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88%
4.17 

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Spider-Man Movie Reviews

Super Romeo & Spider Man 2
Jul 26, 2004 05:57 PM 2295 Views

After so much of advertisement and publicity, Spider Man 2 released in India last week. I happened to see it on Friday. But I must say that I was very much disappointed to see the movie and wondering if Spider man was a super hero or a Romeo?


Like the other super hero movies like Superman and Batman, this movie did not make an impression on me. I felt that Spider Man 1 was much better than this part. The movie revolves around some concept of energy creation by a scientist whom the Spider Man character Peter Parker admires in college. The scientist is working on an experiment for many years of his life and this experiment of his fails, which kills his wife and turns him into a monster. A friend of Peter Parker also has some grudges for Spider Man and thus wants him to be dead and orders this scientist-monster to kill Spider Man. The scientist-monster makes a deal with this friend of Spider Man in exchange of some chemical, which he needs to generate more energy and control the universe.


In the end when Peter?s friend realizes that Peter is Spider Man and he cannot kill his friend. In the mean time, scientist-monster already starts his experiment and obviously, it is none other than Spider Man who goes to stop him. Scientist-monster also keeps Mary in captivity so that she does not go out and call cops, which would interfere in his experiment. Finally, it?s the hero Spider Man who fights with monster, which turns back to scientist. But, the experiment is already out of control and thus the scientist decides to sacrifice his life.


The story is simple and straightforward. But in this version of Spider Man movie, the so-called super hero seems to be a very weak character and does not deserve to be called as super hero. In a fight with the scientist-monster, Spider Man?s identity gets exposed as he removes his mask. His outfit tears at number of places.


On the other hand, Peter Parker seems to be confused to decide if he wants to become a super hero or wants to be with his girlfriend neighbor. In addition to this, 70% of the time the movie revolves around Peter and his girlfriend Mary rather than Spider Man and his heroics. Spider Man also looses his powers in the movie suddenly and gains them with the same speed. The worst part of the movie I felt was that, Mary mentions that she already knows that Peter is Spider Man.


If you have seen the Super Man movies, I can certainly say that those movies were far superior to the Spider Man. Although, this is a fantasy movie, Super Man?s character does feel to be a super hero?s due to tremendous powers he possesses and the way he fights the evil.


Special effects in the Spider Man movie were also not very impressive and I found that they were much better in ?The day after tomorrow?.


Overall, I can say one can watch the movie once so that you don?t get disconnected in case the Spider Man 3 is released. But don?t keep lot of expectations from the movie?


Spider-man 2 : A summer treat
Jul 03, 2004 04:38 AM 2547 Views

Action and Thriller


Spiderman 2 outdoes the first in every area. The special effects are much neater and more real. The balance between the real actor doing the stunts and GGI was much better. The fighting chorography was incredible. It must be dreadfully hard to map out 10 minute fight sequences with superhero flouncing all over the place with just 4 arms and legs, but with Dr. Oct's 8. Its absolutely mind-blowing and it was amazing. Dr. Oct was just an awesome bad guy and played wonderfully by Alfred Molina. Although Willem Dafoe did an amazing job playing the ''Green Goblin'' Doc Oct was just so much cooler.


Love story


The chemistry between Maguire and Dunst was still great and I think both of their individual performances were better as well. Their characters are much deeper in this movie and I think Maguire and Dunst felt that and really got in touch with their characters.


Humor


The surprise element of the movie that made it better then the first was the humor. This movie was really very funny at times. It starts with the corkiness of Peter Parker and goes on to make references to the problems in casting Maguire for this sequel. He almost couldn't do it because of back problems, but obviously he is ok now, and they made a joke about it in the movie when spiderman was trying to get his powers back.(they leave him from time to time) He thought he got them back when he believed he was going to clear the gap betweens 2 buildings and he yelled ''I'm back, I'm back'' but then he fell 2 stories and yelled, ''My back, My back'' which was really very funny. Also one of my favorite characters is the self centered, ''do this, no don't do that'' newspaper cheif, Jameson. I think he is hilarious.


Emotional


The plot of this movie consists of spiderman 2 years after the first one, without any money and always too tired to do his homework in college. Mary Jane is trying to move on from Peter Parker and is engaged to an astronaut. Peter's science hero, Dr. Otto Octavius losing control of an experiment and becomes a mad scientist that retreats to a life of crime in order to finish his scientific work. Harry Osbourn takes over his father's company and the tension between him and Parker grows. Spiderman wants to live a normal life and give up being spiderman, but the city needs him. Fight between good and evil.


Just like Peter Parker is no ordinary boy, this is no ordinary superhero movie, Its a love story, and action film, a visual masterpiece, and a cherry filled with humor on top. Best movie of the summer you will fall in love with the story.


Spiderman
Jul 17, 2003 11:08 AM 2480 Views

Spiderman is one of my favorite movie. In my childhood days I loved to read Spiderman comics. But after the picturization of the movie I like it. Spiderman has a connection with Mask. Both they are disguise in their homes. Peter perker is those type of man.


The movie is fine, Action is super. But sometimes there is some fultoo dialogues which takes minds away from cinema. Spiderman has many stories. This is one of them. Perhaps in future they will make another 2 or 3 movies on it. The multimedia effects and computer graphics are excellent in this movie. This is one of my favorite movie.


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Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman...
Jul 15, 2003 01:08 PM 2309 Views

I still remember vividly the first day when I first saw Spiderman in Doordarshan, when I was in class 4 or 5!!! From that day onwards, I fell in love with this wall crawler. You wouldn't believe, I often fold two fingers of my hands and imagine a web shooting out and clutching the wall!!!


Trust me, Im doing this even today!! I still have that Spiderman mask with me, which I got free along with Bournvita/Boost when I was in Class 8. I'm still hoping that someday Cartoon Network will re-run the Spiderman series again. I'm sure there are millions of kids, guys, men across age, gender, region, who were/are mesmerized by this comic strip character.


Such is the magnitude of this character when it was seen either on comic strip or as a cartoon character. So when I first heard, Spiderman movie, was coming out in May 2002, I paid 100 bucks to my local VCD shop guy to give me the best copy and for the first view. Oh what a wait it was.... But ultimately I did saw and here is what I have to say.. (ofcourse, Im writing it after a long time, cause I was not around in MS then !!!. Anyway, I did see it again yesterday....)


"With great power, comes great responsibilities. Is this my gift or is it my curse.." is what Spiderman aka Toby says. The tone, the mellowness, the irony and yes the heavy heart is more than evident in that voice & the line. Simply Hats off....


