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Reviews
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
Basically Dreadful with a few Good Moments
Suppose you wanted to showcase a new talent, such as Beyonce Knowles. Put together a new movie using a successful formula and known attractions (Mike Myers, Robert Wagner, Michael Caine) then pay them all to commit professional suicide on the screen. What would be left? Beyonce Knowles. And, this young lady can sing and can act. She has a future, unless she gets involved with another turkey like Austin Powers IV.
Cameos by Tom Cruise and Gwyneth Paltrow gave great promise to a creative Austin Powers movie as the surprise beginning started. Then, the real cast took center stage and the movie self-destructed into worn gags, potty humor, and cliches. The ending (incredibly inept) gives promise to there being no more Austin Powers sequels as Dr. Evil and Austin are buds and Scott Evil cannot laugh well enough to run an evil empire.
Billy's Holiday (1995)
Excellent Entertainment - Just Enjoy!
This musical is lots of fun. The plot line is just sufficient to sustain the increasingly entertaining musical numbers. I doubt that any US troupe would ever do "Is you is or is you ain't my baby?"; think of the politically correct howling.
This movie has the potential to be a cult classic, similar to "Rocky Horror Picture Show."
Enjoy it; don't think about it.
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
So gross that it is rarely funny ...
I wish I had remembered the first reviewer's comments when I rented this bomb. Scary Movie II goes beyond sight gags and clever humor right into the cesspool of grossness. It just isn't funny, except in rare spots (such as the Charlie's Angels fight scene). Even in those infrequent moments, it folds the magic of grossness into some clever action.
Scary Movie III? Heaven forbid.
Jurassic Park III (2001)
The Magic is Back
Jurassic Park III recaptures the magic of the original movie. It will make you forget that turkey, JP II.
Getting Dr. Grant back to the second island is a bit contrived, but once he is there, the story takes off. Heart pounding excitement, sudden camera cuts and <gasp> there is a Raptor, no ... two, no ... three. We are surrounded.
At one point, Dr. Grant talks about his two books (one before JP, one after JP) and the book by Dr. Malcolm ("I wasn't there in San Diego").
The boy in the movie gives a review of Malcolm's book which summarizes JP II well. The book wasn't worth much.
There is an earlier review, posted in Dec. 2001 on this web site, which summarizes very well this fine movie.
It is worth the fee to rent or buy it. Jurassic Park III is an excellent movie.