Austin Powers in Goldmember

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Hairy chests? Check. Creepy, ambiguously gay villians? Check. Midget clones? Check. Austin Powers is back—bad teeth and all—and he’s got everything his last two films had, with a new nemesis to boot. Even though Goldmember feels familiar at times, it dishes its monkey business better than most comedies about outrageously horny superagents.

This time around, Dr. Evil’s—ahem—evil plan to take over the world gets a saucy twist when he kidnaps England’s most renowned spy, who also happens to be Austin’s equally randy father (played perfectly by the straight-faced Sir Michael Caine). As usual, time travel devices play a pivotal role in all of this mayhem as Austin chases Dr. Evil back into the ’70s only to end up fighting crime alongside his old flame, Foxy Cleopatra. Beyoncé Knowles puts as much spunk into Cleopatra’s role as she can, though she’s limited to a couple of out-of-place, Pam Grier–inspired catch phrases and a bikini top. The new guy and his golden unit deliver some severe gross-out humor when the opportunities—ahem—arise, but the story stays focused on the characters we’ve all come to know and love. After mixing it up a bit with some startling guest spots early on, the movie settles into the safe groove that both Mr. Powers and his fans enjoy. All together now…Yeah, Baby!

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