The Story


Peter Parker (Toby Maguire) is a very soft-spoken typical good kid brought up by his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), since he lost his parents in a very young age. He is a regular college student also working as a photographer for the newspaper Daily Bugle of Queens, New York. The Publisher of this daily, J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), is a never satisfied character and always demands more from his employees. Because of his shy nature, he could hardly speak a word to a girl, let alone be-friend and date his beautiful college mate Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).


Fate has its way when his class visits a laboratory which is experimenting on spiders, and a genetically altered spider, which escaped from its enclosure, bites him. Next day Peter finds his deep focal lens glass is blurred and he could see clearly without his glasses. He sees his body is all pumped up with muscles and feels very strong!! To his own dismay, he finds he has the power of a spider : sticking to walls, running on walls, also spider webs come out of his wrist and the best of all the ''Spidey-sense" which warns him of any danger that is on its way.


Peter hones his skill in using his web, crawling on the ceiling etc. But he never thinks of becoming a superhero. But that gets forced on him when a burglar whom he didnt apprehend, kills his Uncle ben. Thats when his uncle's words ''With great power, comes great responsibility'' makes him to decide what he becomes : SPIDERMAN...


Peter's friend Harry has a meglomaniac-cum-businessman father Norman Osborn (William Dafoe), whose experimental formula blows up in his face, increasing his intelligence and strength, but making him insane and evil : Green Goblin. Then you have the regular fight-against-evil with Goblin trying to be-friend spiderman, when that fails, he tries to destroy him by killing all those he loves. It starts with Aunt May then his heartthrob Jane. Spiderman has to decide between his love-of-his-life and those many innocent lives, which to save. Ultimately, Goblin is destroyed and Peter & Jane are all set to appear in Spiderman 2!!!


Story (4/5)


The movie does justice to the comic strip and stays within the realms of what is known to billions of people very many years ago. Just one doubt. See Peter only gets the power of clinging to walls, the spidey web, he creates and puts a mechanism in his hand that releases that web. But the movie says otherwise, correct me if im wrong.


Otherwise its a dedicated letter-to-letter reproduction of the comic strip. so decent marks for it.


Plot (4/5)


Some scenes were really nail-biting. Like the one when Norman goes to Peter's room to check if he is there, all the while peter hanging on the wall!! Good suspense. Despite the fact that the plot is a time-tested-and-proven one, the way it has been unravelled on the screen is real good.


Action (4/5)


Spectacular action scenes, especially with Goblin and Spiderman, its a small nuke. Dont miss it on BIG Screen....


Special Effects (4/5)


Lets face it this is a high budget movie comes from 20th Century Fox and few people from James Cameron circle. Obviously the special effects are superlative. Spidey's swing is amazing. The balcony scene when Goblin makes his first appearance is also very beautiful....


Cast (4/5)


Toby Macquire is the PERFECT choice for the character of Peter Parker. We were told that actually the studio wanted a more bankable lead : Di Caprio or Heath Ledger. But Director Raimi stuck to his guns on Toby. Also Kirstin Dunst is a nice choice. I personally would have preferred a more gorgeous one probably (a bigsmile).....


The best selection of cast was for Norman's : William Daffoe. See Norman is basically good guy, but his experiment leaves him with an alter ego which controls the ''good guy'' and always convincing him that all it has done is for his power... And Dafoe has to walk the thin line between madness & sanity, good and evil, all the while invoking a sense of compassion. This I feel is not brought out by most of the villains we see in super hero movies or normal ones.


Direction (4/5)


Bringing the one who made powerful TV characters like ''Hercules'' and ''Xena'' and who rattled viewers in their seat with ''Evil Dead'' movie series, was really a good move and the movie did hit pay-dirt. The actual director for this movie back in 80s was James Cameron, but he left the project to do Titanic, when this project was hit by a slew of suits.


Anyway wonderful piece of direction. Good job.


Overall (5/5)


I Simply couldnt resist giving 5/5 for this. You can call me ''biased''. That song of the cartoon series of Doordarshan ''Spider man, spider man, friendly neighbourhood spiderman...'' is ringing in my ears what can I do :(


;)


Can't believe it was one of the top grossers of al
Mar 08, 2003 09:39 AM 2014 Views

Looks like it is the time of super-heroes who are mere mortals by birth time in US.


First Superman then Batman, now Spiderman. Well, it looks like an excellent idea to cash in on age-old heroes of the comics. Daredevil, Hulk are also in the works. You see a pattern here. Don't you?


The comics was an excellent one, so was the TV Serial which was ever so popular even in India, though telecasted a little later, for it's sheer content and entertainment.


If you look for such an entertainment in a fast-paced manner in this movie, you are definitely mistaken. It has some awesome computer-graphics and a thin-line romance.


Couldn't buy in the line ''with great power, comes great responsibility'', should it have been, ''chastity''. This line was widely talked about in US.


I was one of those who watched this movie in the first weekend of release. Watched with a house-full of american families.


I would say that the movie didn't provide me with the buck's worth. When you compare the movies that came around this time, I would surely say that this was one of the best.


Comic Book Comedy
Feb 10, 2003 02:27 PM 2064 Views

A classic comic book brought to life with a little of what we expected. It isn’t difficult to see why this cartoon character, brought to life movie is a hit! Tobey MacGuire is (Peter Parker, soon to be a.k.a “Spider-Man”), the ‘nerdy’ pick of the school bullies, and has a craving crush on the girl next door and school beauty, Mary Jane (played by an all grown up Kristen Dunst), Hint: She also played as the little girl in Interview With a Vampire opposite Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Kind of ‘freaky’ that Parker watches Mary Jane almost every morning, or every chance he gets, as she prepares for school. James Franco portrays Harry, Parker’s best friend, and son of wealthy scientist Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe).


During a school trip to a scientific museum, to study different species of spiders, Parker is bitten by a genetically engineered spider, while attentively photographing the girl of his dreams for the school’s newspaper. Once home, he lazily stumbles pass his Aunt Mae and Uncle Ben, ignores their questions, and heads straight for his bedroom. Knowing that something is happening, he tries to undress himself but is too sick to do so, misses the bed and falls to the floor, quivering from chills.


Meanwhile, in the scientific lab of millionaire Norman Osborn, having recently received a threat by the military, Osborn feels forced to produce a human-altering drug, or lose the funding. In his attempt to prove everyone wrong and keep the funds for the program, Osborn decides to take matters into his own hands and try the drug himself, with the aide of his seemingly nervous assistant. What happens next is comic book anticipated. Osborn transforms into the evil, murderous Green Goblin, killing his assistant merely because he made an untimely remark “we need to take the experiment back to formula.”


