Rich On Spider-Man

Rich on Reception goes to the movies

I was crazy about a girl at school. I was Mr Average and she was, well, beautiful I loved everything about her but all I wanted was for her to notice me. I was just a geeky kid with glasses who couldn't do anything to impress her. I'd bully younger kids and buy her lunch with their money or do her homework, but none of it was good enough for her. She had a boyfriend, he was cool and I wasn't.

That was, until the day that changed my life. There we were on a school trip to the Hoover Dam, she was taking photos and I was standing nearby. To this day I swear I saw something appear from nowhere, knocking her over the edge. With incredible, cat-like reflexes, I flew through the air and stretched out to catch her. It was perfect, I'd finally show her that I was no man, I was a hero. Ordinary and Rich were two words that could never be paired in the same breath again.

Alas, I had made a mistake. The air was thin at that height and I had apparently lost consciousness briefly. In a daydream I had stumbled over my own feet and inadvertently pushed her over the edge myself. The fall was long and painful and the poor girl spent the rest of her school days in a wheelchair. Her boyfriend beat me to a pulp, I was on permanent detention and no one spoke to me a school again, not even the teachers.

Alter-ego

Ah well. It's not an issue for me anymore. She can walk again with those Forrest Gump style leg braces, and I'm a better person for the experience. If only life could be like in the movies, though. Last night I watched Spider-Man. In typical super-hero fashion, things obviously went a little better for Peter Parker, although I found the geek-getting-noticed bit a little more unrealistic than the geek-firing-webs-from-his-wrists.

The first feature film version of the Spider-Man story has been a long time in coming. Studios battled over rights, the story was written and rewritten and stars and directors came and went, but now it's here, I have to say it's worth at least some of the hype.

Tobey Maguire is Peter Parker. A high school geek who fancies the girl-next-door, Kirsten Dunst's Mary-Jane. After being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, Peter suddenly finds himself capable of extraordinary spider-like things. In the meantime, Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn is busy running into trouble with the government as he attempts to create a superhuman formula for the military. After testing it on himself, he goes a little crazy and the alter-ego known as the Green Goblin is created.

Taking on Batman

It's a standard comic book opening. I immediately thought they'd made the film just as I pictured it. I enjoy watching a film that makes feel like you could have written it yourself. Especially with a comic book adaptation which is always going to upset at least some of the hardcore fans. After the initial spider bite, Parker's transformation is very effective. In fact my favourite scenes would be as he learns to jump, throw webs and stick to walls. Maguire is really what makes the difference. After all the names linked to the role it was a surprise to hear Maguire had nabbed it but it's clear why. By not being a typical action star he brings a more personal touch to the role and it's hard not to smile, as he does, when he discovers his new-found powers.

Because the story revolves around Peter Parker as much as Spider-Man, the action scenes are well balanced. It inevitably takes on bits of other comic book movies - most notably Batman - but it's hard to tell whether this is simply because comic book movies follow the same pattern or whether the makers saw Tim Burton's efforts one too many times.

The director, Sam Raimi, is certainly not known for big-budget popcorn movies like this but apparently this wasn't a problem. He has coaxed great performances from the actors and created a New York that's dark but without the depths Joel Schumacher sank to in the last two Batman movies. Casting Maguire and not an A-list actor was a brave but very good move, as it appears the era of big-name stars is passing.

Set formula

But it's not simply down to Maguire; the other performers are equally well cast. Daefoe steals scenes with a regularity that only Alan Rickman can rival. His sneering Green Goblin hogs the limelight and his purposeful, melodramatic acting as Norman Osborn is perfectly suited to the film. Then there's Kirsten Dunst who looks as good as is her acting. The Mary Jane character has more depth than the usual damsel in distress - and then there's the chemistry with Maguire, which is clear to see.

Parker's friend Harry is clearly one for future Spider-Man movies. In fact that's where it succeeds most. Setting up a series of movies while still making the first a standalone feature is a toughie. George Lucas himself nearly came unstuck but here they've managed to create the beginnings of what will surely be a highly successful franchise without sacrificing the quality of the opening movie.

The action scenes are a lot more original than the recent Blade II, although it's hard to tell now whether the use of The Matrix leaning-back-with-a-spinning-camera shot is part and parcel of action scenes or blatant pilfering. Either way the CGI elements enhance the action instead of dominating. The movie is by no means original - it's prepared to a set formula, so there's nothing to really knock you back in surprise.

Surefire hit

It's a super-hero action movie that should be a surefire hit, although comic book creations have often proved a waste of time (The Phantom, The Shadow, Captain America), which goes to show how well they've done in making a super-hero movie be as cool as this one. It's by no means a classic but it's impressive and enjoyable stuff and everything is there to make it a huge success.

Not as good as Batman, but maybe the modern-day effects, with tight script and story, push it on a par with Superman. From what I gather, Warner Bros are making a new version of Batman. But they're probably already starting to suffer from a little arachnophobia.

Rich
Unit 2 Reception
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