Animation was ahead of it's time | Tenor.com
When I read about the CineTv Content I immediately got excited . But, I ran into an issue, what movie from my childhood do I fondly remember, what movie epitomises my childhood?
Immediately I thought of Sam Raimi's adaption of Spider-Man.
I was initially conflicted on whether that was the movie I wanted to write on because I could list numerous other movies that I also fondly remember. However, the more I thought about it, the more I comprehended why that movie was the one my mind initially gravitated towards and the reason is rather simple - Sam Raimi's Spider-Man began my journey into the realm of pop-culture.
Every journey I have taken into pop culture topics began with this rendition of Spider-Man. This movie franchise got me involved with comics, it began my pull into Video Games, and it began everything in between.
Without Spider-Man who would I be? What I would I be?
Anyway, enough of the philosophical questions, let's dive deep into the amazing film that is Spider-Man
The Plot
The suit is still as iconic as ever | Image courtesy of Tenor.com
The plot of Spider-Man (2002) revolves around the life of Peter Parker, his - comically - disastrous social life, and his transition into the superhero that is Spider-Man and his eventual conflict with the Green Goblin.
The first half of the film attempts to establish the character of Peter by both showcasing his social, and monetary, inadequacies by juxtaposing his life with not only his friend, Harry Osborn, but also the rest of his classmates. A good example of this is the school bus scene in the first few minutes of the film. In this scene the social ineptitude of Peter is emphasised when not a single individual on the bus allows him to sit next to them. This emphasis is compounded by the dialogue between Aunt May and Uncle Ben that indicate that not only is Uncle Ben the singular breadwinner in the household, but that he has also lost his job.
All of this setup aims to equip the audience with knowledge on the character of Peter. Raimi attempts to stress the importance of Peter's social dilemma as a means of educating the viewer on his character, however, Raimi also showcases that Peter does not accept where he is. The film constantly hints at the desire of Peter, his desire of wealth (as he goes through the local classifieds) and his desire to be with Mary Jane.
All these desires, all these wishes, culminate when Peter attains his powers.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Still an iconic scene in all of Americana | Image courtesy of Tenor.com
An important aspect of Spider-Man (2002) is the responsibility of Peter now that he possesses his powers. The age old adage of 'With great power comes great responsibility' is compounded with the adage of 'Show, don't tell' through the depiction of the hubris that Peter accumulates with his powers and the consequences of that arrogance.
This is largely showcased with Peter participating in a wrestling match for the sole purpose of purchasing a car to impress Mary Jane. This segment is entirely selfish on Peter's part, he not only partakes in a wrestling match to impress his crush (while his caregivers are struggling financially) but he also allows a criminal to escape when he could of stopped him. The hubris of Peter, his selfishness, and shortsightedness, leads to the death of Uncle Ben. The death of his father figure.
This all cements the words of Uncle Ben earlier, that just because an individual has the ability to do what they want - doesn't mean they have a right to do but also cements the idea that if an individual is within their power to assist others they should. Raimi set's this all up in the first hour, to build on the character of Peter in the first hour as he sets up the conflict between the web crawler and -
The Green Goblin
Plot twist: He didn't | Tenor.com
The Green Goblin acts as an almost juxtaposition of Spider-Man. While Peter accidentally gained his powers, utilises it to assist others; the Green Goblin gained his power by consuming his own serum and utilises his powers for his own gain. The Green Goblin acknowledges this in the rooftop scene where he communicates with Spider-Man and utters the phrase of:
While yes, this is a very cliche line, but I feel it get's a bad rep. Usually when a villain utters these lines its under the presupposition that the two characters have similar backstories etc. However, in this movie this is not the case. There are almost no similarities between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. The two characters are almost the complete opposite of each other, but they share one trait - they were both average individuals that suddenly gained super powers.
This is what the Green Goblin is referring to. That reality that Peter and Norman are essentially just two individuals living double lives. One wherein they act like their usual selves and another where they enact their inner desires. For, Peter he relishes in the ability to assist others, but for Norman it's the ability to finally enact revenge against those that wronged him.
However, the biggest difference between the two is the reality that Norman is not The Green Goblin. Rather, the Green Goblin is an alternative persona that haunts Norman and one that Norman eventually embraces (again mirroring Peter's acceptance of his role as Spider-Man). This all peaks at the final battle one where the Green Goblin directly challenges Spider-Man by attacking his very character as Peter Parker and forcing the hero to recognise his place in the world.
