What In Tarnation?!?!? In the Classroom

Spiderman 3 is good. I just can’t decide if I like it better than Spiderman 2. Number 2 has better plot, better use of villains, and better pacing. Number 3 relies on some great big coincidences to get the plot moving that the first two didn’t rely on. The one thing that Spiderman 3 has going for it that I particularly enjoy is the use of large moral themes that ties and in my opinion redeems the movie, more on that later.

Another enjoyable aspect of Spiderman 3 is the use of humor. Spiderman 2 had quite a bit but number 3 has much more humor and is much more bold in its use. An issue that some people might have with the movie are the villains. If you like superhero movies with villains who consume most of the movie, you probably won’t like Spiderman 3. At times it feels like the villain’s stories are very much secondary and have very little screen time. As a result, poor Sandman is basically reduced to a King Kong like character that spends most of the movie after turning into sand grunting and throwing around this fits of sand. Quite a waste until the last moments of the movie when those themes I was talking about kicks in.

So let’s talk about some of those thematic elements… after the jump… this is your spoiler warning. I reveal everything in the following paragraphs. You have been warned.

All of the Spiderman movies have had thematic elements. Most with some kind of moral center to it. Spiderman 1 focused on responsibility and power and the relationship of the two and the importance of family and extended family; how families can help us or even trap us. Spiderman 2 had elements focusing the importance of community and the use of ones resources to help the larger whole. Number 2 also had something to say about honesty. In the third installment, Spiderman deal with vengeance and more importantly forgiveness.

Each of the main characters in Spiderman 3 deal with feelings of vengeance. Harry wants Peter dead. Peter wants the Sandman dead and at one point wants to humiliate MJ for dumping him. Sandman wants Spiderman dead for preventing him from stealing money for his ailing daughter and Ben wants to kill Peter for humiliating him. The movie outlines how each of these characters deal with these feelings. Some forgive and are released from their anger and others are consumed and ultimately killed by it and still others have to give their lives willingly to correct things that have happened in the past. It really is quite a nice illustration of these themes. In my opinion, it is kinda of gutsy for a action movie to slow things way down after the big fight to discuss such issues. I have a feeling most won’t like it but I loved it.

More thoughts coming tomorrow…

Class dismissed!