Mike Myers movies saw the former Saturday Night Live alum rise to fame during the early 1990s, thanks to his catchphrase-laden sense of humor and repertoire of hit sketch comedy characters and silly impersonations. After establishing his film career with Wayne’s World, Myers began to experiment with new characters as well as the occasional small role in dramatic films such as 54 and Pete’s Meteor. It was clearly comedy where his strengths lay, however, and his creation of the silly 1960s-era spy known as Austin Powers led to a franchise that ruled the latter half of the 90s and early 2000s.
From the success of the Austin Powers movies, Myers found his way into animation, voicing the rough around the edges, yet lovable, ogre Shrek in Dreamworks’ wildly successful franchise of the same name. Today a quick glance at Myers’ acting resume reveals a star whose later years are balanced between straight-to-video Shrek spin-offs and the odd cameo in respected films like Inglorious Basterds and Bohemian Rhapsody.
The Love Guru (2008)
- Stream now on Prime Video & Paramount+
Of all of Mike Myers movies, the 2008 tale of Indian spiritual expert Guru Pitka (Myers) received the worst reviews. The film, which follows Pitka on a quest to help the Toronto Maple Leafs' star player, Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco), get his life back on track, relied on stereotypes and racist portrayals of Indian people, culture, and beliefs. The Love Guru does boast a varied and impressive cast including Ben Kingsley, Justin Timberlake, and Deepak Chopra, but even they couldn't save the movie, which was a box office bomb with a 13% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Cat in the Hat (2003)
- Stream now on Netflix
The Cat in the Hat saw Mike Myers try to bring the classic Dr. Seuss character to life. However, what resulted was one of the worst Mike Myers movies, with a 10% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. Myers played the titular cat in the movie as he invaded the home of some children and caused trouble. To understand how poorly received the movie was, Seuss's widow, Audrey Geisel, chose not to allow any further live-action adaptations of her late husband's work after seeing this movie (via Vulture).
View From The Top (2003)
- Stream now on Starz
In 2003, Mike Myers took on a small role in the Gwyneth Paltrow comedy View from the Top. In the 2003 movie, Paltrow plays a woman who wants to get more out of her life and decides she can achieve this by becoming a flight attendant. The movie was panned by critics and was a box office failure, and a look at Myers role in the movie shows part of the problem. He is an airport employee whose defining trait is comically crossed eyes. The movie didn't even make back its budget and has a 14% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Thin Pink Line (1998)
- Not available to stream
Mike Myers appeared in the mockumentary The Thin Pink Line pretty early in his career. The movie's title is a spoof on the brilliant Errol Morris documentary The Thin Blue Line. In that real documentary, Morris showed evidence that a man on death row might be innocent. In the parody, the same storyline happens and most of the film is people who knew the convicted man telling their stories. Myers is one of these, although he only really appears in the movie for less than two minutes.
Pete's Meteor (1998)
- Stream now on Tubi
Pete's Meteor was the first of Mike Myers movies where he wasn't playing a comedy role. The movie was about a drug dealer (Myers) who lived in Dublin and tried to financially provide for his dead brother's children. However, the movie takes a turn when a meteor crashes into their backyard. Alfred Molina is also in the movie as a scientist the children approach to get it back. The movie received mostly negative reviews, with the children's acting the main point of emphasis.
Shrek Forever After (2012)
- Stream now on Netflix & Prime Video
This fourth entry in the popular animated series found Myers once again voicing Shrek, as the character longs for the days of old when he was a fearful ogre. Now a harried father of three, Shrek makes a deal with the shady Rumpelstiltskin to be feared once again, but the deal is not without its downsides. Shrek is cast into an alternate reality, in which Rumpelstiltskin rules all, and everyone Shrek has ever known is a stranger to him. After almost a decade of Shrek films, Shrek Forever After received the worst reviews of the franchise, and marked the beginning of a long absence.
Last Knight (2017)
- Not available to stream
Easily, the least known of the Michael Myers movies is Last Knight. That is because this 2017 fantasy film was a Russian movie that had Myers in a small role. The movie took two Russian fables — Baba Yaga and Koschei — and put them into a movie that sends a young orphan con artist into a world inhabited by Russian fairy tale characters and creatures. Myers appeared as Vodyanoy, a water spirit. The movie, made by Disney's Russian branch, received mixed reviews.
