Pop Goes the Culture!

I must admit, I enjoyed the first Austin Powers movie. It was a fun, silly spoof of the James Bond movies.

The second movie got me hooked from the trailer, telling everyone to go see Star Wars, and then come watch AP2. Mini-Me was an excellent addition.

I wasn't sure that they could really keep this franchise going. All the ads and trailers and such leading up to this film made me sort of want to see it, but I wasn't desperate. I could have waited for cable.

But The Husband wanted to go, and so we went the last day of opening weekend. And I had a blast. It was more fun than I was expecting.

Don't go for the plot. Please. You should understand that this is no Bourne Identity, this is no Minority Report. This is silliness with lots of costume changes and funny jokes. This is Austin Powers, for $diety's sake!

The jokes are often crass and very base, but if you enjoyed either of the previous two movies, I think you will enjoy this one. In fact, I think it is even better than the second movie, and Lou (that's The Husband) thinks it's better than both of them.

HOWEVER, I don't think you could see this movie without having seen any of the previous ones. While the self-referential jokes are kept to a minimum, they are there, and really would be lost on anyone who was going into this blind.

Michael Caine does a wonderful job as Austin's father. Beyoncé Knowles is good when she's on screen, but doesn't get much to do (I did notice that the female lead roles are getting smaller and smaller as these movies progress). Mike Myers is great in all his roles, and fortunately for me Fat Bastard was kept to a minimum.

If you enjoyed the previous movies, then this is worth a full price viewing (which in our area is $9). If you thought the earlier movies were okay, take in a matinee. And if you didn't care for them at all, give this a pass. There's nothing really new here, and I will not spoil things because I thought it was great that I went into it unspoiled. It made the jokes more amusing and kept me laughing longer.