Longtime readers of this blog will know that I have been an avid supporter of the 2007 film “Spider-Man 3”. Right off the bat, I have to acknowledge that the movie has glaring flaws; no one is going to deny that. To this day, I have difficulty seeing certain scenes of this film. I once described some of these moments as cringe-worthy, and I stand by that again today. Furthermore, if someone wanted to argue that this one is the weakest installment of the whole trilogy, I would say they probably aren’t wrong. Yet, having all of this said, I submit that this film still does not deserve all of the negative press that it has received.
I recently had the chance to see “Spider-Man 3” again. It is
so layered, I could go on and on citing various aspects of the film that I
thoroughly enjoyed seeing this time around.
You can relax; I’m not going to be writing such a blog today. But let me give one example: I was very
impressed with Thomas Haden Church’s portrayal of Flint Marko/Sandman. I saw Church’s comedic talent as Lowell in
the sitcom “Wings”; his portrayal of
Flint Marko makes you forget all about Lowell.
Marko is nuanced with greed, menace, sympathy, and inner turmoil.
Furthermore, seeing this film again also made me change my
mind on perceived negative elements. For
instance, in the past I criticized the decision to include Harry Osborn’s
amnesia in this already overstuffed movie.
However, upon further review, I see now that I was wrong. In fact, there’s an amazing moment in “Spider-Man 3” that doesn’t get nearly
enough praise. When Harry was in the
hospital, with no memory of his bitterness and hatred, he looks happy and
carefree. After a nurse comments on how
pleasant Peter and Mary Jane are, Harry says they are his best friends, and
then he emphatically states, “I’d give my life for them.” That’s what you call foreshadowing.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the infamous
scenes in “Spider-Man 3”. After Peter chooses to bond with a black
alien suit; he gets decked out in all black clothes and dances lamely in the
street. This scene takes on a new
context in “Spider-Man 3: Editors Cut”
(which was released in 2017, and a film I was finally able to see); Peter
brutally attacks Harry, verbally and physically. He ends this horrible sequence by throwing a
pumpkin bomb at Harry, leaving his face disfigured. After all this occurs, Peter changes into his
black duds, and dances in the street.
This shows that he has no remorse or guilt over what he has just
done. It’s dark and twisted, but I admit
it’s better than the original theatrical version.
Speaking of “Spider-Man
3: Editors Cut”, I would suggest to you that this movie is the superior
version of the two. The biggest evidence
of this is how Harry’s change of heart is depicted. In the theatrical version, it was Bernard,
the butler, who told Harry it was obvious Norman Osborn had died at his own
hand, not at Spider-Man’s. In the
Editor’s Cut, Harry sees a framed picture of himself, Peter, and Mary Jane, under cracked glass. Seeing this shattered
image grips Harry. In that moment, he
chooses to forgive Peter, and fight by his side. The fact that Harry’s change comes from his
own mind and heart makes this
development in the story much stronger.
Unforgiveness and bitterness are too heavy a load to carry,
it is so much better to choose to forgive.
Colossians 3 says, “You must rid yourselves of all things such as these:
anger, rage, malice, slander…Bear with each other and forgive whatever
grievances you may have against one another” (verses 8 and 13). That’s the biggest pull of “Spider-Man 3”. It’s why I’m recommending “Spider-Man 3: Editors Cut” today. Not
because either film is a flawless masterpiece; they aren’t. Rather, because we are shown that forgiveness is liberating. Harry forgives Peter – and ultimately gives
us a striking example of Jesus’ words in John 15:13 (“Greater love has no one
than this than to lay down one’s life for a friend”); Peter forgives Flint
Marko for his misdeeds. And in a
beautiful scene at the very end, Mary Jane forgives Peter. It’s a satisfying conclusion to an epic
trilogy.
God bless,
Kevin
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