Film Review: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
In 1998 Spy Who Shagged Me, second instalment of Austin Powers film series, became one of the few modern sequels to have better box office results than its predecessor. That success, made even bigger due to film being in competition with Phantom Menace, made the third instalment inevitable. It appeared in 2002 under title Austin Powers in Goldmember, directed by Jay Roach.
Mike Myers returns in his iconic role of Austin Powers, top British secret agent, as well in the role of his archnemesis, supervillain Dr. Evil. The latter joins forces with Dutch villain Johann van der Smut a.k.a. “Goldmember” (also played by Myers) which would lead to Austin’s father Nigel Powers (played by Michael Caine) being kidnapped. Austin discovers that his father was through time machine transported in year 1975 and hidden there. Austin must also go back in time and in 1975 find his old associated, black female FBI agent Foxxy Cleopatra (played by Beyonce Knowles). Two of them work together in order to stop Goldmember from using giant meteor to blackmail the world.
Like in Spy Who Shagged Me, Myers, who also co-wrote the script, shows that it is increasingly difficult for him to bring something original and refreshing into concept introduced in the first film. Things usually don’t look good for film which uses its funniest and the most creative scene at the very beginning, and this is exactly what happens in Goldmember. After that film follows the recipe used in Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker parodies – audience is bombarded with series of rapid gags in hope that at least one in ten will be funny. Some of them indeed are, but most last too long and/or are recycling material from previous two films. Lack of creativity can be seen in James Bond films not being the sole target of spoofing. Myers makes fun of some of the more recent films, like The Silence of the Lambs and 1970s blaxploitation films.
Myers, who already played three characters (including Fat Bastard, who needlessly appears in this film), introduces the fourth. Goldmember, which is obviously modelled after main villain in Goldfinger, doesn’t represent particularly inspiring parody. Myers had more success with characters played by other actors, like Michael Caine who spoofs character of British spy Harry Palmer which he has interpreted in 1960s. Beyonce Knowles and her great spoofing of the iconic blaxploitation characters played by Pam Grier and Tamara Dobson represent the most pleasant surprise in entire film. Those two performances, however, aren’t enough to compensate flaws of Austin Powers in Goldmember. Although entertaining to a certain degree, this film gives away creative exhaustion of its creator and in view of what third instalment delivered, lack of fourth instalment doesn’t look that surprising.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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