---
title: "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me"
critics_score: 69
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999): what the critics said

Critics' score 69 from 8 reviews: 5 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics lean positive on Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with praise centred on Mike Myers’s comic warmth, the sequel’s energy and its willingness to be juvenile. Several find it funnier than the original, while the retro style, Dr. Evil’s development and Mini-Me draw particular approval. The favourable reviews generally treat familiar catchphrases and uneven jokes as tolerable costs of an amiable comedy with enough laughs to carry it.

The reservations concern repetition, thin writing and characters who work less well than others: Heather Graham attracts differing levels of enthusiasm, while Fat Bastard draws a specific objection. Variety supplies the clearest dissent, finding the performances amusing but the recycled jokes and underdeveloped writing less inspired than before. The recorded scores span a broad range, though two incomplete review texts limit what can be said about the reasoning behind the mixed notices.

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 1999. 

Nathan finds the sequel satisfyingly funny and ultimately winning, despite its repetition and weaker jokes. He singles out Mike Myers’s comic warmth and the inspired Mini-Me gag as highlights.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/austin-powers-spy-shagged-review/)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 4/5. 

The critic says fans of the first film will love this sequel. They praise its retro style and geniality, while noting Heather Graham is an adequate replacement for Elizabeth Hurley.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-lvsf9b/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me/)

## Total Film — Total Film

Rating 4/5. 30 July 1999. 

The critic says the sequel is funnier than the original and a genuinely worthwhile continuation. They praise Dr. Evil’s comic development and Heather Graham’s performance, while finding Fat Bastard out of place.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 1999. 

Turan finds the sequel more energetic and funnier than its predecessor, with a gratifyingly high hit rate despite its incoherence. He singles out Mike Myers’s gift for skit humor as the unifying strength that makes the juvenile jokes work.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-11-ca-45233-story.html)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 1999. 

The page would not load, so the critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint could not be verified. The URL identifies it as a film review of the 1999 title.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/11/movies/film-review-the-girls-all-go-for-his-euphemism.html)

## Time Out — GA

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The available excerpt does not reveal the critic’s verdict on this film. It singles out the first film’s Swinging London gags, while noting Myers’ casting as a drawback.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me)

## Variety — Dennis Harvey

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 June 1999. 

Harvey finds the sequel amusing but ultimately thin and less inspired than its predecessor. He praises the performances and character tics, while faulting the recycled jokes and underdeveloped writing.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me-1117499867/)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2002. 

The critic finds the sequel better than the original and enjoyable despite its familiar catchphrases. He singles out Liz Hurley’s pre-credits cameo as genuinely funny.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me.md