In the original cut of the film, when Austin is brought back into action by the government, the sequence of him thawing out of his cryogenic sleep featured brief shots of Powers’ butt, which ultimately needed to be cut to earn the film its PG-13 rating.
Jay Roach’s recent comments to THR regarding the editing process for Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery seem to highlight the ridiculous nature of the MPAA.
Meyers spends a healthy amount of the movie in the buff, but a direct shot of his rear end ultimately proved too much.
Although the governing body certainly wanted Roach and Mike Myers to keep the nudity blocking sequence (in which Austin Powers and Vanessa Kensington narrowly avoid showing off their naked bodies through some great prop comedy) within the bounds of good taste, they were far more concerned with the unfreezing scene.