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Spiderman IIIOur cup of teaSPIDERMAN III There is an idea that the Spiderman character is an allegory for the non-politically correct US still rightly committed to old-fashioned values of truth, justice and duty. If this is true this new film may carry a warning to America’s political ‘hawks’ — hubris and seeking revenge will only lead to trouble. Be that as it may, the film is filled with Christian imagery and content. Though the story is quite confusing to begin with, the main plot concerns a strange evil substance (sin?) which comes from outer space and surreptitiously attaches itself to our hero just as he and ‘MJ’ (his girlfriend) have spent an Eden-like evening together dreaming about their future. It changes Spiderman’s character. He be-comes arrogant and unkind, misusing his power, ruining his relationship with MJ and unnecessarily making himself a new and powerful enemy. It is only at the foot of the cross (on top of a church spire) that Spiderman finally finds release from ‘sin’. This leads to some of his enemies finding redemption as there is reconciliation and forgiveness, while in rejecting these there is damnation. So it might make an interesting evening out for the YPF followed by discussion, (though the theology errs very much towards Arminianism). It is a movie which overdoses on special effects, chase and conflict scenes and scary monsters. But I have to say that the scariest thing for us was the colour of the tea which Spiderman’s aunt pours him in one of the opening scenes. It was so weak we English people almost had to leave the cinema! John Benton© Evangelicals Now - June 2007 |