Out of all the comic book heroes transformed into film stars, the one I liked least was the Batman series. It had nothing to do with the revolving door of superheroes, but rather the setting. Gotham City felt too much like a fake city - no real depth to it; no heart. This is probably because it was all a set created for the movie. Superman, X-Men and now Spider-Man were filmed in the real Gotham City: New York.

There has been much discussion over the last few months of how Sam Raimi - the Director - would handle the situation. Spider-Man was already in the middle of filming in September 2001. Raimi made a decision that I agreed with completely: to leave in any shots of the World Trade Center. There were only two that I noticed during the film. One was when Peter Parker was crossing roofs and the towers were in the background. The other was one time when they were reflected in his eyes.

I suppose those would have been fairly easy to get rid of. This would have followed the current trend many television shows and movies are following which seems to be the idea that if we erase them in films and shows where they were previously shown - whether in the opening title sequence or background in other shots - we are somehow going to forget that they were once there. I applaud the fact that Raimi did not do this. Original promotion shots were of a web between the two towers. I understand why that was shelved. My husband was looking for this scene and I had to explain to him that sometimes things are shot just for the trailer and never actually are intended for the movie.

There were other parts of the movie which made me uncomfortable however. It has nothing to do with anything done wrong by Raimi or any of the actors. Instead, the feeling comes while sitting in a theater on 42nd Street watching Times Square being attacked by a terrorist flying around throwing bombs at people on balconies. Yes, our hero, Spider-Man, and the villain, Green Goblin, are described using the word terror in this film.

I didn't notice too much of a reaction from the audience during these times and I have to wonder how many there felt as uncomfortable as I did. I also have to wonder how much more time will have to pass before these scenes do not make me uncomfortable anymore. Will it ever happen?

This is one reason I would use caution taking children to this movie - especially for New Yorkers. While I think it wouldn't bother my 11 year old at all, I have to wonder about younger kids after all they've been exposed to this past year.

This is not to say that I did not enjoy the film. I think Tobey Maguire is absolutely perfect casting as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He is just as believable as a geeky high-school senior pining away for his beloved Mary Jane as he is the reluctant superhero. I enjoyed seeing the human side of Spider-Man in Peter. He is not a confident man who is sure of what he is doing. Rather, he is a teenager coping with all of the issues teenagers normally have.

When Peter's Uncle Ben - who has raised him - tries to have a heart to heart only to have the teen lash back at him, we see a normal teenager in the midst of growing pains. However, the words Peter has tried to stop his uncle from saying are more on the money than Uncle Ben (portrayed by Cliff Robertson) could have ever imagined: with great power comes great responsibility.

Instead of a larger-than-life superhero as we had with both Batman and Superman, I found Spider-Man to be a more down to earth story of a typical person pushed into a set of extraordinary circumstances. Peter makes choices and some of them are mistakes. He is neither all-knowing nor perfect.

Kirsten Dunst has been an actress I have had my eyes on for a while, and she does a great job here as Mary Jane Watson. There are so many different dimensions to the girl. She seems to be someone who we would all want to be in high school, and yet her home life is a shambles. Eventually she begins dating Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn. You would think she would be then envy of everyone, dating someone who has money and is willing to spend it on her. Yet she still is struggling to find out who she is.

Harry (portrayed by James Franco) is himself in the midst of a host of turmoil. His family life is a shambles with an over-achieving father who's desire to remain at the top leads him to create the villain, Green Goblin. Willem Dafoe is incredible as this villain - another masterful bit of casting.

Rounding out the stellar cast is Rosemary Harris as Aunt May, and J.K. Simmons in a wonderful bit of comic relief as the chief editor of the Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson. I hope we get to see more of him in the sequel - the ending lets you know in no uncertain terms that there will be one.

The stunts and effects are very well done. The CGI is not perfect, but it is good. I don't think this movie could have been made as well only a few years ago. The technology has finally caught up to Stan Lee's comics. Lee has also kept the story true to what he has written all these years by signing on as an executive producer. The shots where the audience seems to be with Spider-Man as he swings through the canyons of Manhattan are great. The fight scenes are well choreographed.

I also like Danny Elfman's soundtrack - a lot. However, I kept missing that kitschy theme from the cartoon show. I think a play on that - even just at the end when the credits were rolling - would've been fun.

The only question I have is why was Macy Gray in this film at all?


Related reviews:

Spider-Man 2


© 2002 Patti Aliventi


Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12