***Official "AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER" Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Brian Kissinger]

After viewing Goldmember, I was left with very mixed emotions. And after reading all these reviews, I'm left with even more. Sitting through the movie, I found myself laughing quite a bit. At times, I was laughing hard. Once the credits rolled, I was very pleased with the movie, and liked it quite a bit. In reflection, it's hard to remember why I laughed so hard. Yes, the beginning is easily singled out as hilarious. But, other than that, it's hard to put a finger on it. I found the title character, Goldmember, to be quite unfunny, and a waste. Foxy Cleopatra seemed to be there only because Austin Powers needs a female partner. She was given little to do other than spout the occasional, "Shazam!" There is almost no plot to the movie, and what little we are offered is ridiculous. At least half of the gags are recycled from the first two movies. And the majority of the support characters did seem to phone in their performances. So why did I laugh? In a single word, Myers. Even though he's doing many of the same jokes and gags, he throws himself into them. His expressions and movements take a lame or used joke and make it funny. I found the mole thing to be stupid from the start, and yet when he would go into his diatribe later in the movie, I found myself laughing. In fact, I feel that most jokes in this movie only fail when they are just that: jokes. It's only when Myers throws in his body language that they score. However, the movie isn't non-stop laughs. The movie does drag at times. But if you're a fan of the first two movies, you can't help but have a good time in this one.
I give it three out of five stars.

 

[Josh Dial]

One of the only things that I found dissapointing with this movie, is that Burt Bacharach's obligatory cameo occured during the end credits. I don't know why, but I was looking forward to this for the whole movie. Oh well. I thought this was an enjoyable, albeit shorter than expected flick.

***.5 / *****
cheers!

Josh

 

[Keith Paynter]

P.S. :star: :star: :star: .5/5 (loses :star: .5 for too much potty humour)

 

[John_Lee]

So why did I laugh? In a single word, Myers. Even though he's doing many of the same jokes and gags, he throws himself into them. His expressions and movements take a lame or used joke and make it funny. I found the mole thing to be stupid from the start, and yet when he would go into his diatribe later in the movie, I found myself laughing. In fact, I feel that most jokes in this movie only fail when they are just that: jokes. It's only when Myers throws in his body language that they score.

That sums up my assessment well. Sure the jokes are to an extent rehashed, but with a formuliac comedy like this, it all comes down to execution. Buddy Hackett can tell the oldest, most tired joke, and when he hits a punchline, you still chuckle. Same with Myers in Goldmember. I'd seen many of the set pieces in publicity [moley moley, whacking mini-me in a sack, the japanese twins, etc.], but when the scene is played out, I laugh like there's no tomorrow. Case in point, the scene with the globe and asteriod. On paper, a snoozer. Little more than a clip of America's Funniest Home Videos. But Dr. Evil's performance, his inflection, his genuine frustration, had me rolling.
You know, if 'rehashing' were such a waste of time, there'd be no reason to collect DVDs. Rewatching a movie is the ultimate in rehashing. Its the same exact movie. But if the performance is worthwhile, its worth returning too. And that's what I got out of Goldmember, a chance to return to Meyers making me laugh as only he can.

 

[ChrisMatson]

I give it a :star: :star: and a 1/2 :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: . Many of the jokes are getting old, but there was enough to make me chuckle a few times. I was expecting Goldmember, the character, to play a larger role in the movie. I agreed with those who found the first ten minutes to be the best.

 

[Mark Hobbs]

This is one of those movies where everyone laughs because everyone else is laughing because everyone thinks what they are seeing is SUPPOSED to be funny. The truth is there isn't much humor here at all.

I can't give any film much credit for fart jokes and other 12-year-old-boy humor, and once you remove that stuff there aren't many jokes left and most of them are very poorly done. The subtitle scene is embarassing for all involved. One mole scene is mildly humorous, but do we need 5?

I personally do not believe that the AP films are generally movies kids should see. And there were a lot of kids in the theatre. (Under 13) You would think that they would get maybe half the jokes?

I can't think of ANY jokes that a 13 year old wouldn't catch. A man gets hit in the nuts with a ball. A midget gets beat up in a sack. People make fun of a man with a mole. A fat sumo wrestler farts. How old do you have to be to catch this level of humor? In fact, I think that is pretty much the target demographic.

I love a good comedy just like anyone else. But this one was a waste of time for me. After the opening 5 minutes I laughed very little and looked at my watch constantly. I was bored. I would say the plot is lame but saying this movie has a plot would be giving it too much credit.

If urine jokes and fart jokes and endless jokes about a man with a golden unit just make you roll on the floor with laughter then this is the movie for you.

