Austin Powers dans Goldmember

After thoroughly enjoying the first two Austin Powers movies, they were daft but enormous fun, I watched this third instalment. I was disappointed admittedly, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The plot takes the whole meaning of daftness to a whole level, so some of it verges on ridiculous, and while Mike Myers is brilliant as Austin and Dr Evil, he overdoes it as the Dutch villain Goldmember and the cameos are very hit and miss. That said, the sets and costumes are still wonderful, the soundtrack is groovy and the script is comedy gold with the cool catchphrases, bad-taste buffoonery and surreal slapstick. In terms of supporting performances Beyonce Knowles is a knockout as sexy and sassy Foxxy Cleopatra and Michael Caine is a dentally-challenged delight as Austin's dad. Seth Green is also fun as Scott Evil. Overall, an inferior sequel, but it was still a lot of fun, with Myers still having his mojo. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Pros: 1. Mike Myers (Austin Powers/ Dr. Evil/ Fat Bastard/ Goldmember) and Michael Caine (Nigel Powers) deliver great comedic performances, and are utterly hilarious as a duo.

2. There are plenty of Austin Powers wacky funny moments, for example, the running mole gag.

3. The fun and iconic Austin Powers theme tune, which never fails to bring a smile to my face, even had its own dance sequence featuring surprise cameos by Steven Spielberg (Famous Director) and Britney Spears ('Boys' Music Video Performer).

Cons: 1. Mike Myers, whether intentional or not, puts on a distractingly bad Dutch accent for Goldmember.

2. The character of Fat Bastard is just as annoying and pointless as before. The whole gimmick is that he's really fat - that's it.

3. As in the previous film, there are so many jokes that they end up diluting what should be contentious and serious moments.

4. The special effects are really dated, as in the second film.

5. The complete character 180s undertaken by Dr. Evil and Mini-Me (Verne Troyer) don't feel earned or genuine. They decide to turn their backs on their criminality in one scene each after confronted with the truth, or with rejection.

6. The constant celebrity cameos break the immersion as they're just distracting and nothing else. For example, the scene with the Osbourne family lamenting about the recycling of a joke from the previous film.

That no one but Mike Meyers could pull off the role of Austin Powers is made amusingly clear in the opening scene, which must be seen to be appreciated. To those who have cringed through one or more of the James Bond films, finding them obnoxiously sexist, chauvinistic and crass, the Powers films are deliciously over-the-top burlesques of that genre, even if some of the gags are relentlessly sophomoric. Scatological humor is pervasive, especially of the soiled underwear, urinating and farting variety. In one of the latter the character adds the comment, "Even stink would say that stinks," and in another case, focusing on a bare behind, we get the tired old yawn, "I always thought you were crazy but now I can see your nuts." Note that is "your" and not "you're," and juvenile puns of that form do tend to blemish the script at times. Even so, most of the pranks are original, and it's a mindlessly fun film to watch. Meyers is a comedic wizard, and he is supported at every turn by an outstanding cast.

Although it's definitely not the best Austin Powers film, Goldmember is still a good little film to watch when there's nothing else on. There's still a chuckle to be had with a wonderful cast with Mike Myers reprising his role (well, roles) as Austin Powers and Michael Cain as Austin's father was a good choice. Despite being more in the 70s than the last two even though Austin is clearly a 60's stereotype, it's a good film to pass the time with a couple of laughs.

To be brutal, this movie is cynical. I mean, Mike Myers is a funny guy, but this constant rehash of old material (see the radar jokes, the shadow-on-the-wall, the father-son misunderstandings) is just a bit worrying and suggests Mr. Myers has run out of ideas.

There are some classic moments in the movie, like the beginning sequence, and the shadow-on-the-wall sequence involving Mini-me, but the whole thing stinks of self-indulgence and money-making rather than originality or passion.

I felt myself, straining to laugh throughout the 90 minutes or so I was in the cinema, and I SO wanted to love this movie as I loved the previous two installments. Mike Myers is funny, and Beyonce Knowles is surprisingly good too, but Michael Caine isn't given the right material to shine and the Osbournes cameo verges on the pointless.

Good, but not your best effort. Austin Powers 4? No thank you