Cinema Review (From Penarth Times)

Cinema Review

THE world's goofiest superspy Austin Powers returns in Goldmember, which is far flashier and funnier than its two predecessors.

The formula is pretty much the same as before but it's far cleverer.

A pre-credits spoof sequence of a film directed by Steven Spielberg of Austin Powers' life with Tom Cruise in the lead role, Kevin Spacey as Dr Evil and Danny De Vito as Mini-Me is a nice touch.

Anything from the Silence Of The Lambs to the Matrix and Convoy are parodied. There is a great sequence when Dr Evil and Mini-Me are in prison and they sing their own version of the rap classic Hard Knock Life which is worth the admission price alone.

The evil plot revolves around a Dutch master criminal called Goldmember, played with a fantastic accent by Myers, who plans to use a tractor beam to bring a meteor of solid gold crashing down on the North Pole, thus flooding the planet.

Michael Caine also strengthens the film in his role as Austin's estranged father and fellow masterspy Nigel Powers.

There are some great gags about father-son relationships from the Powers and Dr Evil and his son Scott and clone Mini-Me.

The gags come thick and fast with some being great and some not. Some of the better lines come from Nigel Powers who tells Goldmember: "There are two things I hate.

People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch."

Also when Scott buys Dr Evil some sharks with laser guns, as a present, he tells him:

"This is the best present an evil son could buy an evil father." Scot then replies: "I love you dad." Destiny Child's Beyonc Knowles brings glamour to her role as the sexy FBI agent Foxxy Cleopatra.

All in all the film may be stupid and silly but it is funny and there is also a surprise waiting for Austin and Dr Evil who find out they have more in common than they thought.