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Spider-Man [2002]
Sam Raimi gives it all a bright, airy, kinetic feel, with wonderful aerial stuff as Spider-Man escapes from his troubles by swinging between skyscrapers, and the rethink of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's origin story is managed with a canny mix of faithfulness (JK Simmons' as the crass editor JJ Jameson is the image of the comic character) and send-up (after a big introduction, Spider-Man finally appears in a really rubbish first attempt at a spider costume). Maguire and the impossibly sweet Dunst make it work as a hesitant teen romance, but somehow the second half, which brings on the villain to give the hero someone to fight, is only exciting when it wants to be affecting too. --Kim Newman On the DVD: Spider-Man's two-disc offering is nothing out of the ordinary, but fans will find some gems here including Stan Lee's thoughts, a gallery of comic cover art and profiles on the baddies. The two commentaries (cast and crew, and Special Effects) both have long periods with pauses, but the special effects guys are full of insight. The DVD-ROM section offers some of the more exciting features, including three comics transferred onto your computer, page by page, although be aware that the "Film to Comic" comparison is not for the original but for the new comic of the film. As you would expect from a blockbuster superhero film, the sound and vision are immaculate. --Nikki Disney ReviewsLook out... Here comes the Spider-Man Review date: 2008-07-08 Rating: 8 out of 10 There were super hero movies before Spider-Man, and many of them were very good, but the glut of summer box office films drawn from the genre really began here. If Spidey's appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 back in the early sixties started the Marvel Age of Comics then this piece of box office gold kickstarted the Marvel Age of Movies. The story revolves around nerdy Peter Parker, smart, likeable, and decent who is bitten by a genetically altered spider and gains the proportionate abilities of a human sized arachnid. Initially just taken with the idea of using his new gifts to make money, Peter's life is turned upside down when a tragedy strikes his elderly Uncle Ben- a tragedy for which our hero blames himself. This drives Pete to create the identity of Spider-Man to battle crime but he soon meets a greater threat in the form of the cackling Green Goblin. Its a story that children have been exposed to through comics and cartoons for over 40 years and Spidey is part of our modern mythology so Sam Raimi sensibly doesn't dwell on the origin story too much and allows plenty of room for the antagonism between the hero and villain of the piece to breathe. As the Goblin repeatedly threatens New York and, after discovering Spider-Man's secret identity, Peter's loved ones (there's a fairly harrowing scene involving him threatening Peter's elderly Aunt May) it forges our hero into a man. Its all done rather well. Peter Parker is an ordinary boy with ordinary dreams, he wants to be able to provide for his elderly guardians, he wants the girl next door, and even as Spider-Man he can't bounce bullets off of his eyeball. Tobey Maguire is brilliant in this role because he gets that and helps the audience get it. Maguire is nerdy-goodlooking and seems sweet in the role which captures the essence of Peter Parker wonderfully. He's supported by a strong cast as Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson dispense homespun wisdom and warmth in a manner that makes anyone wish for them as grandparents, JK Simmons chews up the scenery in a hilarious turn as caustic newspaper publisher J Jonah Jameson, and James Franco does a nice job as Peter's rich and handsome best friend Harry. Willem Dafoe has fun as Harry's father Norman, and the villain of the piece the Green Goblin. His scenes of schizophrenic self-doubt are not on a par with the similar Gollum scenes from the Lord of the Rings but they do the job nicely. Probably most surprising is Kirsten Dunst who seems miscast in theory but in practice gives us a very sweet Mary Jane and plays nicely off of both Maguire and Franco. The direction is frothy and colourful and the script is punchy and knowing and really sets a standard for other movies of its genre. Like Dunst Sam Raimi seemed an odd choice for a movie this big and a character this iconic but he does a great job. Some of the CGI effects of the web-slinger swinging about NYC looked a bit cartoony at the time, and moreso now, and there's a slight sagging part way through but Spider-Man is still brilliant entertainment and can be watched time and time again. The Best Comic Book Movie Next To Batman Returns Review date: 2008-06-21 Rating: 10 out of 10 This review will be split into three sections, they will be The Story, The Characters & The Verdict. This will give you a fair and true description of the movie and its characters and will give you my personal opinion of the movie which should help you make an informed decision on whether to watch this film for the first time or whether to stay away like you have already done for six years. The Story: Tobey Maguire plays Peter Parker an aspiring photographer who one day is taking pictures of his crush Mary Jane Watson for the "School Newspaper" when he's bitten by a radioactive spider. After the incident Peter goes through a change and gains powers that are similar to a spider, he can walk up walls, shoot web, he gains super human strength, agility and has the ability to sense danger before it comes. One day after Peter uses his powers to take part in a wrestling event to try and win some money, his uncle Ben is shot dead, Peter discovers that his uncle was shot by the man he'd let pass by after stealing money from the wrestling promoter who'd cheated Peter out of money. Peter tracks down the criminal and through a series of incidents the man is killed for which Peter makes the decision to become a superhero, thus giving birth to the phrase "With great power comes great responsibility." The best friend of Peter, Harry Osbourne is the son of the CEO of Ozcorp Industries Norman Osbourne. Ozcorp industries develop weapons and other experimental devices for the United States Army, they're also working on an experimental treatment that would increase the speed and strength of soldiers. One night Norman tests this treatment on himself, but something goes wrong with the treatment and it develops an alternate evil personality that we come to know as the Green Goblin. The Characters: Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker was a genius choice to make and at the time he was chosen, Tobey was very much an unknown actor but he's now an A-Lister and it's thanks to his stellar performance as the troubled Peter Parker. You gain this sympathy for Peter as he's the typical geek who always gets the worst of everything, you begin to feel like you really want him to succeed in getting the girl and getting the great career being a photographer for the Daily Bugle. Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane was again a genius choice of casting as the chemistry between the two was something inspirational. Kirsten is a really good fit for this character and through the movie you expect her to go with Harry but you know she really wants the excuse she's looking for to get with Peter. To be able to convince the viewer that you're going to go in the opposite direction than is obvious for the story to progress is something special and I hope if there is a Spiderman 4 then these are the first two to get re-signed as the main characters. Willem Dafoe: I've never really been familiar with Willems work and I think a lot of people went into this movie and said "who the hell is he?" when he first came on the screen. After about the first half hour and after first seeing him play the psychotic Green Goblin, we came to realise that although to many casual movie goers he may have been an unknown we came to recognise that he was the perfect choice for this part. The Verdict: Many would agree that the Spider-Man character is Marvels greatest creation and the mainstream success of this movie would not dispute that in the slightest. Personally I loved this film, the action sequences between Spidey and the Goblin are intense and something that although they're minimal they get the job done in establishing the characters and the story. The relationship between MJ & Peter is at times heart wrenching as you first see that Peter is starting to win her over then when he saves her as Spidey she's won over by him. Peter becomes stuck in sort of a four way relationship and one of the other people he's competing with is himself. Because of the reason he can't tell MJ he's spidey it becomes heartbreaking to see her love struck by him and yet Peter can't tell her that he's Spiderman. This is a really good movie that gives us a great blend of both character development and action. It takes a completely fantasy element like an average man getting superpowers and puts it in the real world setting with real characters that people can relate to, this is something Stan Lee set out to do when originally creating the spiderman character and this is something that is carried on with the movie. rubbish overated rubbish Review date: 2008-06-07 Rating: 2 out of 10 cant belive this is so highly rated this is bland,boring and predictable the cgi is awful and the acting below par.this is a misfire good family fantasy Review date: 2008-04-20 Rating: 8 out of 10 This adaptation of the Marvel comic about an ordinary guy being turned into a spider brings out some wonderful stories, a great tale of the human spirit in Sam Raimi's 2002 hit. Tobey McGuire (Seabiscuit) stars as high school student Peter Parker who gets bitten by a super spider on a class trip and with issues regarding the love of his life, school and his family, Parker's life is changing dramatically. Having never read any of the comics but seeing the odd cartoon episode on the TV I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting when I first rented this film out but it was a very pleasing watch, filled with action suspense and a good plot for the whole family to enjoy. McGuire fits the role of the stereotypical teen brilliantly. He plays the role quietly and through the narration we get a sense of his true feelings. I wasn't a fan of this technique but it was good to get more depth to the intriguing character as he goes through very difficult and interesting changes. Dunst (Interview with the Vampire) plays Parker's love interest Mary Jane. There is good chemistry between the two actors and although the dialogue is cheesy and predictable, it is kinda sweet. The infamous upside down kiss was very well directed and probably the best onscreen kiss I've seen. Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the vampire) is excellent as Norman Osborne, perhaps the best performance of the film. His portray of good and evil makes his performance varied and intriguing. The mirror scene was a brilliant acting moment to emphasise the contrasts. The plot is fairly consistent. The drama behind scenarios involving Uncle Ben and the change into Spiderman are brilliant whereas some of the teenage school scenes are conventional, predictable especially the opening scene on the bus. The direction and special effects are great and the whole ideology of the hero is brilliant making it an enjoyable and thought provoking superhero fantasy. 8/10 Product Details/SpecificationsActor(s): Tobey Maguire|Willem Dafoe|Kirsten Dunst|James Franco Creators: Tobey Maguire|Willem Dafoe|Kirsten Dunst|James Franco (Primary Contributor) Director(s): Recording label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment EAN: 5035822216136 Binding: DVD Number of items: 2 Format: Anamorphic, Box set, PAL, Widescreen, Release date: 2002-11-25 Number of discs: 2 Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Region code: 2 Running time: 116 minutes Theatrical release date: 2002-05-03 Language: English (Original Language) Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired) Language: Dutch (Subtitled) Language: English (Subtitled) Language: Hindi (Subtitled)
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