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EDITORIAL:
Bond's Fatal Foe
As the Lowbrow Reader goes to press, the bigwigs behind the Austin Powers franchise are embroiled in a feud with those behind the James Bond franchise over the forthcoming Powers installment, which Mike Myers hopes to title Goldmember. For whatever reason, the Bond camp is fearful that Powers' camp is violating its Goldfinger trademark. Did they not notice something familiar about The Spy Who Shagged Me?
There is little Sandlerific about the Austin Powers films: They are too polished, too broad, too accepted, too cute; one can even imagine British viewers finding the movies "ticklish" or "witty." Nevertheless, Myers' Bond spoofs are endearing and heartfelt, if only for the creator's fearless barrage of hairy-chest jokes and the family dramas of Dr. Evil. We consequently fret for these characters as they get led into perilous trilogy territory. Whether dragging the once-superb Wayne's World into a shameful sequel or mugging for any camera with a plug, Myers has never exhibited much self-restraint -- if given the chance, he will beat this Austin Powers thing into the ground.
Conversely, if ever there was a film franchise in need of a boost, it's 007. Never mind the oft-noted deterioration of the actors portraying Bond, or even the series' lack of relevance in a post-Cold War world. The modern installments blunder because they have forgotten their sense of cheeky self-parody. If at first Austin Powers seemed unneeded -- why satirize something that has been poking fun at itself for decades? -- it has thrived in part because of Bond's plunge. In the eyes of contemporary viewers, Austin Powers has supplanted James Bond as Hollywood's most culturally meaningful spy.
While hauling Powers into endless sequels and promotional campaigns will no doubt prove lucrative for Myers, a more dangerous (not to mention comedic) route would be to infiltrate the world of 007 himself. Specifically, we would like to see Myers play the super-villain in the next James Bond installment. Of course, he would have to subdue many of his character's quirks, but compared to Bond's regular foes Myers' cartoonish baddie isn't as exaggerated as skeptics may assume. The formerly unstoppable Mr. Bond may soon be meeting his maker. Let us hope it is Dr. Evil and his schemes for unspecified nefariousness, not Austin Powers and his zeitgeist's mighty mojo.
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