Choice

The past movies I've seen that had maximum media exposure but really very little new to offer but amazing special effects all seem to have the same theme or subtheme. "Everything is a choice." To be specific, the movies are "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", "Spiderman 3" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".

In Fantastic Four, this theme is clearly depicted in the Silver Surfer who was to serve Galactus as his herald in exchange for the survival of his planet. He later realized, after Sue Storm gave up her life to save him, that what she was saying was true: that indeed he can choose to fight the planet-eating being and that he could choose to save Earth. He did and seemingly repelled the doom facing the planet.

In Spiderman 3, this is shown in the internal struggle of Spiderman with Venom, the symbiotic alien lifeform that seemed to amplify the darkness in his being. While on one level he was trying to keep his identity and trying to save New York, on another he was struggling with problems with his lover, his best friend and other human concerns. In the end, he decides he wishes to detach himself from Venom and in the end defeated the villians with help from his best friend.

In Harry Potter, the plot focused on Harry himself although in the book it had a lot of subplots. This theme is clearly seen in the last part where he had to battle Voldemort in his own consciousness to keep his identity. Dumbledore says it very clearly: It is the choices we make that make us who we are.

I really have no problems with this theme because I personally believe it as well. God gave us two gifts that clearly defines our humanity: intellect and free will. I do not believe in the idea of suppressing choice because it is simply impossible. If God Himself has decided to respect the free will of His creatures, what can we do to subject others to our will? Every event in our lives is a choice. Sometimes, we feel that we have no choice not because we really don't have it but we are afraid to face to consequences of our choice. A slave, even if he is supposed to be bound to the will of his master, can easily choose to rebel. Even if he does not succeed, clearly, it is his choice whether or not to serve his master. Every choice has a consequence just as every action has a reaction. Sometimes, it is this consequence that keep us from believing that we have a choice. We often choose to chain ourselves but it is our choice to make.

The great thing about these three movies is that they depict the power of choice in its most extreme form. In Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer overcomes the fear of losing his own planet and decides to save Earth and eventually succeeds. In Spiderman 3, Spiderman chooses to do the right thing and saves the day in the end. In Harry Potter, Harry decides to not succumb to the power of Voldemort. Even in seemingly insurmountable odds, choice prevails.

An additional theme is, if you choose to side with what is good and right, you will eventually but surely succeed. Heroes are called heroes because in the eyes of others they did the right thing. And again this theme holds true in real life. The good and right is always the winning side. If we choose to side with it, success is inevitable. Every choice has a consequence and oftentimes, it seems goodness is rewarded by injustice and sacrifice. But again just as in all the movies. choosing to be heroic is choosing to be victorious.