Spider-Man (2002)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Genetic code; Genetic engineering; Genetic research; Mutations; Science fiction
When a high school boy is bitten by a genetically engineered spider and gains its abilities, he becomes Spiderman, a superhero who saves New York City from various villains.
In this blockbuster adaptation of the famous Marvel comics, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), a smart but awkward high school student, is transformed during a class field trip that opens the film. A tour guide explains that scientists at the Columbia Genetic Research Facility have mapped the genetic codes of the Delena, Netweb, and Grass spiders and have used “synthesized transfer RNA to encode an entirely new genome combining genetic information from all three spiders.” Peter is bitten by one of these “genetically designed super-spiders,” and the film shows the spider’s DNA mixing with his own human DNA. When he wakes from a delirious sleep, Peter begins to discover changes in his body: he no longer needs his glasses; his physique is toned and strong; he has dramatically increased senses, speed, strength, and jumping abilities; he has precognitive reflexes; and he can climb walls as well as shoot webs from his hands. He now possesses all of the physical powers of the three original species of spider, without losing any of his own human traits. Peter begins to hone his new skills and creates a name and costume for himself in order to compete in an amateur wrestling match, but when his Uncle Ben is murdered, he decides to use his new powers to fight crime.
While Peter is undergoing these changes, his doppelganger and the villain of the film, Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), is experiencing a parallel genetic alteration. Oscorp is working on “human performance enhancers” for the U.S. military; the goal of the research is to “speed evolution to further reach human potential.” When an experiment goes awry, Norman is transformed into the Green Goblin, a mutant with super-strength, agility, and aggression. When Spiderman refuses to join the Green Goblin in the mayhem he is wreaking on the city, the Green Goblin discovers the superhero’s true identity and begins to hunt his loved ones, Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). Ultimately, despite his suffering and that of those he loves, Peter/Spiderman decides to remain a hero and, in the climactic battle of the film, defeats the Green Goblin. Spiderman appears to offer an ambiguous message regarding the potential rewards and consequences of genetic engineering and mutation. The careful doubling of Peter Parker and Norman Osborn, hero and villain,—established primarily through cut scenes that represent their simultaneous transformations—indicate that such genetically based alterations can be positive or disastrous for mankind. Peter/Spiderman triumphs in the end, but it is clear that this is simply the classic formulation of good defeating evil, rather than any commentary on the science that informs the film.
Evaluation: Sam Raimi’s Spiderman is first and foremost a blockbuster action film and, in that sense, is immensely entertaining. While the genetic research and experimentation form the foundation of the plot by making the transformations of both hero and villain possible, the focus is much more on traditional human relationships, responsibilities, and choices.
– Lauren Wood Hoffer