Awakens Parker, feeling better than ever. A glance in the mirror reveals a new form. His appearance has changed dramatically. Unknowingly, Parker can now climb walls, has superhuman strength, speed of lightning, and extra sensory perception (you know, he knows when something is going to happen before it happens). While the Green Goblin is gliding around the city taking out those he feel wronged him, and caused him to lose his research company, Parker is discovering new things about himself. He is no longer considered the nerd of the school when he single-handedly takes out one of the school’s worst bullies, Flash, after accidentally slinging a webbed lunch tray onto his back.


This is an incredibly fun movie with a taste of comedy. Learning to use his web powers, Parker creates laughable scenes. In an attempt to find out what Parker is up to, his uncle offers him a ride to the library (or so he thinks), so they can have a moment to talk. Uninterested in what his uncle is saying, Parker lashes out at his uncle. His only concern at this moment is to enter into a three-minute amateur wrestling contest to win $3,000 so he can buy a car to impress the girl of his dreams (Mary Jane). Once in the ring, Parker shows off his newfound powers, and wins the match. The shady fight promoter never intends to pay Peter the full $3000, and pays him only $100 instead, by using the weak excuse that Parker did not stay the full three minutes required to win the money. Enters a rough-faced robber, who robs the promoter at gunpoint, takes the bag of money, and runs freely past Parker, who gets his chance to return the favor to the crooked promoter. Unknowingly, the same crook Parker let passes, is about to murder his Uncle Ben in a car jacking. Walking home, Parker discovers that his Uncle has been murdered, and goes after the killer. Now he begins to use his spider powers a little better as he swings from building to building, perching on poles until he catches up with the killer recklessly driving his Uncle’s stolen car.


After revenging his Uncle’s death, and graduating high school, Parker remembers the words his uncle said to him, ''With great power comes great responsibility.'' Parker is now ready to live up to his name as ''Spider-Man.'' He uses his powers for the good of humanity, including over-protecting Mary Jane.


The only lame image is that of the Green Goblin. The body-hugging green suit is a cruel joke. It’s not enough that we know who is behind the Goblin mask, but his face is more than visible. He’s not at all the comic book macho monstrosity expected. At least there is a lot of promotional advertising of Spider-Man collectibles for kids of all ages to collect. Regardless, this is still a good comic book classic come to life movie.


Friendly neighbourhood spiderman !!!
Dec 23, 2002 09:10 PM 2319 Views

aka: The maha baap of every Superhero movie you've seen so far!


Rating: Jhakas


Plot: Peter Parker is the boy next door, the high school lad who lives with his uncle and aunty. Peter's the science topper and that's about the only thing that's going right for him. He's the type of guy whose successful day begins with him chasing after the school bus, but not for long as things are about to change for him.


On a science field trip, Peter gets bitten by a genetically altered spider and there begins the ultimate spin of his life. Overnight his tech specs change - he gets rippling muscles, perfect vision, the ability to crawl up walls, leap over buildings, spin gooey stuff from his wrists, etc. This is every scrawny boy's dreams come true and how? (Thankfully he didn't grow 3 additional pairs of spider feet!)


The zero soon becomes a hero, but as his Uncle Ben would say, ''with great power comes great responsibility'' and our hero gradually learns (and many times the hard way) what it really means.


The rich kid Harry Osborn (James Franco) is Peter's close pal, and it's Harry's father Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe)- ''a small scientist himself'' who morphs into Spiderman's arch nemesis- Green Goblin.


Thus the stage is set for the traditional fight between good and evil, magnified to 'Super' proportions and portrayed brilliantly on film.


It's a swinging cast and all of them are extremely believable. Tobey Maguire impresses as the guy next door and Kirsten Dunst as the girl every guy will want next door. Willem Dafoe the green Goblin is menacing enough and don't forget to notice that his mask is an extreme cartoon version of his own face, minus the ever open mouth.


Side Plot: Parker's friend Harry successfully makes the first move on the girl (Dunsten) Parker's been in love since the first grade.


Superhero he may be, but Spiderman faces the perpetual problem of never being able to please all sections of his society. (Yes I know, it is a kinda universal problem ?)


Whistle when:


1) Spidey swings not just both ways, but every way! All the aerial and action scenes are amazing… the spider leap, the spider sense, and the Goblin-Spidey wars, extremely paisa vasool stuff. The special FX kick ass.


2) His costume is truly spectacular- very smart and edgy and as cool as you'd have hoped it would be. (Seems it was developed at an approximate cost of Rs.30 lakh!!)


3) Every time Kirsten Dunst appears!


Go to the loo when:The emotional bits happen… the uncle-aunty-nephew-girlfriend connections. (But these scenes are essential to ensure that the viewer connects/bonds with the characters unlike movies like Harry Potter, etc.)


Starring: Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), Harry Osborn (James Franco), Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe).


Director: Sam Raimi


Cast and Crew Details - IMDB.com


Splitting Webs
Dec 11, 2002 12:38 AM 1986 Views

Plot Kid photographer (Peter Parker) has freak accident where he is bitten by a radioactive spider and turns into, you guessed it, Spiderman, who's words to live by as taught to him by his Uncle Ben are ''With great power comes great responsibility''.


Evaluation Unfortunately depending on who you talk to, some one who read all the Spiderman comics and grew up with the legend or some one who had not, you will get two completely different opinions on this movie. So right off the bat I will tell you what IS wrong with it. The movie takes many liberties with the Spiderman ''history'' and changes quite a bit of it. Purists will say that this is what kills the movie. So if you are a purist you will probably want to stop reading this review right now. However, if you are one of those who doesn't know the Spiderman history or for that matter doesn't care and can judge a movie on it's merit alone then what follows is why I thought this movie was so good.


The casting of Spiderman played surprisingly well by newcomer Tobey MaGuire was sheer genius. It takes guts to go with an unknown in a movie but in this case it was the right decision. MaGuire's Spiderman was sensitive, thoughtful but at the same time determined to fight evil at almost any cost. The rest of the cast is fine as well especially the casting of The Green Goblin. But it is MaGuire who steels the show. The effects are dazzling. The photography is excellent and the story is good enough to sustain the action throughout the movie.


Bottom Line This movie won't be for everyone, again especially if you're a stickler for history. My brother in law who loves most movies and loves Spiderman hated this movie. But if you look past the changes and view this movie on it's merits you will see that it is very entertaining and worth the price of admission.


What's With The Superheros?
Oct 24, 2002 12:19 AM 2288 Views

I did not like this movie at all. Although, I am also not a fan of Superhero movies. Spiderman was ridiculous. It got incredibly too dramatic at parts. And I hated the line that he said to the girl ''...when I'm with you, I feel strong and weak at the same time...''. Too many of the lines were corny and definately scripted. Hardly any of it seemed natural. And he doesn't even get that girl in the end! What's up with that? Every guy I've talked to has loved the movie and acutally desires to BE spiderman, but most of us girls did not like it. I would not recommend it.


