The Austin Powers movies are regaled as comedy classics and rightfully so. The films contain an incredible blend of different types of humor. Whether it be slapstick, puns, parody, or witty dialogue, the film makes full use of any and all comedic devices. Many jokes of the film are iconic and can be quoted by even a casual fan.
However, some funny moments seem to fly under the radar. Maybe due to obscure references or a subdued delivery, for whatever reason, some jokes were not as embraced by audiences as they should have been.
Dr. Evil And The Macarena
Trying to appear hip and cool to teenage son Scott, Dr. Evil does the Macarena. When Scott still doesn't go in for Dr. Evil's hug, Dr. Evil exasperatedly utters the hysterical line, "Don’t look at me like I’m frickin' Frankenstein. Give your father a hug!".
Dr. Evil's very feeble attempt at trying to get close to Scott is funny for the sheer awkwardness of the whole interaction. He does the stiffest version of the dance possible and thinks that doing that counts as being "hip and with it," showing how lame and incompetent Dr. Evil to with the jaded Scott.
Nigel Power's Pet Peeves
In the third installment of the Austin Powers series in Goldmember, audiences were introduced to Austin's absentee father, superspy Nigel Powers, played by the versatile Michael Caine. The elder Powers added some fantastic jokes to the series, strongly delivered by Caine's comedic sensibilities.
In one notable joke that seemed to keep a low profile, Nigel is presented with villain Goldmember. Face to face with the Dutch villain, Nigel makes his pet peeves known. The things Nigel can't stand are, "Those who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch." This is obviously an extremely contradictory statement, making Nigel's lack of self-awareness hilarious.
Evil Medical School
For people who spend many years in medical training to become a doctor, it might be annoying to be called "mister" rather than "doctor." This snafu also infuriates evil doctors like Dr. Evil.
When called Mister by the President as he is making his demands, Dr. Evil loses it and scolds, " It's Dr. Evil. I didn't spend six years in evil medical school to be called "mister," thank you very much." Dr. Evil's indignant response is made all the more humorous by the ridiculousness of the statement.
Dr. Evil's Childhood
As Dr. Evil and Scott have a pretty tense and fractured relationship, they somehow end up in group family therapy. As the other father-son members make great headway, Dr. Evil and Scott seem to make no breakthroughs whatsoever.
Given the lack of progress in their relationship, the therapist (played in a cameo by Carrie Fisher) gets Dr. Evil to talk about his childhood in the hopes that it will help shed some light on the relationship. What comes next is a weird, rambling mess of a description by Dr. Evil. He talks about wearing meat helmets and his mother having webbed feet -- not exactly the typical staples of childhood.
The Alan Parsons Project
In Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Dr. Evil details the next phase of his plans that involves the use of a giant laser on the moon. The creator of the laser is physicist Dr. Alan Parsons, leading Dr. Evil to name the plans "The Alan Parsons Project."
For anyone with a sizable knowledge of music or for fans of progressive rock, this joke was an underappreciated gag, as Scott later explains that The Alan Parsons Project is actually already a band name for a rock group from the early '80s. Scott immediately rips the name apart, ribbing on Dr. Evil's ignorance of the 30 years he missed out on while frozen. When Scott retorts that Dr. Evil could just call the plan Wang Chung, the scene gets even funnier, as it shows just how inept Dr. Evil can be.
Scott's Teenage Outburst
Dr. Evil and his son Scott have a very aggressive relationship. The pair get into several fights throughout the series until they finally get along, albeit briefly, in the cameo-heavy Austin Powers In Goldmember. One of their funniest but least recognized arguments occurs when Scott has a tantrum similar to any other American teenager. However, Scott is a little different as he shouts, " I hate you! I wish I was never artificially created in a lab!"
This line riffs on the common adolescent exclamation, " I wish I was never born," but, as Scott was not conceived the traditional way, this line was born. The scene is even funnier when Dr. Evil responds like a hurt and concerned parent, despite that he's been openly hostile towards Scott and even has tried to kill him.
Austin's Inner Monologue
Austin's thawing procedure does a number on his body, making his usual functions out of whack, one of which is Austin's inability to contain his inner monologue.
When introduced to the beautiful agent, Vanessa, Austin blurts out a number of inappropriate and sexual things about her, in front of her and everyone else in the room. When Austin sees the looks on people's faces around him, he realizes that his ability to have an inner monologue has still not been regained.
Chicago Model Factory
During Dr. Evil's absence, his shell company, Virtucon, grew exponentially. When Dr. Evil's right-hand man, Number 2, is explaining all of Virtucon's industries around the world, he does so by pointing at miniature models of their facilities.
One of the factories they own makes miniature models in Chicago. The joke is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it-type, but for those who pay attention, this silly quip is recognized as one of the most commonly missed gags of the movie.
The Militant Wing Of The Salvation Army
As Dr. Evil's henchmen are introduced to the audience with their credentials, it is revealed Frau Farbissina is responsible for starting the "militant wing of the Salvation Army." What makes this subtle joke so funny is that the Salvation Army is a charity organization and not an actual army.
Frau creating the Salvation Army's militant wing only shows how hardcore she is in her evil ways. It is easy to see why Dr. Evil chose her to be part of his evil organization.
Moon Unit Alpha And Moon Unit Zappa
Even at the time of this film's creation, this joke was obscure. When the ridiculous '90s villain Dr. Evil is describing the moon bases for his plan, he refers to them as Moon Unit Alpha and Moon Unit Zappa.
Moon Unit Zappa is a clever and criminally underrated joke, as it is actually the name of a person. Experimental rock pioneer Frank Zappa's daughter, Moon Unit Zappa also contributed to her father's song, "Valley Girl," and has acted in films.