Spider-Man
Originally Written: May 2002
Snooch to the Nooch!
During the summer movie season, big-budget escapism is a dime a dozen; generally, for every good popcorn flick, there’s one that’s not-so-good, and exemplary escapism usually comes along one every few years (more frequently if you’re lucky).
This year’s four-month festival of low-brow mayhem, CG-generated madness, and bloated monetary excess begins this weekend with the highly-anticipated big screen debut of the popular Marvel Comics wall crawler “Spider-Man” (created by Stan Lee- who briefly appears in an action sequence- and Steve Ditko). How hotly anticipated is the flick? When I got to the theatre at 5:30 for a 7pm show last night, every show up until 8pm- and, not to long after, 10pm- was sold out, inspiring me to want to buy my tickets for today as soon as I got home (last night was about seeing it with friends; today, my mother gets her first glimpse of the S-man).
The quote in the title is Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s mantra- first said by his uncle Ben (movingly played by Cliff Robertson; no slouchers in this cast)- throughout the flick, but replace “power” with “financial backing” and that slogan could easily refer to “Spider-Man” director Sam Raimi. Raimi’s a self-proclaimed Spidey fan who happens to be a popular cult director. Though his recent efforts hail more from the realm of mature studio pictures (1995’s Sharon Stone-starring Western “The Quick and the Dead,” 1998’s terrific corrupt soul thriller “A Simple Plan,” the Kevin Costner baseball melodrama “For Love of the Game,” and 2000’s moody Southern Goth “The Gift”- a personal fave of mine), it’s Raimi’s disreputably oddball early films that he’s best known for, and make him an inspired choice to direct this flick. These works include 1990’s striking “Darkman,” a pure comic book flick- starring Liam Neeson and Frances McDormond (Raimi’s buds with the Coen Brothers; Mrs. McDormond is married to Joel Coen)- that wasn’t even based on a comic book, and- most notably- his ultra-low-budget “Evil Dead” trilogy with hammy on-screen alter ego Bruce Campbell (who makes a cameo here as a wrestling announcer in a sharp early scene). That trilogy- which consists of 1982’s “The Evil Dead,” 1987’s “Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn,” and 1993’s “Army of Darkness”- will turn off many by its satanic sounding title and go-for-broke gruesomeness, but trust me, it’s much funnier than that. Whaa?! Yes, you read right. In fact, the middle chapter- “Evil Dead II” (which has long been debated over whether it’s a “sequel” or a “remake”)- is arguably the definitive combo of gore and guffaws ever made, with the horror going so over-the-top it transcends scary and just becomes uncontrollably funny. I dare you not to laugh at the wicked slapstick of Campbell’s Ash getting his butt kicked by his possessed hand, the hilarity of watching Ash get drenched by gallons of multi-colored blood flows, or the gruesome rib-tickling of seeing Ash get chased by the unseen force, an effect achieved by director Raimi operating the camera while riding a motorcycle.
What the heck does this have to do with “Spider-Man?” Well, if you get an idea of what Raimi sharpened his teeth on in the early days (his style in these films inspired the Coens and Peter “Lord of the Rings” Jackson), you see how smart it was for Sony- the producers of “Spider-Man”- to entrust the potential franchise- a sequel’s already on tap- in his hands. Those zooming camera shots in the first two “Evil Dead” films are the low-tech precursors to the stylish CG swooping shots of Spidey getting around in Manhattan, and those wildly macabre scenes of cartoonish violence are bound to inspire some slickly-mounted- and slyly imagined- action sequences when Spider-Man faces off with the Green Goblin. Plus, what’s “Darkman” but a modest “prequel”- and a damn fine one at that- to the sort of psychological melodrama, exaggerated camera angles, sly camera moves, and over-the-top violence that is required by a “Spider-Man?”
What was Raimi’s responsibility in directing “Spider-Man” (to digress a bit to the forementioned quote)? To make a comic book flick that was faithful to the source material and story (that of Peter Parker’s origins as Spider-Man) so as not to distress fans, but to make a movie even the Spidey novice (of which I am one) could enjoy, and add to their DVD collection.
