Black Suit Spidey is more powerful than Red Suit Spidey

Each of us has an internal struggle with ourselves—known as “the enemy within.” Peter is confronted by the harsh reality of what happens when the enemy within is unleashed.  Confrontations with arch-enemies become vicious and mean-spirited fights.  Schoolboy crushes become games of jealousy and manipulation.  And, ultimately, the ones we love the most suffer the most damage—both physically and emotionally—at our hands.  The film helps us to understand the importance of this struggle.  Through Peter’s internal conflict, we realize that, if left unchecked, the enemy within us can not only destroy those around us, but could destroy us as well.

What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me. (Romans 7: 24-25, Contemporary English Version)

Jesus Christ does not make a special appearance to save Peter Parker in this film.  However, Peter’s final confrontation with the enemy within does take place in a church.  Many times in our lives, simply being in the presence of the Holy One can give us the strength to fight our greatest battles—especially this battle against the enemy within.  Peter’s struggle to break free from this enemy is not a pretty one.  In fact, it’s one of the most violent and anguished scenes in the film.  The more Peter tries to break free of the symbiote, the more it fights back to remain a permanent part of him.  This struggle is truly symbolic of the lives of those who have chosen to align their lives with God.  The more we choose to follow God deeper and deeper, the more resistance we get from the forces of evil.  It is a violent struggle.  It is an anguished struggle.  But it is a necessary struggle, for when we successfully conquer this enemy, we are granted the freedom to be who we are supposed to be.  It does not mean that the enemy within is forever vanquished, it simply means through the power of God, we are free to be protectors of those in need, defenders of the weak, and heroic—just like your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

While Raimi and his team nailed the spiritual aspect of the story, their success in that area does little to salvage the film overall. As the remainder of this 2 hour 20 minute extravaganza spins onto the screen, signs of “been there, done that” syndrome could easily spin their web across the recesses of the audience’s mind.  The tepid applause given to the film as the closing credits began to roll did little to soothe the overall sense of disappointment brought upon by this latest Spider-Man episode. While the first two films were hot, this one is decidedly lukewarm. Hopefully a few years away from the franchise will give Raimi and company some time to come up with some fresh ideas to revive this film series

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