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J. Robert Parks (Phantom Tollbooth) is frustrated by an overdose of overly sentimental "special moment" scenes between Parker and Mary Jane, Parker and Uncle Ben, Parker and Aunt May. "These outweigh the action sequences by several minutes and yet serve little purpose in either developing character or moving the story along. So yawns of boredom replace yelps of excitement. This puts me in the uncomfortable position of complaining about a blockbuster that actually tries to have some brains. I'm all for character development and interesting themes, but Spiderman doesn't pull it together."

Phil Boatwright (The Movie Reporter) is almost alone in his claim that the film "is brim full of the best special effects I can remember." But he complains, "It does misuse Jesus' name two times." Likewise, Bob Smithouser (Focus on the Family) and Paul Bicking (Preview) warn viewers about "graphic violence and impolite language."

Some Christian critics, however, cheer specifically because of the language. Ted Baehr (Movieguide) says the movie "is not only well-constructed, exciting and entertaining, but it is chock full of faith, much to our surprise." Likewise, Douglas Downs (Christian Spotlight) celebrates "the role of prayer and faith" in the film. And Mike Furches (Hollywood Jesus) calls Spider-Man "the most spiritual of all super heroes." He adds, "What is even clearer is that his spirituality is rooted in Christianity."

This sounds like reason to celebrate. But where is the evidence that the film is, as Baehr and Furches claim, "full of faith" and "rooted in Christianity"? Their proof is that Spidey's Aunt May and Uncle Ben utter common God-oriented phrases—"Thank God," "Godspeed" and "God bless you." Furches draws special attention to Aunt May's recitation of the Lord's Prayer.

Holly McClure (Crosswalk), who also recommends the film, disagrees. "Although the story has a moral message and a hero who's a great role model, the few scenes of his aunt and uncle saying grace or the Lord's Prayer don't make it a 'spiritual' film. Even though the story takes place in the present day, I think the director was trying to hearken back to the culture and mentality of the '50s."

Indeed. If Harry Osborne says "Godspeed" it doesn't make him any more spiritual than if he wears a necklace with a crucifix. It is worth noting that exclamations of "Oh my God!" are equally common throughout Spider-Man. Regardless, the story's action—its play of choices and consequences—is where Spider-Man stands out. "With great power comes great responsibility," says Peter's Uncle Ben, and the story bears that out dramatically.

This theme is not unique to Spider-Man. My favorite movie about comic book heroes, M. Night Shayamalan's underrated Unbreakable, illustrated a hero's power/responsibility dilemma far more effectively. X-Men made more specific connections to Christian faith, highlighting the similarities between its troubled heroes and the persecuted early church. Superman takes the hero myth to such a level that he is sometimes interpreted as a Christ figure.

But there is one other hero that Spidey resembles more than any of these—a champion frequently attacked by Christian critics: Harry Potter. Compare the two. Both are orphans, raised by an aunt and uncle. Both develop magical powers—one through fairy tale magic, one through an accident of genetic experimentation. Parker and Potter struggle with the desire to misuse their gifts, but they face their challenges honorably. The villains they face are close acquaintances, each one hiding an "evil face." The boys become heroes, but instead of basking in the glory, they come to understand their duty. And both heroes are motivated by devotion to their loved ones. Are we really to believe that Spidey is spiritual because Aunt May says "God bless you," while Potter is satanic because he flies around on a hot-rod broom instead of a web? If Harry's whimsical tricks could lure children to the occult, perhaps Spider-Man will influence them to try genetic enhancements, jump off buildings, and carry out vigilante justice.

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May (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46