Terminal (2018)
- Stream now on Roku
There haven't been many Mike Myers releases over the last decade or so, so when he appears in something, it gets his fans excited. In 2018, he appeared in two movies - one a musical biopic that earned Oscar nominations, and the other was a neo-noir thriller starring Margot Robbie. Terminal received mostly bad reviews, but it was received well by many viewers looking for something different — especially from Myers. Terminal is about two assassins and a long-running con, and a definite genre anomaly in Myer's filmography. Myers was very impressive, using his skills in disguise, as he plays a chameleon in the movie. The twist ending makes it all worthwhile.
Mystery, Alaska (1999)
- Rent now on Prime Video & Apple TV
While this isn't a Mike Myers movie, he gets the chance to take on a small role in Mystery, Alaska, a chance for him to let his Canadian roots shine. The movie is about an amateur hockey team who gets a chance to play an exhibition game against the NHL team, the New York Rangers. Myers is a hockey commentator in the movie with memorable lines like "Rub 'n' Tug" and "Dinky Do." The movie received mixed reviews and was a box office failure.
Shrek 2 (2004)
- Stream now on Hulu & Peacock
This follow-up to the wild success that met 2001’s Shrek featured newlyweds Shrek and Fiona traveling to Fiona’s hometown of Far Far Away, where her parents are king and queen. Unfortunately, Fiona’s parents are not totally supportive of her life as an ogre or her new husband. Worse still, the meddling Prince Charming, along with the Fairy Godmother, make life problematic for Shrek and his bride. It’s a more fleshed-out installment, and the introduction of Antonio Banderas as the voice of Puss in Boots is a solid addition. Myers clearly enjoys playing the character and does a great job, but Shrek 2's fairy tale universe still feels as though it’s holding back.
Amsterdam (2022)
- Stream on HBO Max
When David O. Russell announced he was making a new movie, most fans thought another Oscar contender was coming. He then top-loaded it with Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington, and it seemed like it was a can't-miss movie. However, the movie received mixed reviews and lost the studio a great deal of money as a box office bomb. Mike Myers was part of an all-star cast of supporting actors, playing M16 spy Paul Canterbury in the comedy mystery thriller.
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
- Stream now on DirecTV
By 2002, the “Yeah-baby, Groovy, Shagadelic” shtick that Myers had introduced with 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery had grown familiar enough. Armed with non-sequitur catchphrases and a very poor attempt at a Dutch accent, Myers’ Goldmember character was at the center of a convoluted time-traveling plot, but the movie still maintained a lot of humor to carry it through. From the memorable opening of an Austin Powers movie within a movie to Dr. Evil becoming more of an anti-hero, the movie was still one of the better Mike Myers comedy movies.
Shrek the Third (2007)
- Stream now on Hulu & Peacock
The amount of time that it took for the Shrek franchise to fully realize its world is arguably one of the biggest drawbacks of the entire series. It’s 2007’s Shrek the Third, where everything seems to come together at last. The environments are lush and active, the characters are plentiful and often hilarious, and the plot to find an heir to the king of Far Far Away is engaging. What’s more, it’s the first time in the franchise that Myers’ Shrek is focused on issues that affect others, rather than his own personal problems. This (and a subplot involving Fiona’s attempts to pull off a coup), helps the film have a connected yet vast feel to it.
54 (1997)
- Stream now on Starz
The first of Mike Myers movies that saw him in a dramatic role came in the 1998 movie 54. In this film, Myers played a real-life person — Steve Rubell, the man who co-founded the iconic Studio 54. The movie traced the rise of the club and the controversy that occurred in the hedonistic world of the New York party society. Along with Myers, Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, Sela Ward, and Brekin Meyer brought the world to life. The movie received poor reviews when released, but when the Director's Cut arrived, it has since built a strong cult following.