3/10

 

[Chuck L]

If it weren't for Dr. Evil and Mini Me...I would so have given up on this movie. Too many roller coaster moments for me of lauging my ass off to sitting there balancing my checkbook till the next laugh.

Out of 5 stars...sorry...a two star rating for me.

 

[Frank_S]

Compared to some comedy's out there Austin Powers is one of those few thats makes me actually burst out laughing

I feel the same way, in fact I can't even think of the last comedy that did make me laugh. This the first movie I have actually bothered to go see at the multiplex, can't stand the wanes kicking my seat and talking throughout. Anyway, take Goldmember for what it is, a series of skits, no more.
I actually forgot about the PLOT, however weak it was because I was too busy laughing my ass off.
I do think there were too many scenes that pre-teenage kids won't and probably should'nt get, I think they pushed their luck in many ways since a large majority of the audience is quite young and won't get the jokes. I give the movie 3 out of 5 stars, worth the $7 I paid. My 17 year old son said he thought #2 was better, I guess I agree but there are many laughs in Goldmember and well worth checking out.
Ebert Roeper a big

 

[Cary P]

I too, have mixed feelings about this film. It might very well be the funniest of the three, as I found myself laughing hysterically more times than I can remember. But I think Myers has strayed a bit too far from the spirit of the original Austin Powers, which I guess is to be expected at this point in the franchise. While I enjoyed the movie a lot, Goldmember didn't work very well as a spy spoof, IMO, so I do feel slightly let down in that regard.
When the original Austin Powers was released in 1997, I was heavily into the lounge/surf/spy music revival going on at that time. The International Man of Mystery was timed perfectly to feed into that whole vibe, and as a swingin' 60's-era spy spoof with a 90's twist, it worked fabulously. I just ate up all of the James Bond, Matt Helm, and Our Man Flint references - and was delighted when this little movie became a big hit on home video. This was the first DVD I ever bought, before I even had a player!
The Spy Who Shagged Me built upon the original and took the whole spy spoof vibe completely and brilliantly over the top. TSWSM is the movie that brought Austin Powers into the mainstream. A franchise was born, so I guess expectations changed somewhat at that point.
The beginning of Goldmember is pure genius - howls of delight all around - and completely unexpected on my part. And while the laughs do continue throughout the film, the whole tone and atmosphere of a big, swingin' spy movie - which Myers & Co. nailed so brilliantly in the first two movies - gradually dissipates.
The addition of Michael Caine as Austin's father is an inspired bit of casting. As anyone who's seen Michael Caine as Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File knows, he is one of the original prototypes for the Austin Powers character. And while I enjoyed his scenes in the movie, I think the Nigel Powers character might have worked better in a small cameo. Having Austin play the straight man to his father in these scenes just doesn't seem right, although the bit about the Swedish nanny was pretty damn funny.
The Goldmember character is another wasted opportunity. I really expected more - given his name is the title of the movie. The character is only mildly amusing and doesn't add much to the proceedings - some of his behavior goes a little too far into the realm of the disgusting, IMO. Of course, I originally thought they went too far with Fat Bastard in the last movie, and now I think he's a riot.
Beyonce Knowles was a lot more fun than the rather stiff Heather Graham, but Elizabeth Hurley is still my favorite - thank you very much. The blaxploitation vibe could have been played up some more - the time traveling pimp-mobile was hilarious - and I wanted to see more of Austin and Foxxy in the 70's. I really liked the Japanese twins as well, they should have been given a bigger role as killer double agents.
One thing I was greatly disappointed in was the original music. I didn't notice any new musical cues from George Clinton (NOT the Parliament/Funkadelic guy), who did such a great job with the first two Austin movies - especially The Spy Who Shagged Me. Most of the original music I noticed seemed like it was recycled from the first two movies - maybe I was laughing too hard to tell the difference.
I agree with the other post that the movie works in large part because of Myers' physical humor - his facial expressions, mannerism's, and body language are really very funny. So while I recommend the movie as a laugh out loud comedy, I remain slightly disappointed that the series seems to be gradually abandoning it's spy-movie roots and descending futher into the realm of cheap, toilet-based humor. Oh, and the ending really did suck, what a farce! - but maybe that was the point.
:star: :star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
Cary

 

[Tino]

Goldmember was definitely the weakest of the three films, however it still is a pretty good time at the movies.
The Austin Powers series seems to be running a little low on gas as I thought this one had the fewest laughs, weakest plot, and the smallest scale of the trilogy.
But still, I found myself laughing quite a bit and, contrary to what I have heard, found very little repetition of previous jokes (unless they were being made fun of) and far less toilet humor.
Everyone seemed to be having a fun time and that atmosphere is infectious.
On an "Austin" scale, I would give the first two films :star::star::star:1/2
with a slight edge to "Spy".
Goldmember gets :star::star::star:

 

[Shad R]

I loved it. The opening and closing credits were outstanding! I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. Also, the scene with the statue, the scene where mini me and Foxxy are trading notes in the car, and the shadow scene were EXTREMELY funny, I thought I was gonna pass out due to lack of oxygen(from laughing) Also, was that a Dukes of Hazard parody?? Where Dr. Evil is talking on the radio? funny stuff. didn't like the "twist" ending, didn't like the Goldmember charector, and Foxxy got annoying, quick. Some of the jokes were kinda lame, too. But overall, I reccomend this film.

