Top Box Office Movies - Austin Powers in Goldmember

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) New Line Cinema
1 hr. 33 mins.
Starring: Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, Michael Caine, Michael York, Seth Green
Directed by: Jay Roach

Austin Powers in Goldmember

Rating:

E-MAIL GIANCARLO DE LISI

Photo: New Line Cinema

The best joke in the latest Austin Powers Film comes at the very end when our perennial villain, Fat Bastard, compares his new look to a women's organ. The third and seemingly last of the Austin Powers films (we will get to that later) Austin Powers in Goldmember, is a disappointing finale if the trilogy does come to an end.

This movie is susceptible to what I like to call, 'bowtie endings' in which all the characters are happy, everything falls into place and the masses are pleased with no clear cut solution. Pity, just when I thought the film would bring closure to a great little idea, it falters at a tremendous rate.

This being said, please allow me the admittance of describing the feeling for such harsh opening remarks for the third installment of a once venerable franchise. The first Austin Powers film was a little gem. That film literally came out of nowhere and gained its' following on video cassette after a paltry box office. Upon the sequel, the same feel and excitement was elevated after the creative team knew they had to come up something fresh, and they did. For those who follow the films, the tone was set in the second film after a great opening sequence displayed the many abuses the male genitalia can undergo.

In the third installment, all the energy runs dry after a hilarious cameo packed action sequence sets the running gag for the 'film within a film' concept. Once we are pleasantly surprised by whom Mike Myers and the rest of the team can assemble for cameo appearances, we are thwarted into vintage Austin Powers territory as the musical introductory sequence occurs. Unfortunately, not all the cameos in the world could save a deplorable and uncreative musical sequence that sets the tone for a heavily choreographed, mildly funny film that solemnly brings closure to the franchise.

Mike Myers returns as the heroic Austin Powers, he also returns as the villainous Dr. Evil and the evil henchman Fat Bastard. Amidst all the characters, the creators have decided to throw in another character who is supposed to be from Holland, yet has a freakishly accent reminiscent of New Jersey. The aptly named Goldmember has an affinity for all things gold, and he is supposed to be the driving force behind the evil schemes, yet his character is completely futile in terms of plot development and those who saw the film, know there isn't even any closure to this character. The question arises - Will there be another Austin Powers film? If it is as recycled as this film was, many will take a pass at it.

Some may be asking by this point, why so harsh? It is very simple. Avid fans who have come to know and love the immortal Austin Powers character know the man behind the character; Mike Myers, is a very talented and creative man. Insiders have always claimed many of the intuitive ideas were spawned from Myers and his thorough involvement within the script contributed to the success of the two films. Alas, this cannot be said for the third As aforementioned, from the musical introductory sequence, a morbid feeling came rushing over me as if to say, 'have they already used up all their ideas?'. Yes they have.

Director Jay Roach (Meet the Parents, Austin Powers) returns to helm the third installment in what proves to be a disappointing foray into comedy. Roach tries his best at simply running the camera as many of the skits seem to be strictly improvised grounded in about a couple of sentences of script. The key word is skit. This film lacks cohesiveness due to a complete omission of plot. The film mentions something about kidnapping Austin Powers' father (Sir Michael Caine) and having Goldmember destroy the world. The gags have all been done before and this time, the audience is laughing at recycled elements from the first two films thrown into a pot. This film is like a best of gag reel and amalgamates all the best elements of the first two films and brings them together. It is simply a running skit of gags that in terms of story, do not contribute to one another. Remember the shadow scene from the second film, it is here. Remember the rivalry between Dr. Evil and his son Scott, it is here too. Remember the sequence where they get around saying a graphic word by alluding to it by spotting things in the sky (a la 'Hot Dog' skit in the second film), it is here also.

Spunk and creativity are lacking as the film takes on an uncomfortable tone of dismal classiness. The first two were funny, raunchy and wholesome films. This film will guarantee you many laughs, but when the film is over, one will be asking themselves what they were laughing about. It is that exact mindlessness that works against the film. So many times there were scenes that did not elicit laughs from the audience, yet they were still included in the final cut. A lot of little 'bits' in the film did not work, it seemed like a bad high school variety show at some points, but they were still in the film. It is inexplicable when there are uncomfortable pauses within in a comedy, something is incorrect.

Adding to the demise of the film is Beyonce Knowles. A singer who makes her acting debut as Foxxy Cleopatra. A Hybrid of Shaft and Jackie Brown all rolled into one. Her character is endlessly annoying and is simply present to prompt awareness about Austin's biracial preferences. In any event, the film will elicit many laughs merely due to the immaturity of the jokes and the recycled clichés brought together. Will it leave the viewer with a dire need to watch it again as in the first two films, sadly no. This time, Austin is not shagadelic.

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Giancarlo De Lisi
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