JAY ROACH

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BB

USA, 2002.  New Line Cinema, Gratitude International, Team Todd, Moving Pictures, Eric’s Boy.  Screenplay by Mike Myers, Michael McCullers, based on characters created by Mike Myers.  Cinematography by Peter Deming.  Produced by Eric McLeod, Demi Moore, Mike Myers, Jennifer Todd, John S. Lyons, Suzanne Todd.  Music by George S. Clinton.  Production Design by Rusty Smith.  Costume Design by Deena Appel.  Film Editing by Greg Hayden, Jon Poll.

In the first installment of this comedy series, Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, writer/star Mike Myers surrounded a bunch of hysterical sight gags with a witty premise that aptly spoofed the many spy thrillers that have permeated pop culture for the last half-century. Two sequels removed, the gross-out humour and slapstick jokes are all that’s left of Myers’ original concept, and unfortunately in this funny but unoriginal film there’s no comedic possibility that hasn’t already been mined.

Goofy British spy Austin Powers (Myers) is called upon by the British government once again to help rid the world of a new force of evil, a power-mad Dutch disco dancer named Goldmember (also Myers) who intends on turning the whole planet into a giant golden nugget. The usually nefarious Dr. Evil (Myers again) is back of course, though this time his antics take a back seat to the new villain.

Also added to the cast are the new love interest in the form of Foxxy Cleopatra (pop singer Beyoncé Knowles doing an excellent send-up of blaxploitation heroines), an underused Michael Caine as Powers’ neglectant father, with celebrity cameos by Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito and the fabulous Osbourne family.

Fans of the series will enjoy themselves, but thanks to there not even being any attempt to create a story, the film just feels like an overlong Saturday Night Live skit.