Austin Powers In Goldmember is the funniest third instalment of a film series since Godfather Part III. Sorry, just kidding. Still, the newest chapter of the comedic spy series may not be the most accomplished motion picture around town but it certainly does deliver where it counts the most: in the laughter department. It is a major improvement over its predecessor, 1999's The Spy Who Shagged Me.

It's been three years since Austin Powers (Mike Myers in one of his four starring roles in the film) captured his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil (Myers) and put him behind bars. But it doesn't take long for Dr. E and his accomplice, Mini Me (Verne Troyer), to escape. He teams up with Goldmember (Myers), a creepy Dutch man with a gold fetish, and hatches a time-traveling scheme to take over the world, one that involves the kidnapping of Nigel Powers (Michael Caine), Austin's father and England's most renowned spy. Austin heads back to 1975 and joins forces with his old flame, Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyonce Knowles), a streetwise detective, to stop Evil and company while saving dear ol' dad and the world.

The film is a collection of skits, cross-cultural and in-jokes, movie spoofs and silly musical numbers connected by the thin plot and under-developed characters (namely Foxxy Cleopatra and Goldmember). But we're not here for depth. We're here to laugh. And although the jokes are just as gross, juvenile and predictable as they were in the last film, Goldmember succeeds in keeping its audiences constantly cracking up for its brief running 94-minute running time. For every joke that misses, there are two behind it that don't. Even if the film is structurally a mess, Myers and director Jay Roach still know how to deliver the goods.

Myers' multiple performances once again display his wonderful comedic talents, while other returning cast members Michael York (Basil Exposition), Robert Wagner (Number Two), Troyer and Seth Green (Scott Evil) all fit back into their roles quite nicely, playing straight man to Myers' antics. Michael Caine is fine as Austin's dad, while Knowles in her film debut does an adequate job with what is basically a non-existent role as Foxxy.

There are also a few cameos that pop up in Goldmember, the majority of which arrive in the film's hysterical opening. Make sure you don't arrive late to the theater or you'll miss the funniest scenes of the series so far.

Is Austin Powers In Goldmember better than its predecessor? Is it worth fighting the massive opening weekend crowds to see it? Will you laugh your butt off for an hour and a half?

To quote the man, "Yeah Baby, yeah!"

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