Is this yet another Spider-Man movie? Yes and no. Yes, it seems like a(nother) more teen-focused take, for the younger generation, to create new Spidey fans perhaps. No, as it does imagine, kind of to warn, of some potentially up and rising ills in our times. A timely story is usually a contemporary one, that highlights timeless truths. With superhero flicks featuring pitting of super powers against super challenges, even if fictitious, they still can super inspire.
How can solo superheroes like Spider-Man defeat terrifying A.I. enabled tech coupled with cunning villains? Even if a villain is no supervillain, much sophisticated technology employed can make him or her too formidable for the most talented superhero. Enter Mysterio, the master manipulator who is but an ‘ordinary’ man, who created elaborate illusions of his mystical powers for saving the planet — so as to steal the limelight from Spider-Man, while betraying and demonising him.
Just when we feel that a single remote-controlled war drone that drops bombs is scary, what about an entire fleet of weaponised drones that can even coordinate to project elaborate holographic illusions, to create mass destruction and panic? Think fake news — but in three dimensions. Now, that is really ‘deep’ fake, way beyond one-dimensional fake news, two-dimensional fake photos and videos. Fast fleeting away these days is any remaining truth left in ‘seeing is believing’.
As always, the true enemy is not any villain or ‘villainous’ tech, but the operator(s)’ evil intentions behind. Deceit is the root ill of all villains, and the treacherously villainous aim for mass deceit, which unfortunately creates immense negative karma for themselves. Even with more credible losses of heroes once in a while (e.g. Iron Man), the overall long arc bending towards karmic justice in movies and comics remains. Why is this so? Because deep down, humans, be we Buddhist or not, do believe in moral cause and effect!
Related Article:
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ To Buddha-Nature?
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2019/04/spider-man-homecoming-to-buddha-nature
