Spider-Man 3 and the Dark Web of Sin
by Marc T. Newman, Ph.D.

[Note: This is an analysis, not a film review – there are some spoilers ahead.]

External battles of good and evil are what superhero figures are all about. Whether fighting for “truth, justice, and all that stuff” (Superman Returns), or fighting against sociopathic gangsters (Batman), radiation-enhanced electrified megalomaniacs (The Fantastic Four), or the devil himself (Ghost Rider), the battle against evil is often focused on the outside. There is no lack of external villains in Spider-Man 3 for our web-slinging hero to try to defeat, but as hinted in the trailer and the still photos for print media, the most dangerous antagonist that Peter Parker faces is the one lurking inside: sin.

Even with all of the eye-popping special effects and gasp-inducing action sequences that fans of this genre require, Spider-Man has always centered on the story of Peter Parker and his family and friends. And of the three Spider-Man films made so far, Spider-Man 3 is by far the most introspective and tragic. It certainly doesn’t start that way (in fact, just the opposite), but as the movie unfolds, viewers watch Peter get a crash course in creating an environment ripe for sin, reveling in the temporary rush sin provides, discovering how sin turns from servant to enslaver, struggling to get free, and learning the kinds of lessons most of us wish were more prevalent at the cinema. the rest