This triloby starring and is one of the most successful series of sequels ever made. All three approach or equal what I call a perfect movie - movie in which every scene accomplishes what was intended and has a high theme of some kind. The perfect movie is rare, for example, Ben Hur, The Sound of Music, It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (the 1930s version with Gary Cooper), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Chariots of Fire, etc. It is unusual for a Director to have one perfect movie. Frank Capra had three. It is also rare for a musical to be a perfect movie because it is so hard to mix music with an attempt to depict reality. The Sound of Music is one of the few to accomplish that. It is also rare extremely rare for a sequel to be perfect. The sequels to Raiders of the Lost Ark are pale imitations.
Yet, the writers and director of Spiderman have somehow found a seeminly endless well of ingenious, various ways of depicting deep, even spiritual truths, through this youmg man and his attempts to balance a normal life with great gifts, to know how to do heroic things without being too caught up in being a hero, to balance the loneliness of being a servant/leader but recognize his need for others, to take risks in serious situations but to keep a sense of humor. Spiderman's scenes are incredibly well-acted, well-directed, and merge well with the amazing special effects. Its high themes are many, but the bottom line and what makes the series so successful is that Spiderman is every man and his battles to live courageously, love sincerely, and stay humble. It's the scripture: "He has shown the O man what is good, but to do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."
It will take several posts to really plumb the depths of these movies, so I'll get back to the Matrix another day.
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