Wayne’s World 2 (1993)
- Stream now on HBO Max
Even in 1993, Myers seemed more aware of the character of Wayne Campbell than ever — which makes sense, considering that he’d been playing him in one form or another for seven years at that point. Wayne's World 2 managed to delve a little deeper into the lives of Wayne and Garth but remained limited by its reliance on old gags. After seven years of playing Campbell, Myers seemed ready to move on after this movie. Regardless, the Waynestock concert was a riot and the movie had several quote-worthy moments.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
- Stream now on DirecTV
Myers hit the jackpot with this 1997 spoof on a 007-esque spy who is cryogenically frozen in the 1960s and revived in the 1990s. The laughs and subject-matter were fresh, with Myers introducing a whole string of catchphrases to an adoring fan base. Watching it today, Austin Powers is still entertaining, though many of its gags are a bit dated. Nonetheless, there’s no denying its effect on the comedy of the time, with Myers proving that he was more than just that guy from Wayne’s World. The movie picked up a Best Villain Award at the MTV Movie Awards for the Myers creation, Dr. Evil.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
- Stream now on Fubo
In 2018, Mike Myers returned for a supporting role in a musical biopic. This was, honestly, the best movie that Myers could have ever signed on to appear in. There isn't a more iconic scene in Mike Myers movies than Wayne and Garth singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Wayne's World. In this movie, Myers plays a fictional EMI executive who refused to release the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" as a single. The movie was a huge success, making $910 million (via Box Office Mojo) and winning four Oscars, including one for Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury.
Shrek (2001)
- Stream now on Hulu & Peacock
The film that kicked off Myers’ career as the voice of the eponymous cartoon ogre won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2001. Myers choice of voice for the character — his own personal take on a Scottish accent that he’s used repeatedly over the years — seemed to have finally found its home. The story had Shrek as the ogre who wanted to be left alone but ended up with fairy tale creatures dumped on his doorstep. Shrek well deserved its Oscar recognition and proved that DreamWorks had what it takes to compete with Disney at the box office. While it's not the best Mike Myers movie, Shrek is arguably one of the most recognizable.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
- Stream now on DirecTV
Perhaps having learned his lesson from the quick turnaround of Wayne’s World 2, Myers waited two years before returning with a sequel to his hit film. The result was a comedy that maintained the goofiness of the original but added more to the concept. Introducing audiences to the laughably outrageous Fat Bastard, Myers took on three characters in what is arguably the best example of the multi-character trademark that would go on to mark his career. The Spy Who Shagged Me even won an Oscar for Best Makeup thanks in no small part to needing to help Myers pull off so many characters.
Wayne’s World (1992)
- Stream now on HBO Max
For many fans, this was the single greatest of the Michael Myers movies. Wayne’s World had a tremendous effect when it hit the big screen in 1992; among other cultural landmarks, it catapulted "Bohemian Rhapsody" to the top of the charts, 17 years after the song's debut. The film’s humor can still make audiences laugh nearly 30 years after its release. Part of the magic of Wayne’s World is that the original SNL sketches don’t need to be seen to appreciate the film and Myers’ fourth wall-breaking charm feels fresh. Myers also had his finger on the pulse of 90s-era sarcasm, making for a perfect fit in Wayne’s World.
So I Married An Axe Murderer (1993)
- Stream on HNO Max
Widely overlooked thanks to its arrival during the peak of Wayne’s World fame, So I Married an Axe Murderer is a true gem. The film stars Myers as noncommittal San Francisco-based poet Charlie, who begins to suspect that his new girlfriend is a serial killer. It’s the first time Myers plays a dual role, introducing his father Stuart as the surly Scottish character that he’ll rework in later years to suit the likes of Shrek and Fat Bastard. Mike Myers' work as Charlie is subtle, and seeing Myers as a straightforward character in a comedy is a nice change of pace. With cameos by Steven Wright and Phil Hartman and solid comedic supporting work by Anthony LaPaglia and Alan Arkin as a cop and chief who try to make police work more exciting, So I Married an Axe Murderer finds the perfect blend between absurdity and charming rom-com.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Easily, the best of all Mike Myers movies is one where he had just a small supporting role. This was Quentin Tarantino's epic, Inglourious Basterds. In Basterds, Myers stars as General Fenech, a whiskey-swilling career German General who gives a briefing to Michael Fassbender's Lt. Archie Hicox, who was sent to infiltrate the German film industry in World War II. Mike Myers only appeared in one scene, but he was still part of a movie that picked up eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, while Christophe Waltz won Best Supporting Actor.