Austin Powers: Goldmember

Few film franchises will ever owe a greater debt to the video market than Austin Powers. Saddled with terrible reviews, one of which claimed that people would walk out of the film on aeroplanes, the film struggled to make any impact on initial release. But five years later and the third instalment is now a critic-proof summer blockbuster.

The film opens with a star-studded parody of itself that culminates into a re-hash of the original film's musical routine. After this the viewer is quickly introduced to a few new characters before being bombarded by a series of quick fire sketches which are tenuously linked by the theme of Austin saving the world from Dr Evil again, while trying to make amends with his father.

Beyonce Knowles acquits herself well in her film debut as the female lead, though this consists of little more than being able to fit into costumes the size of a postage stamp that make a whalebone corset seem as comfortable as a baggy pyjamas. For some audience members, this will not be a criticism. She does demonstrate more vigour and enthusiasm in announcing herself as "Foxy Cleopatra" than Liz Hurley or Heather Graham showed in the entirety of the previous two films.

Providing a bit more experience is Michael Caine as Austin's father. He gives the impression that he's just been dragged away from a good conversation at the bar every time he appears on screen, and great opportunities to spoof The Italian Job and the Harry Palmer films pass unused.

Despite this Goldmember does provide fair entertainment value through the vast quantity of jokes that it throws at the screen. Most of the film's best points are clever asides, including signs for the William Morris Talent Agency inside the evil headquarters. In these loving little details lies the film's true genius, and watching out for them makes up for the familiarity of the main characters; in between there are plenty of gags that other films would kill for. Walk out of this film and you might miss the belly laugh of the year.

David Goody