Posted: 02/12/2011

Spider-Man Review

by Robert Baum

Review: Spider-Man (2002)

In just over two decades Superman and Batman have been brought to the big screen, have brought sizable returns for their studios (both are properties of Warner Brothers), along with critical and audience approval—for the most part. Eventually those series would suffer from lackluster reviews and weak box office gates; all but compromising their franchise potential after years of trying to bring them to the cinema.
The latest superhero whose trek from comic books to the big screen after being mired in a web of red tape by the likes of Menahem Golan and James Cameron, among others, is Spider-Man. Having previously brought us his own superhero in Darkman (1990)—alomg with serving as a producer of the small screen adventures of Hercules and Xena—filmmaker Sam Raimi is the director of this mega-budgeted business venture which Columbia is hoping will be the hit of the summer.
Joining the ranks of actors who have donned identity-concealing garb for sizable paychecks and immortalization as fast food collectibles is Tobey Maguire. The young thespian looks to join the ranks of Michael Keaton and George Clooney; and not the pigeonholing endured by Adam West. At the very least, Maguire probably isn’t thinking or fearing that he will wind up as the next Sam Jones. For those who might not remember, he was the star of the monster-budgeted Dino DeLaurentiis’ production Flash Gordon (1980).
Like Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie (1978), Raimi’s cinematic tale of the Wall Crawler gives the hero’s origin and an adventure where he encounters one of his most noted comic book foes. For Reeve’s Kryptonian-born Man of Steel it was Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), for Maguire it is scientist Norman Osborn who becomes the Green Goblin (both are played by Willem Dafoe).
Peter Parker (Maguire) is a straight-arrow, straight A , milquetoast adolescent orphan—like the young alien who grows up to be Superman— Brooklynite and lives with his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson dispensing wisdom to his young charge as Glenn Ford did to Jeff East in the Donner tale). Young Parker takes something of an interest, initially out of concern, for the young red-haired girl living next door named Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) whose folks are constantly arguing with each other. Harry Osborn (James Franco) is taken with the young lady.
During a field trip to a lab, a spider bites Peter and the student attains arachnid abilities. He finds his newfound powers of great benefit when he takes on a fearsome grappler (former wrestling great Randy “Macho Man” Savage) in hopes of winning a few thousand dollars. Parker comes up with a crudely-fashioned costume and takes on the hulk under the alias of “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Parker wins the match but the promoter does not give him the whole purse.
A thief escapes with the gate earnings and Parker idly stands by which gives the young man a lesson he will not soon forget. The thief kills Peter’s Uncle Ben to procure a getaway car. Peter’s attempt to apprehend the fugitive goes awry and though his identity is unknown to the police, Parker is suspected of being the bad guy.
Graduation comes and Parker is off to college while Mary Jane heads to Manhattan hoping to become an actress. Parker becomes rommates with Harry and finds an opportunity to get a career developed as a freelance photographer for tabloid rag The Daily Bugle when things do not exactly go well elsewhere. For the paper’s editor J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons in a wonderful scene-stealing performance) is looking for photos of someone he has all but declared a menace: a certain costumed crimefighter who has taken the city by storm.
Parker’s pics of his costumed crimefighting alter ego do not exactly impress the martinet of a newsman. Parker is peeved to find Harry not exactly treating Mary Jane well and is incensed to find Jameson suspects Spider-Man of being in cahoots with the Green Goblin.
Raimi’s film is sure to give George Lucas a run for his money as Spider-Man swings onto multiple screens a fortnight prior to Episode II: Attack of the Clones arrives in the cinematic galaxy. Spider-Man is an excitable jolt of a movie ride we haven’t seen in a long while and it’s a welcome relief for the masses who now probably cringe at the thought of glimpsing New York onscreen. Indeed some may recall very well the film’s trailer where a helicopter was snared in a web spun between the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
Superman definitely set the standard for comic book hero films and many have tried but failed save for Tim Burton’s 1989 offering Batman which might have soared to new heights at the box office but it never truly eclipsed the Man of Steel.
Maguire does a fair job at portraying the nerdy Brooklynite turned reluctant costumed crimefighter but is often upstaged by Dafoe who seems to put every fiber of his talent into upstaging Maguire andstealing the scenes from him. Were he Jack Nicholson, it would be one thing. The Green Goblin is not the Joker. However, both Maguire and Dafoe, like those who appear in high budget genre offerings have to contend often with co-starring alongside dizzying, dazzling special effects that often dwarf actors onscreen. Still, despite the shortcomings, Spider-Man is solid entertainment from start to finish.

Robert Baum is Currently a Bryn Mawr, PA-based film afficanado and pop culture junkie.

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