Mission accomplished. Raimi’s “Spider-Man” is far and away my favorite movie of the year (at least until “Star Wars” in two weeks). It’s fun, funny, a superb adventure-fantasy flick (with a bitchin’ opening titles sequence), an intriguing introduction to the Spider-verse, and a moving coming-of-age story that recalls- for me- “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and ampliphies the influence of comic books on that great Joss Whedon creation. The story- well-scripted for the screen by “Panic Room’s” David Koepp (based on a treatment by James “Titanic” Cameron, who was long associated with the project)- covers all the bases: How Peter (played by “Cider House Rules'” Tobey Maguire) was bitten by a genetically-engineered spider (a bit of liberty from the comic that had fans irate, as in the comic it’s a radioactive spider); how he lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May (Rosemary Harris); how he holds a life-long torch for literal girl-next-door Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst from “Bring It On” and “Interview With the Vampire”); how he’s a nerdy outcast at school whose only friend is fellow outcast Harry Osborne (James Franco); how Harry’s father is wealthy scientist Norman Osborne (Willem Dafoe), who becomes the Green Goblin after an experiment gone wrong; and finally, how he comes to accept his responsibility as the titular masked crime fighter. It’s deceptively simple comic book, but infinitely compelling drama thanks to an overqualified cast that believes in the material just as much as Raimi, and is having a great time doing it. Dafoe- whose resume includes such diverse films as “Clear and Present Danger,” “Platoon,” “Shadow of the Vampire,” and “The Last Temptation of Christ” (where he played Jesus, for crying out loud)- gives Osborne and the Goblin a Jekyll-and-Hyde psychology to his performance as both with lasting effect; he’s the best comic book baddie since Jack Nicholson went nuts as Joker in “Batman” (though I would be remiss to skip over Jim Carrey’s Riddler in the otherwise-forgettable “Batman Forever”), and maybe the best ever for the genre. With a younger Academy membership, it’d be pure Oscar bait; instead, it’s barely conceivable. Franco makes Harry’s disdain for his father- who takes to Parker like the son he wishes he had- believable, while making his closing moments with Peter a dark harbinger of things to possibly come in upcoming installments. (A shoutout also to J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, the editor of the Daily Bugle who asks the question, “Spider-Man: Friend or Enemy?” Brilliant scene-stealing.)
Dunst…hmmm, Dunst. Uh, sorry. What a hottie this gifted actress has become. Sexy, smart, funny, and all around adorable- not bad for someone who made their breakthrough playing an angel-faced vampire alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt (and was robbed of an Oscar in the process). Dunst’s Mary Jane is the richest comic book love interest since Lois Lane (probably because she’s the most realized), with the actress bringing out MJ’s popular persona at the beginning, her verbally-abused daughter melancholy, playful and friendly rapport with Peter, and fascination with Spider-Man with sly, sexy ease. I have yet to see her acclaimed performance in “The Cat’s Meow,” but in my book, she’s never been better.
But in all honesty, Tobey Maguire is the key. Sure, Leo DiCaprio could have put people in seats, but could he play a normal high school kid wrestling with not just newfound superpowers and the trials and tribulations of real life? My Spider sense says no. (Plus, why go for a star when the popularity of the comic alone will get auditoriums packed?) Nick Stahl (“In the Bedroom,” and just cast as John Connor in “Terminator 3”) might have worked, as would have “Buffy’s” Nicholas Brendon. And if you had told me a couple years ago that Maguire- from “The Ice Storm,” “Wonder Boys,” and the overpraised “Cider House Rules” (which I wasn’t that high on his performance in)- could do superhero, I would have laughed. But Raimi said he wasn’t casting for Spider-Man; he was casting Peter Parker. Smart move. Raimi brings out all of Maguire’s best traits from his previous work- his silent, intense brooding, intelligence in speech, inherent geekiness in look- in the character of Peter, and adds a sense of delight and excitement that we haven’t seen before in Maguire. His wonderful chemistry with Dunst also provides the movie’s most lasting moment, a rain-soaked smooch with Spidey upside-down as an appreciative MJ- after sensually pulling off his mask to reveal his mouth- plants one on his pucker. You’ve undoubtedly seen clips of it from the trailers; it’s even better in the movie, and one of the great kisses- geniusly staged by Raimi- in cinema history. Like Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman, Maguire becomes the character and his hero alter ego; he makes you believe no one else would do in that role (which might explain why Warner Bros. has never been able to get a new Superman movie off the ground; no one else but Reeve would do). Like Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins in “Lord of the Rings” (who, natch, happens to be Maguire’s “Ice Storm” co-star), it’s a much-deserved breakthrough that will sadly be overshadowed by the high tech achievements of the film come Oscar time.
Sound too good to be true? Well, the best things usually do. And I would be remiss not to point out the flaws in the film:
-The CGI acrobatics. Designed by John Dykstra (who worked on the first “Star Wars”), it takes a while for the CG to get past seam-showing and become show-stopping. But when that happens, I dare you not to be thrilled.
-Danny Elfman’s score. Though his music for Tim Burton’s “Batman” is instantly memorable, his Spider-score- though serving the basic purpose of enhancing the on-screen drama- is a bit of a letdown. It lacks a memorable theme (though this isn’t held against it), and it sounds recycled a lot of times (esp. from last year’s “Planet of the Apes” score).
-The dialogue in the confrontation scenes. Though delivered with gusto by Dafoe and Maguire, it skirts camp a few too many times. Some trimming would have rectified the situation.
-The ending. Though the last scene between Maguire and Dunst has an emotional pull after all the action, and the logic of Maguire’s statements makes sense, it leaves you quite unsatisfied.
But you know what? Who cares when you have this much fun? Raimi’s daredevil direction (up there with “Panic Room’s” David Fincher as the year’s best), his pitch-perfect cast, and all the heart, humor, and excitement you can ask from popcorn fodder makes “Spider-Man” a genuine event, and a can’t-miss smash. If “Star Wars” is destined to be the year’s biggest bread-winner (and pre-release hype says it is), it’ll have to get past this dazzling web-slinger first. Best of luck.
