AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (PG-13) ***

Directed by Jay Roach. 96 minutes.

Starring Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, Michael Caine, Seth Green, Verne Troyer, Michael York. Released by New Line Cinema.

With major studio films becoming more and more predictable as the seasons go by, it is nice to know that I can still be surprised every so often. I admit, I was not expecting too much from this latest Austin Powers installment and was, therefore, pleasantly surprised to find that the third film in the series is a much-needed improvement over the last sequel. It does not usually work that way with summer blockbuster sequels. They generally become more and more generic as they continue, rather than reinvent themselves. So, I’ll admit I was wrong in my prejudgment that Goldmember was going to be a further trip downhill from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, the second film in the series.

For all of those who have been hiding under a rock for the last several years, Austin Powers is the hero of the series of James Bondish parody films that rose from cult status to pop culture sensation upon the release of the first film on video five years back. Austin the secret agent is a product of the swinging 60s in dress, manner, attitude, and style. Though, in the history of film there have been numerous fish out of water comedies such as this one, the Austin Powers films make up for lack of plot originality with charm and, of course, humor. Austin is funny, not because of the fact that he is out of his element, but because he is thoroughly convinced that the way people conceive him in the present is the same as people conceived him in his own era. What also made the first two films funny (more so the first than the second) is that people actually do begin to perceive him that way. Women seem to somehow still find him attractive with his less than hygienic teeth, ridiculous dress, overused puns and double entendres, shaggy hair and body, etc.

As the film opens, Austin is given recognition at an Awards ceremony and notices that his father, Nigel (a very funny Michael Caine), one of the best new characters in this film, is not in the crowd. Much more will be made of this particular plot development as the movie plays out. Powers is soon to discover that his father has been kidnapped by his arch nemesis, Dr. Evil (Myers), who is in collaboration with new villain Goldmember (also Myers), a Dutchman whose name is derived from a smelting accident that left him “memberless,” which should be explanatory enough. Powers must head back in time to 1975 to find Goldmember and his kidnapped father. Once there, he unites with former flame and blaxploitation-esque undercover cop Foxxy Cleopatra (singer Beyonce Knowles) to get the job done. The two of them are reunited in one of the scene’s funniest films in which Austin must talk to her through an interpreter whose identity I will not reveal (he is just one of the many humorous cameo appearances in the film). The rest of the plot is quite typical to the first two, substituting storylines for setups and punchlines, which, for the most part, works quite comfortably this time where the last film lagged.

Quite a few of the jokes from the second film did not particularly amuse me. The character of Mini Me, the pint sized Dr. Evil clone, did not strike me particularly as funny in the last film. The jokes seemed to be centered around the fact that he was a midget. In Goldmember he is given much more to do. In The Spy Who Shagged Me, Dr. Evil remade Will Smith’s song “Just the Two of Us,” commenting upon his relationship with Mini Me, which also barely got a smile from me. This time around, Myers performs Jay Z’s “Hard Knock Life” to a group of tough inmates and the result is hilarious. I often complain that Hollywood comedies beat their audiences over the head with jokes that fall flat. They often seem to believe that, if a joke does not work the first time around, then maybe it will be funnier when it is used again (and often again and again and again). This may be the only example of a film where this proves to be true.

The film’s strong points come from its actors and writers. An opening scene in which top Hollywood actors play Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Mini Me, and Dixie Normous uses more celebrities than the entire cast of Ocean’s 11. Typically, when celebrities pop up in cameos, the point is for the audience to gasp and say “why look, it is…” The same effect appears to be desired in Goldmember, but out of parody rather than prestige. Once again, Myers does well by his characters, namely Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, and Powers. The several subplots and plot twists involving these characters that occur in the movie (especially those shown in flashback) work well. Beyonce Knowles, lead singer of the R&B group Destiny’s Child, brings charm to Foxxy Cleopatra. A self proclaimed “whole lotta woman,” she has the look (a gigantic afro, bellbottoms) and style of a 70s blaxploitation heroine. Michael Caine is a joy to watch as Nigel, Austin’s secret agent dad, who has managed to stay out of his son’s life for years. A running joke concerning his hatred for a certain group of people is one of the film’s funniest gags. If there is any weakness in the story’s characters, it is Goldmember. His character is simply not very funny and does not add very much to the overall story. He appears to be in the story only to move the plot forward and introduce Knowles’ character. A better 1970s-based villain could have been created.

Overall, the film is mostly successful. It bears more in comparison to the original Austin Powers film than to its sequel. Myers seems to have learned from his mistakes in the second film, which still managed to cross the 200 million dollar line, and is able to reinvent himself. Rather than simply a retread of the other films, Goldmember finds Myers using his creative juices once again to find more humor in a character that was already funny. It is my wish that if he should decide to pursue a fourth Powers installment, which seems inevitable, he will continue to push the series forward, rather than resorting to a “best of compilation” as he did the last time around. Goldmember gives me hope that he will.