin' '60s himself - with the help of American agent, Felicity Shagwell - to stop the dastardly plan. Once there, Austin faces off against Dr. Evil's army of minions to try to save the world in his own unbelievably groovy way.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Lasers, brawls, and henchmen going down are played as cartoon spy noise…
Lasers, brawls, and henchmen going down are played as cartoon spy noise. Nobody dwells on pain. It is still punching and shooting, just with a wink, so younger kids may still jump at the loud bits
Language Coarse sex slang is constant, along with b-word, hell, and other insult…
Coarse sex slang is constant, along with b-word, hell, and other insults wrapped inside character names. The title itself is a bedroom joke. It is less a string of f-words than a stream of dirty punchlines
Sex / nudity Sexual jokes run through names, dialogue, and the main plot. Brief rear…
Sexual jokes run through names, dialogue, and the main plot. Brief rear nudity and suggestive performances appear, though no explicit sex scene is shown
Drugs / alcohol Drinks and occasional cigarettes appear in the sixties party setting. S…
Drinks and occasional cigarettes appear in the sixties party setting. Substance use is background to the comedy rather than a main plot thread
Frightening A bald villain, a clone sidekick, and a huge, disgusting henchman are m…
A bald villain, a clone sidekick, and a huge, disgusting henchman are meant to be silly-scary. Loud gadgets and a world-ending scheme sit in the background. Sensitive kids may still find the body gags more unsettling than funny
Gore / death / weapons Comic spy weapons include ray guns and knives, while henchmen die in ex…
Comic spy weapons include ray guns and knives, while henchmen die in exaggerated gags. A grotesque eating joke is unpleasant but not especially bloody
Dangerous behaviour Gadgets, time travel, and silly fights look copyable the way cartoons d…
Gadgets, time travel, and silly fights look copyable the way cartoons do. Nothing walks you through a real stunt. The bigger copycat risk is repeating the crude jokes at school
Eating disorders / body image A large villain is repeatedly the target of fat jokes, while other bodi…
A large villain is repeatedly the target of fat jokes, while other bodies are treated as sexual punchlines. The humour can sting for children sensitive about appearance
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- The film treats women as punchlines and as partners. Which gags still feel funny, and which feel cheap?
- When a movie makes every sex joke a laugh, what does that teach about saying no?
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Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
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