The Popkorn Junkie :: Austin Powers- Goldmember

If you liked any previous "Austin Powers" film then I have no doubt that you will thoroughly enjoy this film. I'm not sure that "Goldmember" is quite as funny or well scripted (or edited) as the original "Austin Powers" but it is way better then "The Spy Who Shagged Me". However, that's just my humble opinion.

Onto the story: Dr. Evil, yet again, wants to destroy the planet and this time has devised a scheme to use a tractor beam to pull an asteroid to Earth. The asteroid is supposed to hit the polar ice caps and cause the world to flood....that is unless, the World Organization pays him one hundred billion, trillion, gazillion, bipitty-boppity boo dollars. In order to make his plans complete-- and to give this movie a cool title-- Dr. Evil needs the help of a mad Dutchman from the 70's named Goldmember. Besides helping Dr. Evil with his plan to destroy the Earth, Goldmember also kidnaps Austin Power's dad (played by Michael Caine). That's the general plot.

So, why did I like this movie? Well, first of all the opening credits were totally awesome and surprising-- really, the opening is great so don't miss it. Secondly, there was a lot of focus on Dr. Evil and Mini-Me which accounted for numerous belly-laughs. Also, we get to see a flashback of when Austin Powers and Dr. Evil as school mates when they were younger-- totally funny. And lastly....I dig the Austin Powers films, Yeah Baby!

If you like Austin Powers movies then this film is surely for you. There are plenty of laughs and surprises to keep any Austin fan happy. Don't go in expecting too much though-- it's not a perfect film. Some of it is a little slow, but I think the laughs more than make up for the thin plot. My only other complaint is that it seems to me that Goldmember's role in this movie was not only necessary for the cool title, but it also gave them a reason to go back to the seventies (why?) and that's about it. The character was sort of boring and pointless I feel-- but ohwell, it's not that big of a deal. See the movie anyway.

-- Patsy ( 3 out of 4 pops )

Talk about this film with other Popkorn Junkies

Other Junkie's opinions.....

Billy Ray ( 4 out of 4 pops )

Talk about being pleasantly surprised. "Goldmember" is, by far, the most entertaining film of the trilogy, and I can honestly say I was laughing hysterically from beginning to end. This film features, arguably, the most side-splitting opening of any film I have ever seen and the humor remains constant throughout. It is absolutely hilarious to watch an acting veteran like Michael Caine spar with people like Mike Myers and Verne Troyer, and Beyonce Knowles actually does a pretty decent job as Foxxy Cleopatra. Though the character of Goldmember wasn't nearly as original and humorous as others, such as Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard, he still manages to coax a few chuckles. The musical number between Dr. Evil and Mini-Me is wonderful, and the ending actually catches us completely offguard. This is a great film, and the funniest one I have seen this year. I highly recommend this to any fan of the series, and I would even suggest that people who loathed the first two films see it also, just so they can have something else to bitch about. Mike Myers is a genius.

James ( 3 out of 4 pops )

I must say that I was a bit skeptical about whether things would be original enough for my liking, but they were. Yeah, there's still some of the same old devices that the other two made famous, but I laughed more in this one than the other two combined, so that must mean something. There is some grossout humor, but they didn't go over the top at all. I was rolling in the aisles watching this movie, and I quite like that reaction. There's also some twists and turns and some great cameo's! If you didn't see the other two, then this probably isn't for you, but if you did, then this is required viewing.

Matt ( 2 1/2 out of 4 pops )

Just when ya might've thought Hollywood was beginning to wise up and cut down on the gross-out comedies, another one comes along. OK, so the second "Austin Powers" did contain quite a bit of toilet humor, but it worked and produced hilarious results. This time most of the attempts were downright cheap. The movie starts out with a bang, with some surprise celebrity cameos, including one that came completely out of the blue and almost had me on the floor. Then the movie tries to tie up loose ends in the trilogy by giving us backstories on Austin and Dr. Evil. Some of those plot points were just plain silly. Other than a hugely funny music video parody of "Hard Knocks Life" with Dr. Evil and Mini-Me pretending to be rappers and wearing gold chains, the first half of the movie is pretty weak. I'm giving this movie a halfway decent review, because towards the end there are some truly hilarious gags. Ironically enough, the ones that worked the best were recycled from the second film. There's one gag involving a flying spaceship shaped like a pair of boobs and a silhouette gag with Austin appearing to be masturbating behind a screen. And of course, the celebrity cameos spiced things up a lot. I just wish they could've cast another actor, beside Michael Caine, to play Austin's Dad. Michael was great in the part, but I find it nauseating to watch an Oscar-winning actor making bad penis jokes. I liked the first "Austin Powers" and I loved the second one, but it's time to conclude the "AP" franchise. Mike Myers didn't have the same sharp witticism he had when writing the first two movies, and as a result every other joke is utterly tasteless. And what was with that running gag involving Goldmember licking his dead skin? Did Myers find that even partially humorous? There's even one scene where Fat Bastard is wrestling a Sumo wrestler and FB grabs him by the testicles. That's just pathetic.