Austin Powers in Goldmember *** (2002, Mike Myers, Michael Caine, Beyoncé Knowles, Seth Green) – Classic Movie Review 493

Oh baby, get ready for another attack of the killer sequels, as Mike Myers storms back as ultimate swinger-spy Austin, his arch nemesis Dr Evil, the dribbling 40-stone Scots agent Fat Bastard and now also the crazed Dutchman, Goldmember. Myers is on hysterical form in director Jay Roach’s 2002 second Austin Powers sequel, and the movie cleverly manages to get new mileage out of all the old 007 spoof situations.

Michael Caine is a big plus as Austin’s dad Nigel, Beyoncé Knowles has fun as Foxxy Cleopatra, a Seventies-style action heroine (spoofing Pam Grier), Verne Troyer is super again as Dr Evil’s smaller and more concentrated pure evil protégé Mimi Me and Seth Green is another hit as Scott Evil.

And this time the ‘famous’ star cameos are just side-splitting: Tom Cruise as Austin, Gwyneth Paltrow as Dixie Normous, Kevin Spacey as Dr Evil, Danny DeVito as Mimi Me and John Travolta as Goldmember, as well as director Steven Spielberg. The whole Osbourne family appear too, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack.

It’s a shame about the mean-spirited, homophobic sequence with Nathan Lane in the disco: he should be ashamed of himself and so should Myers.

Again, it took seven hours of special make-up work to transform Myers into Fat Bastard.

The Bond movie folk took exception to the title as being too close to Goldfinger, and as part of the legal settlement this movie was obliged to be accompanied in cinemas by trailers for the new Bond movie. Free publicity, baby, nice!

Dr Evil’s much smaller, more concentrated evil protégé Mini Me is gone. RIP Verne Troyer (1969–2018).

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© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 493 derekwinnert.com

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