Marvel superheroes are hitting the big screen in waves. First there was blade which made a decent amount at the box office with its 70 + million dollar performance. 2000 brought us X-Men which became a box office hit when it opened with 54 million that summer. The sequel is on its way in 2003. Blade 2 was released in March and it opened with 33 million, an improvement from the 17-18 million the first one opened with. Thr Hulk is now in production with Eric Bana playing the Hulk and Oscar winner, Jennifer Connelly also starring. That film is directed by Ang Lee. After that Daredevil is set to be released and that film stars Ben Affleck, as Daredevil and Jennifer Gardner of Alias also starring. Until then however, we have Spider-Man and judging by the early weekend numbers(114 million opening weekend-highest opening of all time) it seems that people are loving this film. I can say that I more than loved it. I thought it was great.
Tobey Maguire takes on the role as Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man, a product of being bitten by a mutant spider while on a school field trip. He is in love with the girl next door, Mary Jane Watson (Dunst; Bring it On) who is a kind sole but barely notices him. Peter lives with his Aunt May (Harris) and Uncle Ben (Robertson)(fans, like myself, of the comic will know why he's in this living situation). At first Parker is confused by his new skills but soon he begins to use them to his advantage.
Parker uses his new skills to fight in a wrestling match to get money for various things, one being a way to impress Mary Jane. After the match however tragedy strikes and Parker fully realizes that "With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility" and through this "Spider-Man" is born.
Spidey's nemesis in the round is Norman Osborne (Dafoe; Shadow of the Vampire), a somewhat mad/determined scientist who needs to prove that his experiments work. After testing them on himself, something goes wrong and the Green Goblin is born.
I was quite surprised how much Tobey Maguire filled into the role; he not only makes it his own but manages to give it a little character behind the mask. He has that innocent, everyday man quality about him that makes you believe in him. It's a performance that has much more depth than you would expect, especially from a comic book movie.
The supporting cast takes a back seat to Spider-Man, lavish sets and ultimately some nice special effects, but they get the job done. Willem Dafoe has gotten back into my good graces after the atrocious Speed 2. He does a good job as the Green Goblin and doesn't overdo it. Now, it's not as memorable or great as Nicholson's Joker, but he makes a formable foe to Spider-Man. What I liked about his performance was that he didn't over-shadow the hero, much like the Joker did in Batman. Dafoe is given the right amount of screentime to establish his character but not too much to the point where it becomes a movie about him rather than Peter/Spider-Man
The other two notable cast mates are Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. Franco had actually gone in to the audition for the role of Peter Parker but ended up playing Harry Osborne, the villain's son. I liked Franco as Peter Parker's roommate and best friend and love the idea of the continuity aspect of the plot.(You'll see when you view the film)
Kirsten Dunst is even a good casting choice. What could've easily been an eye-candy role is taken to another level. She's very likable in the role and her chemistry with Maguire is natural and not forced.
This is good transition into the screenwriting by one of my favorites, David Koepp, who was the master behind films like Stir of Echoes and Panic Room. He brings Spider-Man to life with the help of Maguire and director Sam Raimi (A Simple Plan). The plot even over-shadows the great CGI in my opinion. The storyline is slightly more developed than most movies of this nature and is driven by its characters. I liked that aspect of the film very much.
Spider-Man also features some funny moments like a cameo by Bruce Campbell (of Evil Dead fame) as a Vince McMahon type ring master who gave Parker the name of "The Amazing Spider-Man" and Peter Parker having fun swinging from building to building. The J Jonah Jameson character is also very funny. He makes the transition from comic to screen very well. Dead on representation.
Spider-Man is the ultimate comic book movie that not only looks like it came from the comics, but adds in the sounds and some dialogue. From the opening credits to the last shot, you could see it in an issue of "Spider-Man". Like X-Men, the film is bright with colorful characters and big time action scenes. It reaches the level of my favorite comic book movie, Batman, and maybe after more viewings it could surpass it.
Overall, Spider-Man is a fun romp of comic book action. With a great story, acting, special effects, and a lot of heart Spider-Man is a perfect start to the summer season and i'm glad it's leading the pack.
