Series Review: Spider-Man
Let me preface this series review by stating that as a child Spider-Man was by far one of my favorite comic books ever. I read all three of the series that were out at the time and was very loyal in making sure that I got each new issue. So when they started making Spider-Man films ten years back, I was pretty pleased to see the webslinger finally getting his time on the big screen. This was before comic book movies started to hit big and the only other super heroes to have any good screen time were Batman (courtesy of Tim Burton) and Superman. Here I will take a brief look at each of the movies from the original trilogy as well as the latest film and the potential continuation of the series into infinity.
Spider-Man (2002) -
There was one major thing that made the first Spider-Man film so good - Sam Raimi. The Evil Dead director attached his name to the trilogy and the first installment was great. We get a look at Peter Parker as he first discovers his powers, the fateful decision to become a hero and then his imminent battle against the Green Goblin. Skipping right over some of the hero’s early story, Raimi brings in the better-known Mary Jane Watson as the love interest, a role played fairly well by Kirsten Dunst. We also get Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and one of my favorites, James Franco as Harry Osborn.
Despite it being less serious than super hero films try to be today, the first Spider-Man film was pure gold. It was a fun ride through the character’s world with a classic bad guy. For a fan of the comic, there was little more than could have been done to make it better. The only thing that slows it down at all is the necessity for an origin story. Raimi captures the comic book essence well and gives us a movie that we can watch over and over. Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, however, is a decision that many, including myself, still debate the wisdom of.
Spider-Man 2 (2004) -
The next installment picks up two years after the last flick left off. This time around, however, Spidey must face off against a different classic villain, Doctor Octopus (played brilliantly by Alfred Molina). The romance story between Peter and MJ continues even as Peter’s best friend Harry continues to nurse his hatred of Spider-Man as the killer of his father, helping the villain in the process.
This one takes a turn from the first in that the enemy also happens to be Peter’s friend. Still, Spider-Man can not turn away from saving the city and so has to make the decision to either fight or try to save the Doc. In the end, we get a scene of redemption, but again Raimi kills off the main baddie (a horrible habit that persisted through many early super hero flicks). This movie is widely regarded as even better than the first, and I think that a lot of that has to do with the fact that with no origin story, Raimi had more time to tell the tale he wanted to. As far as the trilogy as a whole goes, it was the last one before the franchise fell head-first into the toilet.
Spider-Man 3 (2007) -
The third Spider-Man flick pits Spidey against three villains, The Sandman, Venom and a returned Green Goblin (this time Harry in his dad’s suit). Due to some contact with the evil that is the entity known as Venom, Peter goes totally emo. Fights ensue and eventually Peter must face off against his best friend.
There’s little more to say about Spider-Man 3 than that. There is a tale that is told about Sam Raimi and his reluctance to use Venom in a Spider-Man film due to his dislike of the character. If this tale is true, the producers forced it upon him, recognizing Venom’s fan appeal. Thus, Raimi turned out a piece of crap intentionally. I would hazard a guess that three villain stories in the same film had more to do with it than that. There is almost no time devoted to telling any sort of a story in this one and some of the scenes are so campy that it looks like Raimi got confused and thought he was back on the set of Army of Darkness. You have to see the third flick to finish the trilogy, but don’t expect to like it too much.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) -
The recent Spider-Man reboot switched out Maguire for a new actor, Andrew Garfield, and the series is much better for it. Unfortunately, director Marc Webb isn’t Raimi and the movie is worse for that. Amazing Spider-Man, while it is a Spider-Man story, plays with a lot of the character's background and adds lots of new elements. There’s nothing there that makes Spidey too different, just a bit of tweaking. Personally, that didn’t bother me too much, though some were irate over it.
The new story pits Spidey against Doc Connors, an acquaintance of Parkers who ends up mutating himself into The Lizard. Peter must learn to deal with his newfound powers while at the same time stopping Lizard from taking people out. Fights ensue. In the meanwhile, Peter falls for Gwen Stacy (a more faithful recreation of Spidey’s earlier years).
The best things to me about the reboot are Garfield and Emma Stone (who plays Stacy). They have a great on-screen chemistry and both play their roles very well. Only later, once the movie starts to be taken over by action, does it fall apart. It becomes somewhat inexplicable and though the action scenes are fun to watch, they never quite reach the level that some of Raimi’s did. Still, a pretty decent start to the franchise reboot.
The Future of Spider-Man -
Columbia Pictures has their hands firmly on this franchise and they’re not willing to let it rest. In addition to Amazing Spider-Man 2, which arrives summer of next year, they’ve already committed to a third and fourth installment. Every two years, we will get another Amazing Spider-Man film. The next is still being directed by Marc Webb, so we’ll see if he’s improved over the first flick. If not, I hope they can get someone else for the next two. Assuming
If you want a look at what Amazing Spider-Man 2 is bringing to the table, you can head over to this site and check out a compiled list of all the spoilers that have been released so far. Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait until next year.
Photo Credits -
Tobey Maguire Spider-Man courtesy of collider.com
Andrew Garfield Spider-Man courtesy of nme.com
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