We all need Heroes
Aug 05, 2002 01:13 AM 2311 Views

Spiderman was a childhood hero for me. I can’t remember but back in the old DD days we used to have a cartoon show on it. That title track still rings in my ears.


What I like about Spiderman is that he’s not perfect. He is an ordinary person who can do extraordinary things due to the bite of a spider. He casts his webs and tries to solve the problems of his city.


The movie has a great cast with good stars such as Toby McGuire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Willem Dafoe. It was refreshing to see this movie smash all box office records. It did spectacularly well in India as well. Dafoe as Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin is good as ever but Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker or Spiderman delivers a great performance, a performance which makes him look likeable and charming if you will. Kirsten Dunst is as sweet and amiable as her role would allow her to be and maybe a little more. Cliff Robertson as Mr. Jamieson is hilarious as the Editor of the newspaper Peter Parker works for. Sam Raimi’s direction both with the technical details as well as the acting part is spot on and tremendous. James Franco as Harry Osborn has little scope in this movie but he will have meatier parts in the sequels I guess based on the ending of this film.


The film combines nice action sequences, amazing digital effects, nice humor early on and some moral lessons along with a simplistic story line of good versus evil. Also the dialogues or the screenplay is very nice. Tobey Maguire has some funny, witty ones and Willem Dafoe has some good devilish ones.


The hallmark of a great movie is its storyline. This film packs a punch in that department. It contains many subplots which add to or enhance the story such as Pete’s relations with his uncle and aunt, his friend Harry, the girl next door Mary Jane Watson or MJ, Mary Jane’s relation with Harry, Pete and her own Dad, Harry’s love hate relations with his Dad, Norman Osborn’s troubles in business, his frustration at being asked to resign from the company he started.


Believe you me, this is no boom boom bang bang action film. It’s not as if there is a continuous action sequence. There are many well shot ones, but they are fairly interspersed in the movie. The movie has a good pace, when it got over I felt as if I would have loved watching more. Another sign of a good movie, usually you want to get the hell out as soon as the titles start being played. Now for the story in short;


Peter Parker a high school nerd gets bitten by a genetically modified spider and is able to spin webs and jump long distances. He becomes stronger, faster and has a sense of pre-recognition of the events about to occur. Meanwhile Norman Osborn a scientist develops performance enhancers for military use and tests it upon himself. Needless to say that does not go well and he ends up with a split personality, basically he becomes insane. He eliminates all those who come in his way. When Spiderman does, he first tries to woo Spiderman to join him, but as he comes to know his identity, targets the people close to him and they have a scuffle and Spiderman edges him out. In the middle there are very chilling scenes when Peter does not stop a robber from escaping and that robber kills his uncle. In the end when Spiderman eliminates the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn), he (Norman) requests Spiderman to prevent the truth from being known to his son Harry a close friend of Pete. When Spiderman goes to Norman Osborn’s house to keep his body, Harry sees him and he now thinks that Spiderman killed his Dad and promises to take revenge. That will probably be what the sequel will be about.


The best aspect of the movie would be editing. There is not one more scene than it should be. All scenes are important and carry the story forward. Well Spun story. Peter Parker actually narrates this story in the film. Tobey Maguire’s voice is haunting. I’d like to end with one of his lines.


“With great power comes great responsibility. Who am I? I am Spiderman.”


With great power comes great responsibilty
Jun 22, 2002 10:20 PM 2093 Views

Well, like many other folks can remember, I too used to love waiting for the friendly neighbourhood spiderman cartoons. Spiderman was one character whose cartoons I liked to read too. There was a human angle to this character.


And like wise, years ago when the first spiderman movie was released , I had gone to see it. Though I do not remember much of the movie, I know that I loved it. And that film was just like the toons. It had young parker, develop a fluid to act as his web, and he would sometimes run out of it.


Thus it was then, after hearing so many rave reviews that I went to see this movie. And did I like it? Well, I liked it, though it did not quite leave me with an impact.


The story, is about this cute but nerdy kid, who has a crush on a girl (living next door) all the time, but cannot just say so to her. Obiviously he is bullied by her boyfriend. And so on and so forth.


One day, at a science center( correct me if I am wrong), where they are breeding special spiders, Peter Parker, gets bitten by one spider, which escapes from captivity.


Voila, next morning, our guy has developed new muscles, is able to see & hear much better. He also is able to shoot out webs. At school he freaks his classmates, when he beats up the bully. Wants to impress his love, wants to buy a car, so lands up at a fight to earn mucho money.


What happens is that he doesnt stop a robber, who eventually runs over his uncle. So what does he decide to do? Become a superhero. Use his powers for good.


Meanwhile, someone has to turn bad. So, who is the ideal candidate? His best friend's father, Mr Osbourne thats who. His lifelong project, when he sees is gonna be scrapped, he goes berserk. Uses his own invention, which turns him into a brilliant maniac. Becomes the green Goblin. Who uses his weapons to destroy all against him.


William Dafoe, without the uniform looks menacing enough in certain scenes. But somehow, the menace lacks the punch, when in costume.


And so the goblin makes spidey an offer to join him.But when spidey refuses, he d3cides to do away with him , using all kinds of baits.


Eventually, of course, spidey rules supreme. But along the way he has to make sacrifices. He has to sacrifice his love in this film, so that perhaps they can become one, when the sequel arrives. And So no happily ever after story.


Instead, its an I'll be watching over you ending. And Oh yes, what told me ther'll be a sequel - aha, osbourne's son sees spidey returning his dad. And vows to make spidey pay!


That and the box office returns. Yeah friends, your friendly neighborhood spiderman will return!


The special effects were very good. But somehow many of them lacked the punch. Goblin bombing his way through was no great shakes. In fact, Batman movies had the best villains. The reason being, they were never behind masks.


The reason, I watched Batman was for their villain's.


The cast was good, and there were good performances.Dafoe was good, but it was his scenes where he is talking to his evil half, that were very well done.


Watch it once, it is good. Watch it again if it u feel like it. I thought it is worth, just once.


Manchester United Kingdom
Power & Responsibility?
Jun 18, 2002 11:34 AM 4326 Views

I still remember the days when I used to rush home from School to watch The Friendly Neighbour Spiderman on TV. At that time, we didn't have a TV of our own and had to go to a friends house to watch it. This cartoon series was probably one of the very few attractions on TV (Doordarshan) then, and Spiderman has certainly come a long way since then.


