Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

“Yeah, baby.”

I’m not a fan of Mike Myers’ infantile sense of humour. He thinks smutty jokes and sexual innuendo are hilarious, but sometimes they go too far. However, there is an underlying theme in his Austin Powers franchise, and I spotted it in 1997 when the first film came out: everybody has two sides to their personality, one ‘good’ and one Dr. Evil.

Goldmember is a play on words for the James Bond film “Goldfinger”. And the story line reminds us of “You Only Live Twice”. (Some of the scenes are exact replications, especially the factory boss’ office.) Mike Myers, of course, is taking the piss (as a sequence demonstrates in the film). So, no harm, no foul. This is slapstick, after all.

The ‘secret’ (not specified in the clip, above) is that Austin Powers and Dr. Evil are twins. Now we’re back to Biblical themes, like Esau and Jacob, for example. I’d been wanting to discuss that story, but couldn’t find the way in, until I watched this film last night.

The Second Son Disinherits the First

The story is a shocking one, to say the least. Jacob, at his mother’s prompting, pretends to be his (slightly elder) brother, Esau, and receives his father, Isaac’s, blessing. This is criminal behaviour, to be sure, but all is fair in love and war, and family politics.

Much later, Jacob struggles with his better angel, and after prevailing, decides that he needs to reconcile with his brother. He sends word that he wants to meet with Esau, and gets the response that Esau will come to meet with him, but that he is bringing 400 men with him. Oh-oh. The rest of the reconciliation can be found in Genesis 33.

The point of the story, and all Prodigal Son stories, is that nothing which is done need be considered the end. There is always a chance for reconciliation. And then any harm done can be undone. Here endeth the lesson.