Michael Elliottthis week points out the Bible's one mention of spiders: "There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise," says Proverbs 30:24. Spiders may be wise, and their cleverness surely has something to do with why many people fear them, but wisdom is not a word that springs to mind for critics of
Most critics are panning it as derivative, full of gratuitous violence and unsuccessful humor, and a waste of time. But a few are standing up for Ellory Elkayem's film, saying that it succeeds in its modest goal—to spoof the beloved and ridiculous B-movies of the '50s. There's not much to it beyond the simple set up: Toxic waste has spilled near a rural mining town, transforming and unleashing an army of gargantuan arachnids into the defenseless neighborhoods of screaming empty-headed townsfolk. If some of them don't develop common sense soon, the planet might soon be caught in a worldwide web.
What would Spider-Man do?
Elliott compares the movie to "such atomic powered gems as
Taking a different view, Bob Smithouser (Focus on the Family) winces at the sensationalized violence. "While it could be argued that the film's sheer ludicrousness begs audiences not to take any of it seriously, some viewers may be further desensitized to real pain and suffering." Likewise, Paul Bicking (Preview) says, "Although often done in a humorous manner, the frequent, gross violence along with several crude sexual comments and vulgar language gives
The USCCB's critic calls it "overacted and underwhelming. If spiders exploding with goppy green goo isn't your cup of tea, you too may hope that