CBCP: ‘Spider-Man’ not wholesome

It may be "morally acceptable," but the movie "Spider-Man" is not wholesome, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said yesterday.

In its review of the movie, the CBCP’s Catholic Initiative for Enlightened Movie Appreciation (Cinema) rated "Spider-Man" as "average" in terms of the film review organization’s technical assessment.

Adapted to the big screen from the long-running Marvel Comics series, "Spider-Man" gets one important message across, Cinema said: "With great power comes great responsibility."

"Spider-Man" has enjoyed a huge following over the 40 years it has been published by Marvel Comics and has outgrossed all other superhero movies when it hit the silver screen.

In the movie, super-geek Peter Parker (played by Toby Maguire) goes on a field trip to Columbia University and is bitten by a genetically altered spider. The spider’s venom transforms Parker into Spider-Man, with superhuman strength, reflexes and skills. In the comic book version of the story, however, the spider that bit Parker was radioactive.

"Parker realizes he has a great gift that must be used for good, for service, but which can become a curse when used for evil or destruction," Cinema said. Determined to do good, however, Parker faces down the temptation to misuse his awesome powers and becomes a force for good. This, Cinema said, promotes the value "a man for others must make sacrifices."

Spider-Man’s arch-enemy in the movie, the Green Goblin, on the other hand, epitomizes the adage "absolute power corrupts absolutely." The Green Goblin’s transformation from regular human being to super-villain, however was intentionally done.

The Green Goblin’s alter-ego, Norman Osborne, is a respected but extremely ambitious scientist who experiments with himself and eventually mutates into the Green Goblin. As the film’s arch-villain, the Green Goblin wreaks havoc on New York City aboard a rocket-propelled surf board.

Cinema also said that unlike other comic book super heroes, Spiderman is a super hero most fans can identify with: inept, insecure, fallible and "very human." Other super heroes are harder to relate to, like the interplanetary exile, Superman, or Batman, the reclusive, orphaned billionaire.

Some of the scenes in "Spider-Man" are dramatic and creatively presented, such as the morphing of Osborne into the Green Goblin, which is just like a scene from the novel "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

"The movie can help us forget or escape reality, especially if (our reality) is full of problems," Cinema said, "but this entertaining action picture can also give us (deeper insights) to think about after the excitement has subsided."