About the Movie, the characters


The movie is based on the very popular Marvel Comics super-hero, Spiderman. He was different from many other heroes like Superman cos he was a human being (Unlike Superman who was an alien) who become a freak of nature, when a Radioactive spider (A Genetically modified one in the movie) bites him. The 'bite' turns out to be a blessing in disguise for Peter Parker, the boy next door kind of guy.


Peter has all the 'qualities' of a normal guy, he is bright, he is intelligent and he is shy and meek. He is the constant target of the School bullies. His 'meekness' may be attributed to his parents death in an accident. He now stays with his uncle and aunt.


After the bite, Peter gets a six pack and he can climb walls (Wish it would happen in reality, I will voluntarily get bitten by any animal to get a Six pack) and gets ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) or what ever it is, and he is thrilled.


His love is Mary Jane and but he is too shy to confront her with his feelings about her, its typical of all Peter Parker kind of guys. But after loosing his uncle in a very unfortunate circumstance, he decides to fight crime like other great heroes cos he finds his uncle last statement to him very profound 'With great power comes greater responsibility'. He is transformed to the 'Friendly neighbourhood Spiderman'.


In due course he moves to the City and joins the Daily Bugle newspaper as a freelance photographer. His first assignment was to get good pictures of Spiderman. He learns to spin webs and climb walls and these are his skills apart from his super human strength. His first 'kill' was Green Goblin who is a 'alter ego' manisfestation of his close friends Harry's father, Norman Osbourne.


The Cast is quite ok, Tobey Maguire gels quite well in the Spiderman role, he has got some charm. The full and beautiful Kirsten Dunst is 'fits in' playing Mary Jane. Willen Dafoe is awsome as the Green Goblin.


What I feel


What made Spiderman special was he was almost human. In the original comics series, the spider's web was using some chemicals that Peter invented and was not 'natural' or effect of mutation. In the old days Radioactivity was 'the thing' and all obscure things were associated with Radio activity and now its Genetics, so can't blame the change in story but was not warranted.


From what I have seen in the TV series and the comics and the Marvel comics site, I think that the sequel would be even better then this one, with him getting closer to MJ and all, and new enemies. Green Goblin was bit of a disappointment.


Overall, Spiderman doens't dissappoint much, but feel that the graphics particulary the spider swings could have been made more realistic, its bit 'elastic' and doesn't seem 'very' natural unlike the cartoon series. The movie is well presented and quite complete in its story telling, and Sam Riami has done a decent job directing this one.


It can be enjoyed with everyone in the family and kids too are sure to enjoy it. There are good messages for Kids(power and responsibility etc), and there's much -ve 'acts' in the movie which could be a bad influence for the kids. Overall, a very good movie for kids.:-)


One thing though, it was not as great as the hype surrounding it. It was good but not 'groundbreaking'.


Peace


Ranjith



Hey also, this staticstics from the Marvel Site about Spiderman.


Intelligence 7.5/10


Strength 5/10


Speed 5/10


Durability 4/10


Agility 5/10


Reflexes 5/10


Fighting 3/10


Now if we see the same for Green Goblin


Intelligence 7.5/10


Strength 5/10


Speed 5/10


Durability 4/10


Agility 4/10


Reflexes 4/10


Fighting 1/10


So, I guess it was a very even match, Green Goblin lossing out to Spiderman terms of Agility, Reflexes and fighting skills. Hey, but if you see Captain Marvel, you will find that the speed is 10/10 :-)


From https://marvel.com/comics/bios, check it out, you can find the bios of all your favorite superheroes including Spiderman's daughter, Spidergirl :-)



Does WHATEVER a Spider Can?
Jun 16, 2002 06:26 PM 1703 Views

Like many in my generation,to me,Spiderman is associated with Sunday afternoon television.I don't know about others,but I just loved the Spidey cartoons.


Spider-man the film is set in post 9/11 New York.Peter Parker is a Science student who lives with his uncle and aunt.He gets pushed around by everyone.He adores next-door neighbour Mary Jane.MJ however has no time for him.On a trip to the University of Columbia,Parker gets busy taking pictures of MJ.Their group is in a room that stores spiders.MJ points out that one spider is missing.Nobody pays much attention.While no one is looking,Parker gets bitten by the missing spider.He gets a bad wound from it.


Meanwhile Peter meets his friend's dad Mr Osborn whose company does work for the US military.A certain chemical has to be human-tested.Mr Osborn consumes the chemical himself and nearly dies of it.When he recovers he kills an employee.


From the next morning Peter starts to have spider powers and Mr Osborn becomes the Green Goblin.Peter wants to impress MJ.So he uses his strength for pro wrestling.He makes little money and loses his uncle to a carjacking.Before dying,uncle Ben talks to Peter about freedom and responsibility.


The rest of the film is about Peter's struggles as Spiderman and his fight with Green Goblin/Mr Osborn.There is also some romance between Peter and MJ.


DON'T MISS THIS FILM FOR ANYTHING!


It’S nOt aLL tHaT
Jun 07, 2002 09:59 PM 1731 Views

I didn’t really wanted to see this movie but I had to because I was babysitting a little kid and something suddenly came out of my mouth – “If you would be good today we will go see Spider Man tomorrow” So I was stuck watching the movie – good thing my friend works at the Movie Theater – So in-between the movie I just left the theater and talked to my friend.


Anyways back to the movie – we missed like 4 mins of the beginning (but I don’t think we missed anything)


Anyways the movie is ok, I guess


I hate the actor and Kritin Dunt is ok – she really doesn’t have anything to do in the movie.


First of all I would like to say is that the spider man looks totally fake the graphics are bad….I mean I am pretty sure that the actor himself is not doing the stunts but the computer graphic just looks fake and its too fast.


I was just not sure why this movie became the Box Office Record


Anyways, the movie might be good for little boys who have read Spider Man’s comic books….as for me I am not a fan of these super – man stuff….


So this movie is a must no for teenagers – (17- 26)


Sorry for the parents who will have to see this movie with their kids….


Have Fun!


mysore india
Stunning
Jun 06, 2002 07:13 PM 1868 Views

This is certainly the best movie of this year.the effects are state of the art and I see no reason why anyone will not want to see it.the actors are perfectly cast for their respective roles.Tobey maguire has done a wonderful job as spiderman.the story is told very beautifully and never takes its finger off the main issue....about the origin of spiderman,his first love,the advent of the super villain...etc.The graphics.....well the movie promises 3D effects better than the one shown in 'THE MATRIX'.i recommend this movie to anyone who has a zest for an excellent action,and a good story....one mastermind of a movie,this is.


Movie Review Of Spider-Man
Jun 05, 2002 02:31 PM 6937 Views

Psst - This section will contain some inside trivia about the film.


