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Austin Powers - Fools Gold

The film that will make you hide your platforms with shame...

By Emma Kae - 16th September 2002 - Back to News

Austin Powers, the infamous 007 spoof, was frozen in the 60's and thawed out in modern times. Unfortunately, no-one told Powers that is not just his clothes that have gone out of fashion. His humour, third time around, is more stale than a pair of op-shop flares.

In the opening scenes, the audience has hope that we will get more for our pocket money than a bunch of genital and flatulence jokes. It starts off impressively, bursting onto the screen with a dramatised action scene with hilarious surprises that will have you thinking that cinema Christmas has arrived.

Unfortunately, the film that follows is about as much fun as spending your only day off at the dentist. The plot, which is more like a Monet painting than a story, is as vague as an in-depth conversation with Anna Nicole Smith. According to the film, Dr. Evil is ensconced in his Hollywood lair, planning to blackmail the planet for a lot of money or he’ll have an asteroid melt the North Pole and blanket Earth in water.

The focus of the film changes from the bid to save the world to a little sibling rivalry between Dr. Evil's son, Scott (Seth Green), and Evil's clone, Mini-Me (Verne Troyer). Even Powers' camp is not sunshine and bushwalks, with the heroic father and son’s multiple unresolved issues. All in all, the film is a cross between a 1960’s Tom Green comedy skit and a segment on the Jerry Springer show.

Mike Myers stars as multiple characters, reprising his roles as Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, and Fat Bastard, in addition to the title persona, Goldmember. The latter is a naughty, skin-damaged Dutch man whose "twig and berries" were gilded in a smelting accident. Hmm…

Perhaps the only really notable aspect of the film is Myers’ ability to absorb each character so completely that the audience is never consciously aware that we are watching the same actor. We can only hope that Myers will redeem himself by taking part in a film worthy of his talent.

Aside from all of my complaining, if you liked the last two films, chances are that you will probably like this one. For the rest of you, save yourself the torture and spend the extra cash on something useful.

2 stars.

Click here to see when this film is showing at a cinema near you.

Click here to visit the official Austin Powers website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com