 

[Mark Palermo]

Beginning with a sequence of raw comic energy, the skeptic’s response to Goldmember’s opening is, "How will they manage to keep this up?" To the movie’s credit, it doesn’t try. In the rush to get secret agent swinger Austin Powers back on screen, Mike Myers and director Jay Roach have photo scanned the best jokes from the first two films, while neglecting the timing and heightening the vomitose factor–as corporate sequels go, this is every bit as fraudulent a cash-grab as Men In Black II. When not striving to break the record for product placements in a single motion picture, Goldmember lets dim audiences think they’re smart by showing them things they’re already familiar with. ("Oh look, this is like Silence of the Lambs!... and WOW! there goes a Matrix spoof!!!...and isn’t this exactly like that part in Austin Powers 2, except it lasts three times as long and isn’t funny anymore?! Maybe if I laugh hard enough at these references, the crowd will know I’m a cultural savant!") Sure, there are a couple worthy gags, but the dry patches between them last so long they dehydrate the fun from the experience. Even by the second film, the catchphrase spewing title character felt exhausted, allowing arch-nemesis Dr. Evil to pick up the best moments. This time, Myers fails to keep things fresh with the introduction of under realized new character Goldmember, a Dutch eunuch intent on destroying the world with a tractor beam called Preparation H. For a series that started as a spoof of 1960s spy and sex cinema, Goldmember only functions as a dogmatic parody of the earlier Austin Powers films.

 

[Kajs]

I first want to say that I gave my $6 twice to the first movie that everyone didn't like at the time and it was my second DVD title, which I got before it became popular. That was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen.
This movie, on the other hand, was one of the worst. How about an original idea? OK, the first 5 minutes was fresh and original, and that was 5/5 star entertainment, everything after was a bomb. I've never groaned so much in the theater. Everything was a rehash of previous jokes. There were a few good bits, but stuff like Roboto Industries was lame. Did anyone not see the joke that was coming? And Goldmember? Worst character ever. And that mole joke was stale after the first time it was mentioned, which was a re-hash of the albino eye guy from Wayne's World 2.
AP::star: :star: :star: :star: :star: /5
AP3:.5:star: /5

 

[Billy Fogerty]

May I just say, I laughed harder at this one than the first two, and they were very funny. You just have to go with the gags and the 70's styling. A great farce. Having all those cameos was very funny also. End credits were hilarious.

 

[Shane Martin]

I was pretty sure the "film buffs" would tear this apart. You honestly can't go to this movie and expect anything more than what you got. What I got was a bunch of laughs and a good time at the theater.
A solid :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
This movie is a hoot.

 

[Dan Brecher]

