I did promise you
I’ll be back with more Marvel movies. Here I am :D
I’m back again after reviewing Captain America: Civil War,
and I naturally feel like reviewing some of the older Marvel movies I grew up
with. In my last review, I stated how much I loved Tom Holland’s Spider-Man,
and I feel like going back to a movie series a lot of people grew up with, and
for me surprisingly it wasn’t the movie I grew up with, mainly because it was
made the year I was born. It was actually Spider-Man 2. However, as I follow
films in the correct order, I feel like reviewing this movie first. Spider-Man,
here we go!
(The review may
contain spoilers. You’ve been warned!)
Synopsis: Based on the
Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Tobey Maguire as Peter
Parker, a high school student living in New York, who turns to crime fighting
after developing spider-like super powers.
REVIEW
This is, in my opinion, one of the brightest, most colorful
superhero films I’ve seen from Marvel. Almost every superhero movie after The
Dark Knight has to be dark, gritty, and sad, you name it. The Amazing
Spider-Man series did that, so did Fant4stic (I’m still calling it that). I
just wanted to tell them that this isn’t
the way. Look at Spider-Man, a movie which shines as one example. The
atmosphere, the web-slinging fun while also keeping it’s true to the colors of
the source material is what made Spider-Man an amazing movie.
With Sam Raimi’s heartfelt and cheerful direction of this
movie, the heroic music composed by Danny Elfman, and the brilliant visual
effects created by John Dykstra that still holds up 14 years later (I can
calculate because the movie was made the year I was born), this movie has a lot
going for. Sam Raimi was famous for being a low budget movie director (with
movies like The Evil Dead that uses gruesome practical effects, I think you can
see why), this movie shows clear signs of a good combination of CGI and
practical action effects.
Casting choices were perfect. Not even a single misstep was made
towards these actors. Tobey Maguire plays the relatable, nerdy, constantly bullied
Peter Parker, and to this day is still better than this overrated representation
Andrew Garfield has to give. The scenes where he explored his powers were
really cool, and some of the practical effects used (when Peter climbed on the
wall up the apartment building) looked incredibly real, because it is, they turned the set 90 degrees,
so basically what we’re seeing is Tobey Maguire walking on the floor.
A lot of the supporting cast paid off well. Kirsten Dunst
plays Peter’s troubled love interest Mary Jane Watson, desperate to chase her
dreams, who was in a relationship with James Franco’s Harry Osborn, who
struggles between the relationship of him and his father mainly because his
father Norman, played by Willem Dafoe, fancies Peter more than he does with his
son. 
Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson are great additions to
this movie as Peter’s foster parents. Cliff Robertson’s performance
was short, but very affecting to Spider-Man’s character. “With great power
comes great responsibility” is one of the most memorable quote given from a
supporting character in a superhero movie. His death was important because that’s what gives Peter Parker his strength, courage and legacy to fight crime and injustice in New York. Martin Sheen in TASM did a
good job, but his performance did not even come close to what Cliff Robertson delivered.
Perhaps the funniest character was J. Jonah Jameson, played
by J.K. Simmons. You ever have that thought of: I think he was born to play that character. Yep, that’s the case
with J. J. J.! He’s this funny, eccentric, asshole with a good side in him. His
vendetta for Spider-Man is equally hilarious. His greedy, bossy and rude
attitude towards all his co-workers really gave this movie moments of comedic
gold. So many quotable moments, and the best casting in this movie.
Some of the flaws people had with this movie is the fact
that Spider-Man isn’t funny enough. Well, for me, I’m fine with him not being
that funny, because you saw what happened with Andrew Garfield’s character:
makes a lot of rude quips only for one scene, and in TASM2 you see him
let Rhino mow all these people down while cracking jokes next to his car
window. That’s why I prefer Tobey’s version, mainly because you root for this
guy who makes funny and witty remarks instead of rude ones, and he only does
that once or twice but not for a scene, the movie spreads the jokes out. You
don’t see him as a douchebag. He’s a relatable person all-in-all, and that
makes us care for the character of Spider-Man.
My personal flaws with this movie is the villain. Willem
Dafoe rocked as the Green Goblin, something I respect from him, because he had
that charismatic level of craziness seeping off him, and he is the perfect
choice for a villain who has split personality order. He did a majority of
stunt work, something I also respect, because people, out of laziness, will
simply use CGI.
However, as good as
Willem Dafoe actually is, I don’t like the character of Green Goblin. I
appreciate and respect villains who have a clear motivation instead of a big
movie character that nobody cares about, and that’s what Green Goblin is to me.
All he does is to take revenge on Oscorp Board Members, hospitalizing Aunt May and kidnapping Mary Jane Watson and trying to murder a cable car filled with children. With his level of craziness
it’s hard to see the clear motivations of that character.
My other flaw with the Green Goblin is his suit. As far as
my father is concerned, back when the movie came out (the year I was born),
everyone loved the movie. Now, the internet can just bash on minor things, such
as Green Goblin’s outfit and suit. And I agree, it does look a bit cheesy and
it looks like something out of Power Rangers (a show I never really watch). Yes,
we’re watching a movie about a teenager getting bitten by a radioactive spider,
but that plot point belongs with this movie. The Power Ranger Green Goblin suit
doesn’t really mix in well.
All in all, Spider-Man was a great standalone Marvel movie.
Without all that Marvel Cinematic Universe that confuses the audience,
Spider-Man stayed away from all that (mainly because they really haven’t
thought of making a full-blown universe yet, back in 2002). The movie is bright
and colorful, mixing cheesy and funny moments with dark moments (and even dark
comedy). Green Goblin is not as compelling as the villain in the next movie I
shall be talking about, but he’s still not that great.
Rating: FULL PRICE AWARD (5/6)
I’ll think about bringing a DC Movie Review or a Marvel
movie review on my next post. I’m thinking about mixing my Superhero Genre
Movies a little bit. Stay tuned.
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