It is almost fitting that the Green Goblin dies by his own glider, that his alternative persona's hubris results in his death, that the Green Goblin killed the Green Goblin. But this takes us to the final part of our discussion of the plot
The Ultimate Sacrifice
This scene is still beautiful | Image courtesy of Tenor.com
As we come to the conclusion of our discussion on the plot, I think the final scene needs to be discussed as it ties the central theme of responsibility all together. At the funeral of Norman Osborn, Peter has the opportunity to 'get the girl' as Mary Jane reveals that she loves Peter. This all Peter wanted for the majority of the film - to be with Mary Jane but he chooses not to. Rather, he decides to protect her, he decides to choose his responsibility as a hero above his own desires and rejects Mary Jane and walks away.
There are probably a million videos discussing how beautiful this scene is but I feel I have discussed the beauty of it enough in this review, and I am sure you can understand why this this scene is a beauty and should be respected.
The Cast
I feel that this image needs to be included | Image courtesy of Tenor.com
The cast of Spider-Man (2002) includes individuals that would eventuallyu be world renowed, and some that already were. Of course I've already discussed the characters of Peter, and the Green Goblin, and I don't think the performances of the actors of each character need to be discussed much more. Needless to say Tobey McGuire is a good Spider-Man, maybe even great Spider-Man, and William DaFoe portrays the deranged Osbrn to a degree that no other could replicate. It should howver be mentioned that Tobey's performance was critiqued, in later years, for him not representing the age of his character. I don't feel that this is a major detriment to the success of the film , as this is a superhero movie and already requires an insane amount of suspension of disbelief for the audience to be engrossed. Rather I feel we should talk of the lacksluster performances of Mary Jane and Harry Osborn.
As a kid I never really cared for these two. I mostly didn't care for Mary Jane because to a 6 year old kid she is boring. She doesn't really do anything. Kirsten Dunst just doesn't do much, and she utters her lines whimsically to the extent you wish for her to just disappear. Of course, during this period directors didn't seem to be caring much for developing the love interest for superheros, so her portrayal is understandable given the era but lacklustre none the less.
The same cannot be said for James Franco. James is just lacklustre all around and I have no reason why. It's clear that the direction of his character was intricately thought out but the actor portrays the role in just such a weird sunken fashion that begs the question as to how he got the role. Harry Osborn is a confused rich kid that seeks his fathers approval at every venture but fails in almost every regard o attain that respect he hopes to attain. Does James portray that? Yes, but its in such an unconvincing fashion that makes his character easily forgettable.
Now, before I forget, we need to praise J.K Simmons as J. Jonah Jamesons
I had to include this image, it is criminal to review Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and not include this GIF | Image courtesy of Tenor.com
J.K Simmons is the king of side characters in this film, and the trilogy overall, for his performance as J. Jonah Jameson. He just does it all right, he provides vigour to the character and really makes you believe he hates Spider-Man. While many think of him as a 'bad guy' it is interesting to note that Jameson does not sell out Peter when the Green Goblin questions him on the photographer that provides image of Spider-Man. This subtle exchange, in combination with Jonah's knowledge of the difference between libel and slander, truly provide depth to the character and J.K Simmons deserves nothing but applause for this portrayal.
Absolutely memorable.
Other than those characters, everyone else does a decent , to good, job at portraying their characters. Rosemary Harris' depiction of Aunty May is often ignored but she really does make you believe that the character of Aunty May cares for Peter but also showcases her 'sassy' side as she slaps Norman's hands as eats before prayer (its easy to forget but its touching). Cliff Robertson is still the most iconic version of Uncle Ben with his rendition of the classic adage being cemented in the minds of everyone ot this day.
Conclusion
Peter waving goodbye to you and I | Image courtesy of Tenor.com
Spider-Man (2002) is the Spider-Man, and superhero, movie. It cemented the legacy of the character, started the boom of Spider-Man in the eyes of the mainstream and superhero films overall. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man however stands in my minds eye as above everything else. It is the inception point of my introduction to comics, superhero movies and so much more.
I will always remember it fondly and so should we all.