Austin Powers in Goldmember

REVIEW
Mike Myers is now officially out-of-control. Whereas the first Austin Powers installment was a well-structured parody of '60s spy flicks, with occasional outbursts of manic Myersness, all semblance of structure is thrown to the four winds in Goldmember. The law of diminishing returns is in play as well, with Myers now playing four roles, each less funny than the previous. The creation here is a gold-flaky Hollander named (and possessing a) Goldmember, who is just as one-note as Fat Bastard (Myers #3). There are also plenty of guest stars, from some hilarious cameos in the opening sequence to wasted performances by Caine as Austin's pop (shades of Alfie abound) and Knowles as Foxxy Cleopatra. They are all necessarily upstaged by Myers' ego, shoved offscreen to repeat jokes from earlier films (like another rap with Dr. Evil and Mini-Me). While Goldmember does have plenty of isolated laughs, one just wishes Myers (and overmatched director Roach) could rediscover the first film's balance between out-there improv and semi-cohesive filmmaking.