Words cannot describe how wonderful this film was. The story is admittedly daft, but the film itself is witty, sophisticated and hysterically stupid, while being fast, furious and fun as well. The humour is hilarious to the point of sides splitting, from the mocking of the fashion and musical style of the Swinging Sixties period, to countless references to 007, Matt Helm and Our Man Flint. And Austin's catchphrases?... groovy! The film looks amazing, with bright colourful sets and great costumes, and the soundtrack is funky. Then we have Mike Myers brilliant as Austin Powers(better than he was in Cat in the Hat anyway, the less said about that travesty the better),and hysterically over-the-top as the arch-nemesis Dr Evil, and Elizabeth Hurley fabulously sexy as Vanessa Kensington. Overall, wonderful film, better than I thought it would be. Shagadelic, baby! 9/10 Bethany Cox

When he made Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery Mike Myers aspired to comic greatness, the kind we had not seen on the screen since Peter Sellers. Only Sellers and Alec Guinness could create so many believable characters in the same film and make them work the way Myers does with Austin Powers and his perennial nemesis Doctor Evil.

Hard to believe, but back in the swinging London of the Sixties, the British kids really did dress like Austin Powers. The key to Powers character is that whether he's in the Sixties or the Nineties, he's still an overgrown kid.

The film is like the old Batman TV series where the Gotham City Police Department is good enough at dealing with ordinary criminals. But when exotic types like the Joker or the Penguin threaten the law and order of Gotham City, Commissioner Gordon reaches for the Batphone and Adam West and Burt Ward start doing their thing in tights.

Powers is on the verge of nabbing Doctor Evil back in the day when the doctor takes off in a rocketship and cryogenically freezes himself. It's also some rocketship if I do say so. Not to be outdone, British Intelligence cryogenically freezes Austin Powers because he's the only man capable of dealing with Evil in their service.

Both men have to adapt to a culture shock. Doctor Evil has mixed feelings about the test tube baby son he fathered in Seth Green. As for Powers, he's not quite fathoming the fact that his Emma Peel like partner Mimi Rogers from back in the day has a daughter in Elizabeth Hurley doing her bit in the family spy business.

Michael York as the M character and Powers boss and Robert Wagner as Number 2 in the Evil Empire both look like they're having a really good time hamming up their parts. There's also a nice unbilled part by Tom Arnold as a cowboy in the men's room with Powers when one of the Evil assassins tries to get him.

A lot of good laughs in this first Austin Powers film, I do so hope Mike Myers does make still another one.

My first exposure to Mike Myers at the cinema, no less. I thought this was okay, apart from Myers whose incessant mugging became wearisome after about two minutes. The rest, including Susannah Hoffs, Michael York and Liz Hurley, isn't too bad and I did appreciate the campness of the 1960s stylings and some of the music. But as for Myers himself - no thanks!