Spider, Spin Me a Plot! (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 (DVD))

Member Name: buttonman

Product:	Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 (DVD)
Date:	27/06/02 (114 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Costume, Football Studs!

Disadvantages: Predictable

Hollywood has always loved comics as a source of inspiration but the results have usually been pretty ropey. Comics have established fan bases and already defined brands. Why set up a new hero when you have decades of back story and characters to focus on? Although it had the better characters Marvel comics always lagged behind archrivals DC when it came to movie franchises. Whilst DC had Batman and Superman crank out the sequels Marvel had to content itself with the television mish mash which was the Incredible Hulk and the dire Spiderman film of the early 1980's which had a man chucking a net over his rivals.

Things are however changing. Last year we had Marvel's X-men on screen in an above average outing and versions of the Hulk and Daredevil are also in the offing. But if you say 'Marvel' to anyone they'll say 'powdered milk' first and Spiderman second. Spider-man has always been Marvel's flagship character who has been around forty years and has only just left college. This film was therefore a big challenge to live up to the fans' expectations and happily it delivers - although not in spades.

PREMISE

I'll jog through the plot, as it was, for those who didn’t blow all their pocket money (and wages) on a heap of 'Marvel Team - Up' comics. Peter Parker is a bookish student who lives with his aunt and uncle. After being bitten by a radioactive spider (genetically modified in the film) he develops spider powers. This gives him super strength and heightened senses. As a science whiz he develops chemical web shooters (organic in the film) and sets about making a bit of cash. His priorities change when a robber he could've stopped kills his uncle. He resolves to fight crime and shoulder the responsibility his powers confer upon him.

FILM PLOT

Fans may be happy and disappointed by the film's set up. They tell the origin tale faithfully which is OK but a bit dull
for those of us who have seen it many times before. Like the first Batman film and X-men much of the time is taken up explaining the premise whilst the die-hards are waiting for things to get moving. As it is there is little time left for much of a plot and what we end up with is a few fight scenes tacked together by a soppy love story.

The film sees Peter as a dork who misses the bus through to being the hero of all or at least most New Yorkers. He gets bitten on cue but rather than run off to the poison clinic he hides under his duvet and emerges pumped up with hairy hands and soon starts shooting sticky fluid all over his room - well he is a teenager!

As he starts to realise his potential his roommate's dad a weapons designer is getting the bums rush from the military. Not surprisingly they don't fancy his one-man glider but this enrages him to point of cliché mad scientist. Natch the experiment goes wrong and emerges pumped up and mental. I have loads of accidents and never get pumped up these guys get lucky so often.

The scientist Norman Osborn dresses up as a glider flying goblin and starts to tear up the city. Who can save the day? Well the Punisher, hopefully!


CHARACTERS

 Peter Parker / Spider-Man: Wears glasses we therefore know he is swotty and nerdy
Shoots white stuff that sticks to things
Fancies the girl next door
Missed his vocation as a costume designer
Can hold onto a cable car with 40 screaming kids in it - one handed!


 Mary Jane Watson : Neighbour of Peter – doesn’t know he exists
In a nasty man father/boyfriend cycle

Has clearly dyed hair
Has nipples upon which you could hang two wet duffle coats – with spanners in the pocket!
Screams constantly

 Aunt May Old
Talks in old person platitudes
Screams a lot
 Uncle Ben : Not long for this world
Doles out big slices of the bleedin obvious

Norman Osborn / Green Goblin: Unbalanced
Mad scientist
Overacts
Diabolical laughter

J. Jonah Jamieson : Edits Daily Bugle
Has flat top
Makes ill-advised judgements
Only funny character

ACTING

Peter / Spidey Tobey Maguire - Wide eyed excitement but tempered with annoying soppy soft-spoken demeanour. Not my image of the character but Stan Lee likes him so what do I know?

Mary Jane Watson: Kirsten Dunst - Sell out scream queen! All she does is yell a lot. In the comics she’s a model but Kirsten couldn't pull that off so settles as a wannabe actress. Bad wig good figure.

Norman Osborn / Green Goblin - Overacts as the diabolical baddie. Hammier than Donald Sindon. Doesn’t convince as a nutter or as a baddie.

J Jonah Jamieson: J.K Simmons steals the show as the hypocritical and cowardly newspaper boss. Has the line "Crap crap crap" is he looking at the cast list?

THOUGHTS

It is of course churlish to nit pick the acting in a film that is aimed squarely at its target audience. It’s fast paced and there is an action scene around every corner.

The
special effects are good but not ground breaking. There is a lot of obviously computer-generated stuff but on the whole it works. The costume is really good and I'm glad the kept the red and blue outfit - James Cameron had seemingly planned to use the black outfit Spidey wore for a brief time in the comics. The green Goblin on the other hand was badly mishandled. In the comic he's goblin like - not like the emotionless robot face we get here.

The Twin Towers disaster seemingly affected this New York production and one scene did look tacked on. As Spidey fights, the goblin is hit by missiles thrown by a mob "We New Yorkers stick together" they yell, doubtlessly from a sound stage months after filming ended!

There is a lot for the fans with references to Eddie and Dr Conners two future enemies for Spider-Man namely the Lizard and Venom. I'd have liked a few more chances taken with what ultimately was a pretty predictable film. The sequels will doubtlessly hold more interest and hopefully my favourite Mysterio will show up!

Summary: