Austin Powers in Goldmember is a 2002 American spy comedy film directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. It is the third installment in the Austin Powers film series. Myers stars in four different roles alongside Beyoncé Knowles, Seth Green, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer, and Michael Caine. The plot follows the flamboyant British secret agent Austin Powers as he confronts his former nemesis Dr. Evil, partners with fellow agent Foxxy Cleopatra, and encounters the criminal mastermind from the past Goldmember.
Austin Powers in Goldmember was released in the United States on July 26, 2002, by New Line Cinema. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $297 million. It was the seventh-highest-grossing film of the year in the U.S. and Canada.
Plot
In 2002, from his lair behind the Hollywood Sign, Dr. Evil unveils to Number 2, Mini-Me, Frau Farbissina, and Scott Evil his plan for world domination: traveling back in time to 1975 and partnering with the Dutch, gold-obsessed Johan van der Smut, who, after losing his genitalia in a smelting accident, is known as "Goldmember". Goldmember developed a power unit for a tractor beam and intends to use it to pull a meteor into the earth. Moments after unveiling this plan, Austin Powers arrests Dr. Evil and Mini-Me. Queen Elizabeth knights Austin for his service, but he is disappointed when his father, the famous spy Nigel Powers, does not attend the ceremony. During an after party, Basil Exposition informs Austin that his father has been kidnapped. Their only clue is that the crew of Nigel's yacht have had their genitalia painted gold.
Austin seeks help from the imprisoned Dr. Evil to find the kidnapper. Dr. Evil antagonizes Austin by reminding him that Nigel was also absent when Austin and Dr. Evil graduated from the British Intelligence Academy. Dr. Evil tells Austin that Goldmember was behind the abduction, and in exchange Austin transfers Dr. Evil to a regular prison so he can be with Mini-Me. Austin travels to 1975 and infiltrates Studio 69, Goldmember's roller disco club in New York City. He is reunited with his former lover, undercover FBI agent Foxxy Cleopatra. Austin locates his father but is unable to rescue him. Goldmember takes Nigel through Dr. Evil's time machine to 2002 and Austin and Foxxy also escape back to 2002. Dr. Evil and Mini-Me instigate a prison riot and escape. Number 3, a British Intelligence mole, informs Austin that Dr. Evil has moved to a new lair near Tokyo.
Austin and Foxxy travel to Tokyo and confront Fat Bastard, who is now a sumo wrestler. Fat Bastard reveals that businessman Mr. Roboto is working on a device for Dr. Evil and Goldmember. Austin and Foxxy meet with Roboto, who pleads ignorance. The duo infiltrate Roboto's factory where the command unit for the tractor beam is being loaded into Goldmember's car. Foxxy confronts Goldmember while Austin attempts to free Nigel. However, Goldmember escapes and flees to Dr. Evil's submarine with the tractor beam. Dr. Evil's son Scott, now interested in taking over the family business, offers his father a gift: a tank of sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. Scott then kills Roboto by feeding him to the sharks. Dr. Evil shows favoritism towards Scott over Mini-Me, which motivates Mini-Me to defect and join Austin and Foxxy.
Austin, Foxxy and Mini-Me infiltrate the submarine, where Austin is captured. Before Dr. Evil can activate the tractor beam, Foxxy steals the key and frees Austin. When Austin prepares to shoot Dr. Evil, Nigel appears and reveals that Austin and Dr. Evil are brothers, and that Dr. Evil's name is actually Dougie. Austin, Doug, Nigel, and Mini-Me embrace in reconciliation, which enrages Scott. Goldmember commandeers the tractor beam's controls, revealing his golden genitalia to be a spare key. He activates the tractor beam, but Austin and Doug work together to reverse its polarity, destroying the meteor and saving the world which results in Goldmember getting arrested.
The entire story is later adapted into the film Austinpussy. After watching the film in a theater, Austin and Foxxy encounter Fat Bastard, who is now thin but with sagging flesh thanks to the Subway diet. Austin and Foxxy kiss, while Scott, now bald and behaving like his father—declares he will take his revenge against Austin and Doug and take over the world. During the end credits, Mini-Me talks with Britney Spears who wants to give him her phone number.
Cast
Mike Myers as: Austin Powers, a British agent from the 60s and Dr. Evil's long lost older twin brother who was frozen for 30 years to stop his brother. Aaron Himelstein as young Austin Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' long-time nemesis who, during the film's climax, is revealed to be his long/lost younger twin brother, Douglas Powers. He then redeems himself and makes amends with his family. Josh Zuckerman as young Evil Goldmember (born Johan van der Smut), a gold-hungry Dutch supervillain who, due to a smelting accident, uses a prosthetic from which he takes his name. A sometime ally of Dr Evil, he is the titular main antagonist of the film. Fat Bastard, an obese Scottish former Ministry of Defence soldier and agent of Dr Evil. Now a sumo wrestler in Japan, he secretly works for Goldmember. Beyoncé Knowles as Foxxy Cleopatra, Austin's spy partner Michael York as Basil Exposition, Austin's boss Eddie Adams as young Basil Exposition Michael Caine as Nigel Powers, a British agent and Austin and Dr. Evil's father Robert Wagner as Number 2, Dr. Evil's business-savvy henchman with an eyepatch Rob Lowe as Middle Number 2 Evan Farmer as Young Number 2 Seth Green as Scott Evil, Dr. Evil's son Verne Troyer as Mini-Me, Dr. Evil/Doug's dwarf clone who is jealous of Scott. Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina, Dr. Evil's loud-mouthed henchwoman from Germany. Fred Savage as Number Three / Mole Brian Tee as Godzilla Pedestrian Masi Oka as Godzilla Copyright Pedestrian Clint Howard as Radar Operator Johnson Ritter Michael McDonald as Royal Guard Greg Grunberg as the shirtless fan with the letter "T" Kinga Philipps as Mrs. Powers, Nigel's wife and Austin and Dr. Evil's mother Kevin Stea as Assistant Director of "Austinpussy" / Dancer Anna-Marie Goddard, Nina Kaczorowski, and Nikki Ziering as henchwomen Ming Tea as Themselves Rachel Roberts as The Model Susanna Hoffs as Gillian Shagwell Matthew Sweet as Sid Belvedere Christopher Ward as Trevor Algberth Carrie Ann Inaba as Fook Yu Diane Mizota as Fook Mi Tom Lister Jr. as Prisoner #2 Kristen Johnston as Dancer at Austin's pad Neil Mullarkey as Physician Nobu Matsuhisa as Mr. Roboto Peter Tuiasosopo as Sumo Wrestler with Beard Jeannette Charles as Queen Elizabeth II Perry Caravello (extra)
Cameos
Tom Cruise as Himself as Austin Powers (during Austinpussy) Danny DeVito as Himself as Mini-Me (during Austinpussy) Gwyneth Paltrow as Herself as Dixie Normous (during Austinpussy) Kevin Spacey as Himself as Dr. Evil (during Austinpussy) Steven Spielberg as Himself Quincy Jones as Himself John Travolta as Himself as Goldmember (during the Austinpussy ending) Britney Spears as a Fembot version of Herself (during the opening credits) and as Herself talking with Mini-Me (during the end credits) Donna D'Errico as Female Vendor Fred Stoller as Melon Guy Ozzy Osbourne as Himself Sharon Osbourne as Herself Kelly Osbourne as Herself Jack Osbourne as Himself Burt Bacharach (during the end credits) as Himself Nathan Lane as Mysterious Disco Man (non-speaking role) Spencer Kayden as Jenny Katie Couric as Georgia State Prison guard Scott Aukerman as Nigel Powers (in flashback, having a tinkle)
Production Title concerns The title of the film, Goldmember, led to legal action being taken by MGM, the distributors of the James Bond film franchise, that briefly led to the film's title being removed from promotional material and trailers. Several potential replacement titles were prepared, including License to Shag, Live and Let Shag, You Only Shag Thrice and Never Say Member Again. The dispute was quickly resolved and the film title remained unchanged on the provision that the film would include trailers in its cinema releases for the then-upcoming James Bond film, Die Another Day, and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Characters Austin Powers (Myers), having conquered the 1990s and the 1960s, travels back to the 1970s and teams up with his nemesis Dr. Evil (also played by Myers) to thwart a new villain, Goldmember (also played by Myers). Myers also plays Fat Bastard for the second time, this time parodying the kind of "wire fight" seen in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The film also stars Beyoncé Knowles as Foxxy Cleopatra (parodying blaxploitation heroines, primarily Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones, as well as Christie Love when she says, "You're under arrest, sugah!"), Michael York, reprising the role of Basil Exposition, and Verne Troyer in his second appearance as Mini-Me. The film also introduced a new character named Number 3 (a.k.a. the Mole), who is portrayed by former child star Fred Savage. Clint Howard plays a radar operator in all three films. Michael Caine guest stars as Austin's father, Nigel; this role was inspired by the character of Harry Palmer from The Ipcress File, a 1965 film starring Caine. Sean Connery was originally considered for the role of Nigel Powers and Honor Blackman for that of Mrs. Powers.
Four actors who appeared in the earlier films play different characters in Goldmember. Rob Lowe, who played the friend of a dead guard in International Man of Mystery, reprises his role as a younger Number 2 from The Spy Who Shagged Me, while Neil Mullarkey (quartermaster clerk in International Man of Mystery) and Eric Winzenried (army private soldier in The Spy Who Shagged Me) appear as the Physician and Henchman Sailor in the Sick Bay. Michael McDonald (the Virtucon guard who got run over by a steamroller in International Man of Mystery and a NATO soldier in The Spy Who Shagged Me) appears as the royal guard.
In 2023, Heather Graham revealed that she had filmed a scene reprising her role as Felicity Shagwell for the film which was ultimately cut.
Goldmember Johann van der Smut, better known as Goldmember, is a villain played by Myers (John Travolta plays the character in a cameo at the end of the film). The name was inspired by the James Bond villain Auric Goldfinger. Goldmember's Dutch origins and character traits were, according to Myers, inspired by an episode of the HBO TV series Real Sex featuring a Dutchman who operated a "sex barn" north of Rotterdam. The man's distinct forms of expression caught Myers' attention while he was writing.
Home media Austin Powers in Goldmember was released on VHS and DVD on December 3, 2002, by New Line Home Entertainment. The DVD was released under the Infinifilm label, and was re-packed in 2011 as part of the Austin Powers 3 Film Collection. The film debuted on Blu-ray for the first time on December 2, 2008 in a three-film collection with its predecessors.
Reception Box office Austin Powers in Goldmember took in £6,364,796 in the United Kingdom on its opening weekend. In the United States, it broke the opening weekend record for a spoof movie, surpassing the previous Austin Powers films. It grossed $73.1 million during its opening weekend, surpassing Planet of the Apes for the biggest July opening of all time. The latter record would be held for two years until Spider-Man 2 took it in 2004. The film also surpassed Rush Hour 2 as the biggest opening for a comedy film. This was the fourth-highest opening weekend of all time, behind Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Spider-Man. The film grossed a total of $213.3 million in the United States and $296.9 million worldwide.
Critical response