I can't say I loved Goldmember, nor can I say the same about Spy Who Shagged me for that matter. Spy remains on my DVD shelf (barely) for a few of its VERY obscure gags, but much of the first sequel; the gross out comedy, Heather Graham and Austin as a catcphrase sprouting annoyance just bugged the hell out of me. Goldmember improved at least in the areas that let me down so much in the first sequel... and that was a good thing.
Indeed, some finer points of Goldmember surprised me. I am not fond of gross out humour, and it had been said that Austin's third outing was full of it, but I was happy to see that was not really the case at all.
What shit and fart humour there is, really came from Fat Bastard, who just wastes film in this movie. Subtle touches to his character in 'Spy who' made me laugh, I am happy to admit his baby obsession raised the odd chuckle, but for me there was nothing remotely funny about his apperance in
Goldmember.
I mentioned before that, for me, Austin himself had quickly become a pain in the backside come time of 'Spy Who'... I am unsure if it was having to put up with the painully bad impersonations everyone felt they could do of Myers' creations at the time that made me instantly tire of it in the last movie, though I'd say it had a fair deal to do with it. I couldn't stand to hear another "yeah baby yeah"...
In Goldmember however, I really like Austin! In fact, I liked him as I liked him in International Man of Mystery. Myers has seen fit to tone down the catchprhases which makes for a truly welcome change.
The character of Goldmember himself is a rather unfunny oddity who could only raise the odd (read "very brief") chuckle out of me. Notable was his line "I like gooooolllllddd" which for some reason I am very fond of, but then it's the obscure nods like that in these Austin Powers movies that I always liked most in the first place. Really though, he's not a good comedy villian in the slightest, and it's like Myers was not even trying. The make up was rather fun though, but a missed opportunity character wise to be sure.
Missed opportunity is a fairly good way to sum up much of the movie to me because I liked MOST of the characters, and the story was fine too, but so little was put to good enough use.
The worst of it, besides Goldmember himself and the crude fart humour (however brief), wasn't really the fact some gags from the previous films were worked over again, more the fact that so much of it seemed to drag on, utterly jokeless. When you feel a 90 minute comedy is getting a bit slow, you have to wonder what's gone wrong.
It frustrated me to see Michael Caine, Robert Wagner and Mindy Sterling put to such poor use. In the case of the latter two, it was near criminal really. Other than the opening ten minutes, Number 2 and Frau hardly have anything else to say for the rest of the movie. They're just there, in the background, sitting around. Missed opportunities all over the place.
Some gags were indeed re-hashes of those from the previous outings, though I think most were better executed this time round. Austin's fight with Mini Me in Goldmember out does their fight in 'Spy who' as there is more to play with in a penthouse suite than there was in a bland moon station hallway. Playing with shadows was put to more amusing use this time round as well.
Beyonce Knowles was really a nice surprise and I ended up liking Foxy a a great deal. She was a definate highlight for me and certainly the best of the 'Powers girls'. A Stupidly attractive woman it must be said, she carries herself well.
Oddly, Goldmember makes a lame joke about a guy with a mole on his upper lip kind of work, or at least, the welcome fact that the said guy is played amusingly by Fred Savage helps it work. Had it been a generic extra who kept coming into the scene now and again to be pointed and laughed at, it would have been tiresome from the very instant it first comes into the movie...but... I liked it. Truly, it wasn't the big mole that made me like the gag, I just liked Savage as he turns in a fun character cameo. I especially liked him confronting Austin over the issue of his mole.
International Man of Mystery's cinematographer Peter Deming makes a welcome return for Goldmember, turning the movie into what is truly the best loooking Powers film yet. It's a very attractive looking film I must admit. A glorious colour pallete, and a lot must be said for the production value as a whole really. I may have tired of some gags, but I didn't tire f the visual look of the film.
As well as cinematography, another best yet as far as the Austin movies goes came in the form of the musical score. Another wonderful George S Clinton outing, Goldmember's score proves to be the most diverse score of the trilogy that re-works a number of the original themes and brings in delightful 70s funk undertones, choirs and oriental themes. The score CD is released on August 20th and I am looking forward to the purchase.
On the whole then, as a movie, I don't hate Goldmember at all, far from it. I think it is certainly a better movie than the last Powers outing, but it remains a let down given that there was so much potential that was never fully explored. Certainly bits to like, and most certainly bits to dislike, though there's little to truly hate.
There are two stand out moments that I did find very amusing. Of course one is the opening of the movie, but I'd ask myself how funny that would be in repeat viewings. Surely, moments of that great opening will forever make me chuckle, but the novelty of star spotting will quickly grow thin for me.
The main stand out moments of genius for me are actually the flashback sequences (most notably the school one). Well executed, well timed and, well... perhaps enough to make me get the DVD when released.
:star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star:
Dan
PS: For reference --
International Man of Mystery :star: :star: :star:/:star: :star: :star: :star:
Spy Who Shagged me :star: :star:/:star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Austin Powers' SNL roots are starting to show. The movie's jokes were either extremely funny or extremely dull with no in-between, and it was mostly the latter. Also, some of the bad jokes just went on too long.

What was probably the most disappointing thing to me about the whole movie was Goldmember himself. He wasn't funny and I didn't get why he was even in the movie, other than the fact that he was the title character. I don't see how him eating his own skin was funny, it was just gross.

Dr. Evil's character was ruined, and right from the get-go. He's too lively and not as mysteriously evil as he used to be. In AP1 and 2, he would mostly just be evil, but in AP3 he's almost sarcastic.

Beyonce Knowles is sexy, but she did nothing. In AP1 and 2, the girls had big roles and played an important part in the movie. In AP3, Beyonce just seemed to tag along and say something ever once in a while.

The beginning was amazing. It's probably the funniest thing I have ever seen in a movie. But it's downhill from there. I'm truly sorry this film was so bad because I loved the first two and had hopes for this one. The feel of the first two films (along with the plot and pacing) were just lost in this one. It had a few good laughs, but was nowhere near as good as the first two.

2/5