Every James Bond Reference in the ‘Austin Powers’ Movies

Baby. Yeah, Baby.
Austin Powers

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

When we last saw our shagadelic hero, he was in the afterglow of marital bliss. But holy matrimony doesn’t last long for Austin Powers. After dispatching Vanessa the fembot, Austin is back to once again take down Dr. Evil, whose latest plan involves traveling back in time to steal the most powerful weapon in British Intelligence: Austin’s mojo. He’s joined by swinging CIA agent Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham), a necessary ally in the fight against Dr. Evil, Dr. Evil’s clone, and a rather repugnant baby-eating Scotsman. ‘The Spy Who Shagged Me’ takes broader swings while still keeping its ties to the Bond franchise intact. With submarines, Caribbean lairs, and not one but two Honey Rider swimsuits, there’s still plenty of 007 potshots to enjoy in this second outing.

  • Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me begins with a theme, entitled “Dr. Evil” by They Might Be Giants. The song emulates the style of Shirley Bassey, who performed three Bond themes.
  • Austin describes Vanessa, his dearly departed, partially robotic wife, as “the woman who taught me the beauty of monogamy.” This recalls the unceremonious post-On Her Majesty’s Secret Service hand waving of Tracy Bond’s (Diana Rigg) demise.
  • The title is based on The Spy Who Loved Me.
  • While Austin dances through the hotel lobby in the opening sequence, a sign is visible that points to the Casino Royale.
  • This film continues the trend that started in the first Austin Powers film of parodying the innuendo-laden names of Bond girls. Here, Ivana Humpalot (Kristen Johnston) is a reference to Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), and Robin Swallows, née Spitz (Gia Carides), recalls the stylings of Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi).
  • Austin travels back to 1969, the year On Her Majesty’s Secret Service premiered.
  • Dr. Evil is joined by Mini-Me (Verne Troyer), a clone whose small stature recalls Nick Nack (Hervé Villechaize) from The Man With The Golden Gun.
  • Much like the cold open of Goldfinger, Bond spots the attack of a would-be assassin in the reflection of a woman’s eye.
  • Many of the Connery-era Bond films take place in the Caribbean, a favorite vacation destination of Bond author Ian Fleming. Dr. Evil has a tropical island volcano lair that shares stylistic similarities with Dr. No’s Crab Key lair.
  • Dr. Evil shares a “laser” obsession with many Bond villains (e.g. those of Goldfinger and The Man With the Golden Gun).
  • Many Bond films involve hijacked, stolen, and otherwise reappropriated satellites. Similarly, Dr. Evil acquires a satellite for nefarious purposes.
  • Like many Bond villains, Dr. Evil has a rather conspicuous submarine.
  • Felicity Shagwell and Austin Powers both wear bikinis in the style of Honey Rider’s (Ursula Andress) iconic swimsuit.
  • Unlike his Bond predecessors, Dr. Evil goes to space more than once! However, the main stylistic touchstone is still Moonraker.
  • Speaking of Moonraker, like Hugo Drax, Mini-Me gets sucked into the vacuum of space. Unlike Drax, he does not die.
  • The fanfare that plays over the end credits sounds similar to the Goldfinger theme.

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

The third time’s indeed charming as Austin is joined by his masterfully suave father to once again thwart Dr. Evil’s bid to take over the planet. When the Powers patriarch is kidnapped by Dr. Evil and a Dutch madman, Austin and nightclub singer/martial artist Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyoncé Knowles) must travel through time to save the world (and Austin’s estranged relationship with his dad). The primary point of reference here is Connery’s third outing as Bond, Goldfinger. The major difference is that this villain with a Midas touch doesn’t expect you to talk, he expects you to be smelted. 

  • Austin Powers in Goldmember opens with a meta staging of an Austin Powers-inspired film production, starring Tom Cruise in the titular role. He is decked out with Austin’s signature On Her Majesty’s Secret Service-inspired suit. And the homage is completed by a Union Jack parachute in a nod to The Spy Who Loved Me. The meta-movie about Austin is revealed to be titled Austinpussy, a reference to the Bond film Octopussy.
  • Powers girl Dixie Normous’ (Gwyneth Paltrow) motorcycle recalls the motorcycle chase sequence in Tomorrow Never Dies.
  • A helicopter raises the stakes of Goldmember’s cold open. Many Bond cold opens feature helicopters, perhaps most famously when Bond uses one to drop “Blofeld” down a chimney in For Your Eyes Only.
  • Austin’s Shaguar has a bulletproof shield, just like Bond’s Aston Martin.
  • While the Bond films have yet to feature “twins, Basil, twins,” there are several instances of sisters and female pairs. Goldfinger features Jill (Shirley Eaton) and Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) as Bond girls. Bambi (Lola Larson) and Thumper (Trina Parks) are two acrobatic henchwomen who appear in Diamonds Are Forever.
  • Goldmember is based on the titular villain of Goldfinger. Both men are disturbed megalomaniacs who love gooooold. Especially gold decor!

Previous 2 of 2

Meg Shields and Anna Swanson: Based in the Pacific North West, Meg enjoys long scrambles on cliff faces and cozying up with a good piece of 1960s eurotrash. As a senior contributor at FSR, Meg's objective is to spread the good word about the best of sleaze, genre, and practical effects.