Austin Powers in Goldmember

Movie review by Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Austin Powers in Goldmember Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

What can we say? See the movie first, then decide.

PG-13 2002 95 minutes
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Parents say

age 11+

Based on 12 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 42 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie has a great deal of material that would get an R in a drama. Because some words miss being naughty by a vowel or two and the sexual acts are apparent rather than real, they pass muster with the MPAA. Parents should be very cautious about letting children and young teens see the movie without viewing it first themselves.

Community Reviews

Julie K.
Julie K. Adult
March 21, 2021
age 10+

Very funny

Sex should be 3. Language should be 4. The sex is brief references that 10 year olds can handle and find funny. The language is worse. There one scene with too girls named Fook me and fook you. Sex 3/5 Language 4/5 Violence 2/3 Drugs alcohol and smoking 1/3

This title has:

Too much swearing
andrew.
andrew. Adult
August 16, 2015
age 14+

Alright for teens

It's a good movie but some jokes might be inappropriate for kids.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER, Mike Myers returns as Austin Powers, his nemesis, Dr. Evil, and the odious Scottish Fat Bastard. He also plays the new title villain, a Dutchman named Goldmember because of an accident that left him with gilded private parts. Our hero must fight his old and new foes, who are bent on world domination.

Is It Any Good?

Another year, another Austin Powers movie; that means 30 very funny minutes surrounded by 60 minutes of far less funny jokes about body parts and body functions, primarily relating to the bathroom. Each of Myers' new characters is less interesting than the one before. Powers takes such pleasure in being himself that he is fun to watch, but Dr. Evil is still his best character since Wayne Campbell and Linda Richman when he was on Saturday Night Live. But the more recent additions are not very memorable. Like Fat Bastard, Goldmember's primary characteristic is disgusting personal habits. Then there are frequent jokes about prejudice against the Dutch. Huh?

The best part of the movie is the appearance by a number of guest stars. Beyoncé Knowles of Destiny's Child gives sweetness and snap to her role as Foxy Cleopatra, a gentle tribute to the Pam Grier characters of 1970's blaxploitation movies. There are some great riffs on situations and relationships from the earlier movies, but there are also some excruciating replays of some of their jokes (mostly apparently gross bodily functions) and even excruciating replays of some of the jokes from this movie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the fact that most of the major characters feel unloved by their fathers. How does that affect them?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: July 26, 2002
  • On DVD or streaming: December 3, 2002
  • Cast: Beyoncé, Mike Myers, Seth Green
  • Director: Jay Roach
  • Studio: New Line
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 95 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: gross humor, sexual references, and language
  • Last updated: May 2, 2022

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