Imagine that old Spiderman comic book coming to life and blowing you away. This movie was incredible. The graphics, the acting, the plot… EVERYTHING was perfectly laid out by director, Sam Raimi. I couldn’t have cast the movie any better myself. Everything flowed together in the classic superhero vs.
villain showdown. I have been waiting for this movie since I first started reading Spiderman comics with my older brother and I was more than pleased with its outcome. A genetically engineered spider bites a shy, high school-aged dork during a class trip to the museum. Soon enough, he finds himself gaining, and being able to fine too his new superhero powers.
He eventually, after a whole series of hysterical trial and error, figures out that he can now climb up walls, shoot webbing from his wrists and feel things that are coming with his “spider sense.” Just as in the comic, he still can’t express the secret love he feels for his high school sweetie. Try as he may he just doesn’t have the courage, him being suck a dork and all. Later, he loses a very close member of his family to a man he could have stopped prior to the event and he eventually has to face down a villainous goblin who happens to be his worst nemesis. Will Spiderman defeat this evil villain? Will he kiss the girl? Will Spiderman make the cut in his transition from comic book to the big screen? In this movie, many secrets from the comic books are revealed and some new twists are added. For one, the movie is staged in Manhattan. Watch Spiderman as he swings from building to building, effortlessly, by the webbing from his wrists.
If you, as I, were a Spiderman comic book fan, be prepared for some serious flashbacks. This movie includes more background information on Peter Parker, including where he’s from, what makes him tick, how he became a superhero, and his serious crush on Mary Jane Watson. Anyone who ever picked up a Spiderman comic book should get out and go see this movie. Perhaps the best element to this movie was the casting. Tobey McGuire is incredible as Spiderman, capturing him perfectly as a dorky high-school kid, as a superhero, and as a hopeless romantic. This man was made to play Spiderman.
He seemed right at home in character and portrayed Spiderman as the web slinging do-go oder he is, even when the neighborhood turns against him. He convinced me as the high school loser with a secret love for Mary Jane, he completely sold me as the bewildered kid who suddenly gains these amazing powers, and he thoroughly got me into the movie with the tender scenes involving his uncle, aunt and Mary Jane. The only person who could have possibly played Mary Jane was Kirsten Dunst. She was cute, sexy, vulnerable, and completely conflicted; in essence, she was the perfect person to play opposite of Tobey McGuire. These two are electric together and seem absolutely perfect for each other. You can almost feel the chemistry between these two in every scene.
Rumor has it that they were dating in real life, maybe that had something to do with it. Perhaps the best cast character of all is J. Jonah Jameson played by J. K. Simmons. In the comic book, J.
Jonah Jameson is a tabloid editor who is always focused on getting the best shot for his front page, while being completely oblivious to the whole rivalry between Spiderman and the Green Goblin, who he names on the spot. The Green Goblin, played by Willem Defoe was one incredible character. He was both the Green Goblin and Norman Osbourne. The viewer of this movie watches his transformation between both of them and witnesses the perilous struggle between his normal and genetically altered self.
Another spectacular part of this movie was the cinematography. It was incredible to see Spiderman swinging through downtown Manhattan by his webs. It was truly amazing to see Norman Osbourne and the Green Goblin fight with each other in the movie. The only bad thing about the cinematography was that I fear it made the director and screenwriter a bit lazy.
Not that the direction and screenwriting was terrible, but needless to say it could have been better had not so much cinematography been used. There was only really one thing that I had to say about this movie that was negative. In my opinion, the director should not have had both of the main characters wearing masks, especially since they are archrival’s. This technique leaves no room for facial expressions and leaves the viewer without feeling the emotion between the two characters. No matter what your background, Spiderman reader or not, this was an incredible movie. I can not think of enough good things to say about it.
The casting, as I’m sure I have already stated, was incredible. McGuire and Dunst offset each other famously and an awfully scary looking Willem Defoe plays the villain. The cinematography was fabulous and it was perfect for all age groups. No matter what your mood, Spiderman is the perfect flick to get out and go see!.