it never shines twice

This evening fate had it that I should end up on the couch with a bowl of ice-cream, watching the matrix. Once again I was reminded of how sequels never are as good as the original. The matrix truly is a great accomplishment. It is thought-provoking; so much more than mindless action. The original Pirates of the Caribbean is also a work of cinematic art - more on the merit of its classic blend of action, romance, and comedy than its worth for thought, but a great movie nonetheless. The sequels may well have provided their makers with a hefty profit, but they should never have been made. The originals would have been best left on their own; but art is hardly the only driving force behind cinema. A sequel can only be a good movie; it will never be great, never escape the shadow. Only an original will ever break into the light - not as something else, but as its own.