Quotes - Good one liners from the movie.


Oops - Goofs From the movie.


Spider Man


Director - Sam Raimi


Screenplay - Stan Lee, Steve Ditko & David Koepp.


All of the current generation (people in their 20's and mid 20's) have grown up watching Spiderman Cartoon series on TV. Possibly the most loved superhero not only in India but also worldwide. This movie is about a shy smart nerd Peter parker (Tobby macguire) who is a punching bag of his high school. He is in love with neighboura nd school colleague Mary Jane Dunston (Kirsten Dunst) but somehow just cant express his feelings to her (Trust me people atleast the romantic part of spiderman is my own life story). Once in a scince lab when the class is learning about spiders, Peter is bitten by a genatically altered spider which will soon change his life forever. He starts to grow muscular the next day and has the ability to climb walls, jump buildings and most importantly spin the web. After an accident in which he looses his uncle Ben Parker (Cliff Robertson) he decides to use his superhuma powers for betterment of humanity. There is a parallel track where Business Tycoon Norman Osborne's (William Dafoe) company is about to stop getting funds from the US military as all his experiments have not had trials on humans. His company makes products for the militaryt where human power is enhanced. In a fit Norman has the formnulae on himself and slowly develops in to the powerful green goblin (which is nothing but his alter ego). The rest of the movie is about fight betwen the good spiderman and the eviul goblin. The good point about Spiderman is that the dramatic side is very subtle and heart warming and very real life. I am sure so many of us could identify with the character of peter parker which is perhaps why he is the most loved superhero in the world. Excellent movie worth repeated viewings (I am proud to say that I saw spiderman 3 times in within one week of release in India). Watch out for an excellent performance by J.K. Simmons as fast talking editor of Daily Bugule.''J.Jonah Jameson''.


Amazing special effects, superb editing and overall wonderful and subtle performance by everyone especially Tobby Macguire.


Psst -


1) Nicholas Cage and Jon Malkovich were tried for the part of Norman Osborne/Goblin before it eventually went to William Dafoe.


2) James Franco auditioned to play Peter Parker, but was cast as Harry Osborn instead.


3) Originally the movie was to be directed by James Cameroon but since he was involved in many big budget productions (True Lies - 2, Terminator - 3) he walked out. Jean DeBont, Ang Lee and David Fincher were other directors who were considered.


4) Freddie Prinze Jr. and Leonardo DiCaprio were both considered for the role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Leonardao Di Caprio was considered when James Cameron was the director.


5) Several Spider-Man costumes were created at a cost of up to $100,000 each. Four were stolen from the set in early April of 2001 and Columbia Pictures offered a $25,000 reward for their return. The costumes were not returned.


6) The 2 differences between the original spiderman series was that the spider that bit peter parker in this movie was a genetically altered spider and NOT a radioactive spider. The spider shown biting parker is an actual black widow which was painted red and blue. In the original comic and cartoon seriesa , Peter Parker designed and made Spider-Man's synthetic spider web and the mechanical wrist guns that fire it. In the movie he shoots the web from his own body.


7) The original trailer for the movie depicted a theft of a bank, with the robbers making a getaway in a helicopter. A close-up of the helicopter was shown, until the helicopter stopped, apparently caught in mid-air. As the camera zoomed out, it was shown that the helicopter was caught in a spider web, suspended between the two towers of the World Trade Center. After the attacks on the Twin towers on 11 September 2001, however, the trailer was changed.


8) Tobey Maguire claims tro have never read a spiderman comic book in his life.


9) Stan Lee :creator of Spider-Man cameos in the scene where the Green Goblin attacks the balcony at the world unity festival.


10) The film made $114 million in the opening weekend in USA alone. This is the highest opening in the history of films. The film also grossed more then Rs 50 million in India. It was released in a record number of theatre worldwide.


11) If you are wondering why they did not play the spiderman theme song from the original cartoon series..during the ending credits, the theme of the original Spider-Man animated series is played.


12) The movie released in same time as the 40th anniversary of spiderman comic.


13) The name of norman osborne was a refernece to Norman Bates of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. We Can see traditional mannerism of Noraman bates in osborne which is that of split personality.


Quotes


1) ''Did you know that some spiders can change their color to blend in with their surroundings? Its a form of defence mechanism. Why would I even want to know that? Who wouldn't?''


2) ''Yep. Big Change''


3) ''You're taller than you look; I hunch.''


4) ''These are the times when you are what you will be for the rest of your life.''


5) ''What's your name kid?; The Human Spider;That's the stupidest name I've ever heard of.''


6) ''That's a nice suit. Did your husband buy it for you?''


7) '' Mr.Jameson they are very important clients, they can't wait; They're about to.''


8) ''If we can get a picture of Julia Roberts in a thong, we can get a picture of this weirdo.''


9) ''We have a page 1 problem here''


10) ''Give them page 7 and a 10 percent discount. No mae that 5.''


11) ''But I never said you are hired.''


12) ''Freelancing. Thats where kids your age should be.''


13) ''I trust my barber''


14) ''I forgot the part where that's my problem.''


15) ''No matter what you do for them, they will wind up hating you.''


16) ''They love to see their hero fail.''


17) ''The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout. Down came the Goblin and took the spider out.''


18) ''He is bug. We would like to give him a hug. Watch out. Here comes the spider man.''


19) ''Sorry I am late. Work was murder.''


20) ''You do too much. You're not Superman you know.''


21) ''Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: With great power comes great responsibility.'' This is my gift, it is my curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-Man.''


Oops


There was a record 169 flaws in the movie. I could not see all of them but here are a few which I did see.


1) Mary Jane's jacket collar changes when she's talking to Peter outside the diner the first time.


2) It is clearly visible that the web that spiderman throws are computer generated effect because they disappear later.


3) In the cage wrestling match, Peter Parker spins the web but in the subsequent scene it disappears.


4) The hole which Spider-Man punches in the roof of a car disappears and reappears between shots.


5) When Peter is in the newspaper office talking to the secretary, his camera disappears and reappears between shots.


6) When Peter is spinning the web in the room and he breask the lamshade before answering the door to his aunt, the next scene has the lampshade back.


7) Boom Mikes are visible in several scenes. This can be possibly be due to different screen formats in different countries. But nevertheless it is a flaw.


8) When Peter is visiting Aunt May in the hospital, the sweater on the back of his chair changes position.


Don't fall for this Web of ''HYPE''
May 29, 2002 01:35 PM 1977 Views

“Superhero…and their art of mystifying the kids…”


For ages, we have believed in superheros and as a kid we still felt there was some one who would come and help you in all the basic stuffs of life. Whether, doing your home work or doing the daily chores.


