Austin Powers
in Goldmember (**)
review by Ken Gumbs
OK, here is a review for all my fans out there that thought Ken just saw bad
movies on video, well you’re wrong. I can also
see bad movies in the theater and I’m here to prove it to you. Now you
know the drill, I open up with a witty comment...OK, are you ready...here it
comes. The Austin Powers train is now boarding. Making its third stop on its
route to 1975. All aboard, bring the kids and $7.50. Well, it’s the best
I could think of. If you have a better opening lines, I’d love to hear
it. Now on to the real review.
I’m sure you are all aware of the characters in Austin Powers unless you
have been living in a cave or possibly living under a
rock for the past few years. Well to catch up those few cave dwellers out there
(cave dwellers with the Internet of course,) here is the story. Austin Powers
is a international man of mystery, or a spy for the English intelligence agency,
whichever you prefer. In classic James Bond style, Powers comes equipped his
very own arch enemy, Dr. Evil. Although they play their cat and mouse game through
the first two installments, this one finds the two rivals on the same side.
Power’s neglecting
father has been kidnapped by a 1970’s disco owner named Goldmember and
Powers needs Dr. Evil’s help to find them.
Powers is forced to go back to 1975 where he meets up with Destiny’s Child
singer Beyonce “Foxy Cleopatra” Knowles.
Knowles must have wore out VHS copies of Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones borrowed
from her parents. The volume on the TV must have been on a little loud as she
practiced for her neo-blaxploitation role because she yelled the entire movie.
Now Beyonce was bad, but I really did not mind it. Although I’m sure other
reviewers will quickly point out her inexperience and over-the-top actions,
I was more concerned having a good laugh. When going into an Austin Powers film,
it is readily known
that the intelligence knob on the back of your brain should be turned in between
community college entrance exam and coma. I am not at all against turning my
intelligence knob down a bit to have a good laugh.
I felt I did get a good laugh out of this movie, when it first came out in 1998.
Unfortunately the jokes in that film were eerily similar to the ones in the
second film and those jokes were eerily similar to, well you get the idea. But
come on, Hollywood has made a industry out of wringing every dollar out of a
franchise. Unfortunately I don’t think this film series is quite done yet.
There might be some money left to squeeze, I can only wonder what Christina
Aguilera will be doing next summer?
respond to ken@filmbrats.com