It's the Same Frickin' Jokes! (Austin Powers in Goldmember (DVD))

Member Name: buttonman

Product:	Austin Powers in Goldmember (DVD)
Date:	04/08/02 (356 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Familiar Fun

Disadvantages: I've seen this before!

I like Austin Powers movies but I do feel that the law of diminishing returns is evident for all to see in 'Goldmember', the third film in the franchise. I can't believe anyone is unfamiliar with the style or characters of the movies but suffice it to say Austin is a 1960's English superspy frozen in the past and defrosted today to face his arch nemesis Dr Evil.

The first two films pretty much used up the fish out of water gags so the question is will the idea hold for a more involved plot?

PLOT - SPOILERS THROUGHOUT

The film opens with a pretty good action sequence, which turns out to be a Hollywood movie about Austin starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg. Austin disapproves of its lack of Mojo and proceeds into a well-worn big dance number. Star cameos litter the film and to be honest it did seem a bit desperate both of the film to gets some kudos and the actors to get some cred with the kids. I did like Gwyneth Paltrow as 'Dixie Normous' though!

Soon into the film Austin catches Dr Evil much to his surprise - "Shit" he opines. This leads to Austin being knighted by the Queen, well by Janette Charles anyway. Austin is upset by the non-appearance of his dad, Nigel Powers and soon learns he's been kidnapped. Austin quizzes Dr Evil in a lazy 'Silence of the Lambs' parody who reveals his dad has been taken to the 1970's by Goldmember a Dutch metal smith who lost his manhood in a smelting accident.

Austin travels back in time in a funky pimp mobile that looks to have been repossed from Huggy Bear and soon corners Goldmember with the help of his former love Foxxy Cleopatra. Predictably Goldmember escapes back to the present with Nigel and the race is on to save the day and to insert as many fart jokes as possible along the way.


THOUGHTS

I did laugh throughout this film despite many of the jokes being as well worn as the Odeon's carpet.
As a standalone film you'll love it but if you’ve seen the previous Austin Powers films and Waynes World you'll feel short changed.

Remember the silhouette scene from the Spy who shagged me? Well enjoy it again, the double entendres about the flying object from the first film? Well relive the fun with boobs substituted for willy. There is also an ongoing 'don’t mention the mole' and a subtitles gag both of which had been done in Waynes World. That said familiarity can be funny but we do need originality too.

There was a schooldays flashback in which we meet Powers and Evil at boarding school together and several origins flashbacks where our favourites' motivations are revealed.Both of these were pretty funny although a knowledge of the previous films was required. Most secrets were revealed although we still don't know how Number 2 lost his eye - he's already got the eyepatch at school!

The two new main characters were OK. Myers once again saves the wages bill by playing the role of Goldmember himself. Goldmember spoke funny and had a gold nob. Er that's it, well OK he eats and saves his own flaking skin but that's all!. He had no powers, no menace but did wear clogs. Beyonce Knowles was better as Foxxy Cleopatra. A spoof of balxploitation characters she did great with an afro wig and funky duds. She didn't have many funny lines but did look very nice and that's enough for me.

I wouldn't class Michael Caine's Nigel Powers as a main character as he wasn't in it much but he did raise a few laughs especially when he told the henchman to lie down "Don’t you know who I am?". We do see him in a youthful flashback that looked like it'd been cobbled from some old Harry Palmer film and he generally seems to be enjoying himself.

The film was a fast and enjoyable 90 minutes with a lot of loose ends tied up. Fat Bastard lost weight and several s
eparated families were reunited. I got the feeling the film intended to round things up but Mike Myers said he'd be happy to do more on last nights Letterman. Let's hope the script gets more work or the franchise will die a slow death. Britney showing up doing her new single and product placement throughout suggest the cash is coming before the comedy and that can be no good thing.

Summary: