AUSTIN POWERS in GOLDMEMBER [2002] Mike Myers ; 12

The first was good, the second was very good and this one, the third, is somewhere in between. To firstly make clear, this film is funny and it is evident that Mike Myers still holds the crown for creating the best laughs. It is the overly paced story which lets this one down. The gags every now and again veer off into territory which feels a bit alien to the tone and feel set by the first two films. This unfortunately results in a less polished movie, with a few too many jagged edges. The film of course involves Austin time travelling, this time (if you excuse the pun) back to the 70's to stop the evil associate of Dr Evils, Goldmember from destroying the planet. The addition of Austin's dad (Michael Caine) adds a touch of class and the new girl on the block (Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child) adds a touch of soul, put the hands together and you've got a well balanced cast. Fat bastard, Frow, Scott, Number 2 and of course Mini-Me all contribute in the usual way, but this time in a more, "...we were in the last one, so why not be in this one..." kind of way. Myers has tried desperately to put a fresh spin on his character/s with, for the most part, success, but some jokes are just oh too familiar and the fact you can tell Myers is trying so hard to keep the movie on it's feet, can't be a good thing. All in all though, there were some cracking jokes which when remembered make you forget about the little nit picks I have just mentioned. Does Austin agree... yeah baby!

3/5