There are some concerns about these Hollywood flicks….



What happens when a movie earns more than 100million$ in just 3days of its release?


What happens when a movie is the biggest blockbuster?


What happens when a movie, becomes the stepping stone for the entire marketing gimmick and becomes a hit?


What happens more than 50000 spiderman themes are being downloaded on the Internet?


What happens when the same movie is released in India within a week of the US release?


I know these all questions you must be getting when you see a mediocre movie like Spiderman getting all the attention.


Maybe when you read my review, your entire question will be answered.


Okay forgetting, all this, I would like to start the review on Spiderman “BUT”


Note: “THIS REVIEW IS FOR KIDS BELOW 14YEARS”


Hey kids, I know you like superheros and Hollywood is the leading industry in giving you all the superhero’s, whether it is Superman, Batman & Robin, Phantom or now the Mr. Spider himself, “Spiderman.”


So who is this superhero called Spiderman and what is he made of?


Spiderman…


Based on the novel by Marvel Comic by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and directed by Sam Raimi, this movie is really worth for kids “ONLY”


The story so far…


Spiderman, stars Tobey Maguire (Peter parker/Spiderman) a spectacled (a la Superman) teenage who is been ragged by every one in his college. He is been brought up by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in Queens, NY.


Peter Parker (PP) is bitten by a genetically-modified spider during a school trip, since then his entire life changes and he could crawl, fly and swing with his newly attained power. Initially with his newly gained power he wants to make some quick money to help his Aunt May & Uncle Ben and enters the wrestling ring where he fights the Wrestler and wins the match but the manager refuses to pay him the exact amount of money which he had promised. But in the mean time a crook takes the money from the manager on a gun-point and runs, which PP could have stopped but he doesn’t. But destiny wanted to play a bad joke on him and the same crook kills his uncle Ben. Since then, PP remembers his Uncle’s last words, “with great powers comes great responsibility” and he devotes his entire life for the people, so becomes “the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man”


Love life…


Simultaneously in the movie along with the change happening in his life, he is in love with his neighborhood sweetheart Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), but she is in love with his friend Harry (James Franco) who is also the son of a freak industrialist Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe).But during the course of the movie, Mary has an infatuation for our Spiderman, who has saved her life twice.


Evils dead…


Osborn is facing problem with his business associate who are still not ready with the idea of a new formula that will give great power to human beings, but the drug is still yet to be tested. Due to extensive pressure he finally wants to test the same on him, which turns Osborn into a monster called Green Goblin (nice name!!). Though Norman likes Peter Parker but Peter’s refusal to join him in his evil wishes, they become enemy. Hence starts the war of the evil Goblin and our friend Spiderman.


A visual treat…


The movie is full of amazing jumps and amazing swings from one skyscraper to the other. Also, you can feel the Matrix Jump and the matrix stunts like bending and missing the bullets. But many a times, too much of graphics shows that movie is like a Disney cartoon show, it doesn’t look real. How much ever graphics you put in, it should still feel its human ability, that’s what is missing in this movie. The soundtrack used in the movie is also not upto the mark hence the effective background score also fails here.


they act for glory…


This movie has got lot of new kids hence, you can’t expect great acting and it looks very kiddish. Even veteran like Willem Dafoe as Norman is bad with lot of overacting which was not needed. Though his character demanded him to act in that way but I still feel it was too much of overacting. Overall this movie will be known for graphics than acting.


Asyis’s point of view…


According to me there are many flaws in this movie, but one of them is our spiderman is too young for the job, looks like a Teen Spiderman. Hence, couldn’t do justice to the role. The graphics and the acting was too kids stuff hence an audience of more than 14years of age wouldn’t enjoy this movie. I myself went with lot of expectation because it’s been a super hit all over the world and thought would have been fun. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy these kinds of movie; it’s just that it was not up to the mark like Batman. For me it was really a disappointment after all the HYPE which this movie has made.


Hence, in spite of all box office earnings, I still feel this movie is a stale show.


Hence, giving this movie 3 ratings but wouldnt recommend for Adult Viewing.


This movie would definitely would be real fun for Kids and they definitely need to watch, but others can skip this movie for sure.


©Asyis …2002


Spiderman in CHENNAI
May 29, 2002 11:01 AM 1405 Views

IF I say the film had a grand opening which could be compared with a Box office opening of any top stars south India like RajniKanth/Kamal Hassan, I''M NOT JOKING. Fortunately, I went for first day -second show of Spider man, and I could not believe the opening it had. The age group who came to see movie was: 6-12:5% 12-18:10% 18-26:70% 26-40:15% With excellent Visual effects and wonderfull soundtrack, its a must watch movie. After seeing the Cartoon Series of Spiderman, The big screen spiderman looks great and mind bogling. Tobey Maguire as Spider man is a Excellent Choice and Cast. One good Message: ''WITH GREAT POWERS COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY''


Can I spin a web..?
May 23, 2002 07:23 PM 2769 Views

This is my 43rd review and I have not yet written one on a Movie. I am passionate about movies and I am surprised why I did not try writing one so far. If the review does not come up to the mark, kindly bear with it as this is un-chartered territory, as far as I am concerned.


Forethought:


Spiders are awful creatures; Ugly and always scheming. Spinning webs so that they trap unsuspecting creatures and waiting for the next prey. Also as a part of growing up the man in me was constantly throwing out the child in me…I had almost come to believe that super hero movies were not going to excite me as they once did. It was with great deal of reluctance that I picked this movie to watch; in fact it was due to lack of alternatives… should I say that I was surprised…pleasantly!!!


The Review:


Peter Parker grew up with his aunt and uncle after he lost his parents at a very young age. He was just another ordinary guy, with nothing special until, he gets bitten by a genetically altered spider (wasn’t that supposed to be a radioactive spider..?). The bite fortunately for him gives him certain special powers of a spider without taking away any of his human qualities. He becomes spider-man. Around the same time his friend and roommate Harry’s father Osborne (a brilliant scientist and a successful businessman) is facing trouble with his business- he has to demonstrate within a week, the effects of new formula (that has been designed to give greater powers to human beings but the drug is not yet fool proof). So Osborne tries it upon himself … and the worst fears come true. The drug makes him too powerful and adds a touch of insanity; so powerful that he starts believing that he is invincible. He becomes the green goblin.


