Comic book heroes being brought to the big screen is nothing new, the movie that first did it in a big Hollywood way was Tim Burton's Batman. One of the hardest things about making these film adaptations of comic books is keeping the comic book fans content. In adapting Marvel Comic's Spider-man, Sony Pictures took no chances. They test screened the movie for a select audience of comic book/computer geeks until they got it down to a format they found acceptable. That version is the movie that we will see in theaters on May 3 when Spider-man is officially released.
When you watch this film, you can't help but feel that you are just being set up for a series of films. The characters are carefully developed, the ties are painstakingly clear. The movie is detailed in keeping as true to form as can be. Despite the character development and story telling, there is plenty of room for action and adventure to keep your eyes transfixed on the big screen in wonder.
Spider-man tells the story of how a nerdy high school student who is an aspiring scientist (is that why comic book readers bond with him?) Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) becomes the super hero known as Spider-man after being bit by a genetically altered super spider on a field trip. Kirsten Dunst (Bring It On, Crazy/Beautiful) plays MJ, the girl next-door Peter has always had a crush on. His best friend is a mega rich kid, Harry Osborn (James Franco) who's father Norman (Willem Dafoe) owns a biotechnology company with government contracts. Norman becomes a victim of his own technology and turns into what will become Spider-man's archenemy, The Green Goblin.
The acting in this film is good, nothing award winning here as the dialogue is horrible at times, especially anything relating to the love interest involving Dunst and Maguire. The real star in this film is Willem Dafoe. Just as Jack Nicholson stole Batman with his over the top Joker bad guy, Dafoe is superior as the evil cackling Green Goblin. His performances alone push the entertainment value of this film higher.
The story is ok; it is obviously an adaptation of the comic book, so most cheesiness is dismissed as being something that must have come with the territory. The best thing about this film is indeed the special effects and action when Spider-man and the Green Goblin are doing battle above the streets of New York. The movie tries to send us other messages, about how one action can affect another and also the key theme: With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility. Director Sam Raimi (The Gift, A Simple Plan) delivers a quality product with this film, not over doing it or under doing it; he seems to have gotten the mix just right for this movie.
Overall, Spider-man is a highly entertaining film that some action film fans will probably wish had more action. This is very much along the lines of the first Batman movie in terms of action and entertainment value. Dafoe's antics, the special effects and heroic theme of Spider-man makes this a good time at the movies worth paying full price.
Back to:
© 2002 webmaster@currentlyplaying.com