Goldmember

“How bout no, you crazy Dutch bastard.” This is hands down my favorite line from the 2002 comedy “Goldmember.”

The third installment of the Austin Powers trilogy was a triumphant end to a series that so completely defines my sense of humor. Sometimes I wish the series would have continued, but after watching “Goldmember” again I’m glad that it’s over.

“Goldmember” seems to emphasize the same jokes as the first series yet with weaker delivery. The jokes seem tireless and never-ending. The plot is crap, but that’s typical for a comedy movie.

The humor is still dimwitted and riotous, but it just lacks the certain humph from the previous two movies. The addition of the new character, Goldmember, saves the movie. Had it not been for him (played of course by Mike Myers) or Nigel Powers (hahaha, Michael Caine is so awesome), this movie would have been awful and albeit unbearable.

The thing that stands out most about this movie compared with the first two is Austin’s character. He does not have the same charisma or “mojo” should I say. It lacks his shallow relationship with women. Also, what’s the deal with Beyonce as the girl? That doesn’t work, she is no Bond girl. I guess it is a play on Halle Berry from “Die Another Day.”

Also, I noticed, more in this movie than the others, pointless scenes that add nothing to the plot. They are just there for laughs, but they really do nothing for the movie. It just seems like random little segments that were funny but improvised and eventually included.

This is obvious in the scenes in the submarine. There is one point when Dr. Evil was standing at the front of the ship dancing to “Beyond the Sea.” WTF. Where did that come from? Anyway, it was still hilarious.

I would much rather watch a comedy like this than the crap they pass off as comedy these days (which includes anything Seth Rogen or Jud Apatow touches). This is so much more humorous and drastically less vulgar.

Mike Myers is a comedic genius, but he is just not in enough. I would like to see him in a preposterous comedy a year. His next one, “The Love Guru,” appears to be a fourth Austin Powers in that he plays more than likely the same exact character (maybe just a combination of Dr. Evil, Goldmember, Fat Bastard and Austin Powers – which would be awesome). I’m not too optimistic though.

So with the end of Austin Powers comes the dawn of shotty, vulgar comedy that has no place being in the real world. I miss movies like this one even though the humor is at times tired and recycled.

But to continue the series would have been overkill and would have left a bad rap on the whole shebang. It just would not have worked with Scott as the evil guy taking over the world. It was a sweet ending.
I will throw it 4 out of 5 stars because of Mike Myers’ relentless humor and because of the extreme randomness and absurdity of the scene in which Dr. Evil (in a trucker hat) walkie talkies Goldmember trucker-style.

“Whew, son of a bitch, pile of monkey nuts!”

~ by tpodge on March 31, 2008.