Along Came a Spider... (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 (DVD))

Member Name: wyrdsister

Product:	Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 (DVD)
Date:	14/06/02 (182 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: -

Disadvantages: -

This is probably one of the most anticipated movies to hit the cinemas since possibly the Lord of The Rings. Spider-Man made its comic debut in 1962 and thanks to the artistic genius of Steve Ditko, Peter Parker and his arachnid alter ego have become one of the most famed super hero of all times. Translating comic books to live action is always a difficult undertaking, which can sometimes lead to radical changes and the possibility of making a mockery of the story. Can Spider-man live up to expectation, or is this movie just another web of hype?

The plot…

Meet Peter Parker, the typical high school geek. Despite his cheery disposition, Parker is socially inept and frequently picked on by his more athletically inclined peers, counting one Harry, the introvert son of wealthy businessman Norman Osborn, as his only friend.

During a school trip to Oscorp’s research facility, the company founded by Norman Osborn, Peter is bitten by a genetically engineered super-spider. That night, Peter becomes violently sick and wakes up the next day a changed person. He seems to have inherited the spider’s genetic mutations through its venom.

With his newfound talents and confidence, Peter hopes to win the affection of Mary Jane, who he has secretly loved for years, and the popularity he never had. His dreams are shattered when a petty thief murders his uncle. Feeling responsible, Parker decides to use his powers to fight crime.

Osborn Senior, meanwhile, is struggling for scientific approval of a new serum he created to enhance human physical abilities. The lucrative deal between Oscorp and the US Military is under threat as a result. Desperate to make a breakthrough and retain the contract, Osborn uses the formula on himself. The consequences are however not the ones he was hoping for, and Osborn could lose a lot more than a military contract.

The cast…

Tobey Maguire..............Peter Parker/Spider
man
Willem Dafoe................Norman Osborn
Kirsten Dunst.............…Mary-Jane Watson
James Franco............…..Harry Osborn
Rosemary Harris.......….Aunt May
Cliff Robertson..............Uncle Ben
J K Simmons.............….J. Jonah Jameson

Maguire is really superb as Peter Parker, challenging all who had doubts over his ability to successfully take on the role of the teenage super hero. He manages to depict the character’s emotional evolution with great skill. The comic version of Parker/Spider-man was always emotionally torn between his self appointed destiny and the safety of his loved ones. The film managed to retain that aspect of Parker’s persona, and Maguire offers a convincing portrayal of this duality. As for Spider-man, well, Maguire reportedly trained for months to acquire the desired physical look for the part. And hey, he looks the part…

Willem Dafoe also offers a great performance as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. The actor portrays the character’s slow descent into madness, managing to brilliantly convey to the audience the split personality without ever appearing contrived or ridiculous. The character is also mostly faithful to the comic, and although some changes have been made, possibly for effect, the Green Goblin presents Spiderman with a superb adversary.

The rest of the cast equaly good. Kirsten Dunst tactfully plays Mary Jane, Peter’s love interest. She offers a sincere performance as the girl next door. There will certainly be some interesting development in the sequel, based on the ending of this one. James Franco gives a believable performance as Osborn’s errant son Harry. He offers a balanced interpretation of the role, and although his part is limited in this instalment of the tale, if the story stays true to the comic, we should see a lot more of Harry Osborn. Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson are perfect in the role
of Peter’s guardians, Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Finally, J K Simmons captures brilliantly the larger than life irate Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson.

The movie

Director Sam Raimi handles the subject fantastically well. The pacing is superb: offering perfect balance between the action and the quieter, character building moments. From a visual point of view, the film is quite bright and colourful, Spider-man retaining his trademark red and blue outfit. It’s nice to see that this hasn’t been “up-dated” as it was in X-men, and that the costume works so well. The Green Goblin did, however, get a modern makeover, which may upset the hard-core fans, but looks fantastic nonetheless.

Raimi of “Evil Dead” fame really delivers here, using some novel shots and interesting camera angles. The news reel items were also really refreshing and felt natural, and surprisingly, fitted well within the story. Another nice touch is the way in which many of the classic Ditko poses and gestures have been included in the film. An additional bonus is the cameos of a few of Raimi’s old buddies: Bruce Campbell, his brother Ted and Lucy Lawless (that’s Xena, to you and me).

Special effects

No superhero movie could be achieved without the use of special effects, and Spider-man is certainly no exception. The standard of the CGI is very high, and is well incorporated into the real New York, however there are moments where the use of computer animation is a little obvious, especially when Spidey makes day light appearances. Still, it would practically impossible to faithfully recreate Ditko’s vision of the character without the aid of CGI. The few noticeable moments are excusable and shouldn’t really hinder the viewer’s enjoyment.

The release of Spider-man has been long awaited, and in all honesty, it was well worth the wait. Overall, it is an outstanding film, beautifully pac
ed and splendidly acted. The origin of Spider-man and how he gains his powers has been slightly altered to modernise the setting. In the comic Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, which was contextual at the time the character was created. The writers have moved away from the sixties phobia of the nuclear toward the current dangers represented by genetic tampering. There are other changes to the original stories and characters, notably the final confrontation, which is really uncharacteristic of the comic. Such alterations might offend the purists, but by and large, the transition from the comic pages to the silver screen is practically flawless. Spider-man is a highly entertaining action movie, and having read the comics is absolutely not compulsory to enjoy it: there’s enough here to satisfy the buffs and cinemagoers alike.

Summary: