Sam Raimi couldn't
have done a better job of the Spiderman movie.
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The wait is
over... Spiderman finally appears on the big screen and it doesn't
disappoint.
Neil Heath
Films that start
life as comics, usually don't transfer well to the screen - the
latter Batman films spring to mind - their
ineptitude is usually to do with the script and an over emphasis
on action.
But Spiderman has an impressive script, excellent performances and
the odd explosive action scene.
The Plot
Whilst on a High School field trip, school geek Peter Parker (McGuire)
gets bitten by a genetically modified spider.
He's goes to
bed feeling a little weak, but wakes up with a fully toned body,
the ability to climb walls, he can shoot web from his wrists and
has a canny gift for sensing danger.
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| Ahhh! A
spider! Squash it!! |
So we've got
the hero, but what about the baddie?
That comes
in the way of Norman Osbourne (Defoe) - a weapons designer working
on a serum for super human strength.
After
a reckless experiment Osbourne becomes the insane, sadistic and
cackling Green Goblin. So
the stage is set for their confrontation.
Review
Spiderman fans
in the past few months were concerned with Sam Raimi's changes that
were to appear in the movie.
Firstly the
Green Goblin wouldn't be 'a goblin' - but instead a kind of sadistic
looking power ranger.
Secondly Spiderman
wouldn't create a web shooter, but instead the web would come out
of his arm - which makes more sense if you think about it.
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| Do you
come here often? |
But
the fans should be happy because Raimi has brought Spiderman to
life better than could be expected.
The most impressive
thing about it is the performances.
Tobey
McGuire is excellent as the geeky Peter Parker.
He develops
the 'human' side of his alter ego expertly, displaying what most
of us have felt as we've grown up.
Rather than
simply accepting you're a 'freak of nature', He displays shows vulnerability,
and a reluctance to be the hero.
This is something where other comic book films have failed, they
believe the audience will want constant action - but most of us
want character development as well as realistic and non-corny dialogue.
Willem Defoe is also very good, he has the perfect maniacal grin
to scare the wits out of you, but also his display of 'schizophrenic
like conflict' within himself is hugely entertaining, but dark at
the same time.
Kirsten Dunst is also very good as Peter's love interest Mary Jane,
it's a side to the film that is needed, otherwise it may have turned
out a little flat.
Another important
part of the movie is humour. Too much and the film could have descended
into a camp nightmare like Batman and Robin, but it's perfectly
subtle.
For example,
with his newly acquired talent, Peter Parker decides to profit from
becoming a wrestler, but at this point he doesn't have a proper
costume - it's more pyjama like than anything else.
It's important that Spiderman does well critically and in the box
office, because this is a franchise that could go on and on.
However, it will only be a success if Tobey Mcguire continues to
play Spidey and Raimi is still at the helm.
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