Two ordinary men who have to decide what they are going to do with their new found power. Peter Parker loses his uncle to a burglar, whom he could have stopped (with his power, but he preferred not to for selfish reasons). In one of the last conversations he had had with his uncle he was told “with great power there must also come great responsibility”. Parker chooses to use his power to try and fight crime, as a mark of respect to his late uncle or is it to clear his guilt? Osborne however is let down by his business partners, for whom he had slogged and spent his genius. He decides that the society does not deserve to be helped in any way with his power. So the classic struggle of good over evil begins and continues to its logical conclusion. So what is special about this movie..? Well a couple of things. Firstly both the hero and villain are not the stereo typed ones. While the hero is not really sure if he is doing the right thing by helping people who are very skeptical about him, the villain also has a good side in him that keeps diminishing as the movie goes on. Secondly the villain and the hero are quite friendly to each other in their human avatar. Will they know that in their alter ego (read super human persona), they are arch rivals..?


Most importantly there is a parallel plot that runs through the movie that talks about relationships and emotions. There is a love triangle or a quadrilateral if I may call it that. Peter and Harry and madly in love with Mary Jane; While Harry the rich but unassuming kid has successfully gotten along with Mary Jane, Peter has never uttered a word to her about his love for her. Mary Jane is very much in love with Harry, but likes Peter a lot; But of late she has been having this strange infatuation about Spider-man who came to her rescue, a couple of times. Will she ever know that Peter Parker is the spider-man or that the real spider-man whom she fantasizes about, is madly in love with her? Who will get to be hers Harry, Peter or is there a third possibility..? Now that is something you will have to find out for yourself…. And trust me you wont regret having watched the movie.


The Details:


Director: Sam Raimi ( A Simple Plan, For The Love of the Game)


Produced by: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures


Movie Rating: PG 13 (parental guidance required)


The cast:


Spider man (Peter Parker): Tobey Maguire ( The Cider House Rules, Wonder Boys)


Green Goblin (Osborne):      Williem Dafoe ( Platoon, Mississippi burning)


Mary Jane:           Kirsten Dunst ( Interview with a Vampire, Jumanji)


Uncle Ben:           Cliff Robertson ( Escape from L.A., Falcon Down)


Aunt May:           Rosemary Harris ( Blow Dry, The Gift)


Harry Osborne:           James Franco ( Never Been Kissed)


JJ Jameson (of the Daily Bugle): J K Simmons ( The Gift, The Mexican)


My take on the movie:


The movie is a pretty balanced one in the sense that it has the right amount of action, romance, emotions, humor(in traces) and special effects. There are special effects movies which make you exclaim ‘wow what great effects’. In my opinion that is a flaw with the movie. Nothing that goes into the making of a movie should overshadow the movie itself. What struck me about spider-man was that the special effects seemed so believable. It was not just superbly done but for once never over done.


The music, photography and the editing have all been done fairly well.


The narration is pretty slick, not too many long drawn out scenes or boring situations. The movie moves along at a pretty decent pace from the word go and before you know its over.


The characters are pretty interesting developed. They all have good and bad in them. They have not been painted strictly as black or white, which once again adds to the believability of the movie.


The casting is excellent. The acting is pretty good and with most of them giving a measured performance.


To conclude, spider-man is a super hero you can relate to. He is not the all too powerful and sophisticated super heroes that we are used to. He is very human, with all the frailties and goodness. A wholesome family entertainer, the movie is equally appealing to the adults and kids – The movie brought back to me memories of my Saturday evenings as a child (DD used to air spider-man cartoons then). It is not a movie that’s going to be labeled an all time classic in my view, but it surely is one great entertainer.


Afterthought:


On second thoughts, I guess spiders aren’t as awful creatures as they seem to be and since I have already found my Mary Jane, So I guess, I should start looking out for the genetically altered spider, my neighborhood needs a clean up…… badly!!!


“WITH GREAT POWER THERE MUST ALSO COME GREAT RESPONSIBILITY”



ps: Comments and suggestions welcome as usual


SPIDER -MAN
May 12, 2002 05:17 PM 1557 Views

My Spidey senses are all a' tingling. This movie is going to be one of THE hits for the summer. Of course, I don't have to have superpowers to figure that out.


I was excited about seeing this movie. I was expecting big effects, entertainment and excitement and Spider-Man delivered. It's no academy award winner but who would want a lot of themes and messages from a superhero movie anyway.


Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker (Toby Maguire), is the everyman hero, which is why so many of us relate to him. He's not from another planet like Superman, and he doesn't have the money to by his gimmicks, like Batman. He is a regular guy, not even that strong, muscular or handsome.


The interesting twist in the movie is that Peter is not transformed by a radioactive spider but by a genetically modified one. The fears of days gone my has been updated to a more modern controversy. It is still as believable and gives it a more current edge.


The best part of this movie is the parallel transformation of Peter Parker and his evil counterpart Norman Osborn. Both are transformed by technology in the blink of an eye and both face the same question. How do I use these new powers?


In their first display of power each man realizes the potential of the new gifts. Osborn uses them to kill and Peter uses them to bring a bully to his knees. Both men could go down the same road; it would be easy to use the superpowers to his advantage and become rich and powerful.


But for Peter, his Uncle Ben saves the day when his words of wisdom hit home. He says, ''With great power, comes great responsibility.'' When Uncle Ben is killed shortly afterwards by a thief that Peter could have stopped, Peter realizes that his uncle was right. Spider-Man's new powers need to be balanced with a sense of duty. Peter decides to be the city's new crime watchdog, and he starts bringing down criminals and helping the defenseless.


In the meantime, Osborn is going through some struggles of his own. He is fighting a split personality and the evil side is slowly winning out - no one could do that part better than Willem Defoe. He becomes the Green Goblin and starts trying to kill the board of his Corporation. The company has been sold right out from under him and there is no longer a place for Osborn.


He quickly realizes that the only person with the ability to stop his ride to the top is Spider-Man, and he comes up with a plan to lure the superhero over to the dark side. The battle that ensues is as much a moral battle as a physical battle, and Spider-Man is tempted. The people of New York, while grateful, are skeptical about the unknown super hero. Peter's boss, newspaper mogul, Mr. Jamieson, flames the fire with articles questioning Spider-Man's intentions.


The reason this battle works is because both men are tempted by the other side. Hidden underneath the menacing Green Goblin is a man who wants to do right. And Peter is frustrated by the distrust of the people he is trying to help and protect. While you never feel that either one is going to switch sides, you do see them pause and think about it.


So it's not the most earth shattering 'moral of the story' and they do tend to beat it into your head by repeating Uncle Ben's ghostly voice saying ''With great power, comes great responsibility'' at least twice. But I wouldn't like an action movie that tries to take itself to seriously anyway. I just hope that there is more of Mr. Jamieson in the next movie; I've never seen such a perfect casting job before. I would pay to go to a sequel and I hear it is already in production - I am sure that I won't be the only one in line.


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