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Review: Spiderman
First off lets talk about the cast. Toby Maguire was great in The Cider House Rules. He's just a solid actor. But I was seriously wary of him in the role of the webbed one. He seemed like a flimsy choice. He needed to pull off the one liners, but still convince us of his love for Mary Jane. But he pulls it off admirably. From the goofy glasses wearing scenes in the beginning to his badass battle scenes towards the end, its a solid showing. The best scenes in the whole movie are the ones where we see Peter Parker coming to grips with his new spider powers.
Now I'm gonna skip in a bit with a statement about staying true to comic books. Yes- some of the details have been changed from the books. Like most noticably, the nature of Spiderman's webbing. But whatever- this is story telling and it works for me.
Kirsten Dunst does a good job in what could have been a bland role in the hands of an actress who was just a pretty face. Mary Jane is convincing, and since she is in many ways the thing that grounds spiderman, its a tough burden. And the other biggie is of course the head of Oscorp, Mr. Norman Osborn, Willem Defoe. he does allright, but most of his maniacal scenes are covered by a mask that leaves him little room for any actual facial expressions.
So the plot: Boy loves girl. Boy gets bit by radioactive spider and develops super powers. Boys friend's dad inhales nano gas that makes him super powerful, and super crazy. Boy explores powers and eventually must save city from the attack of the newly crazed buddy's dad, all while dealing with the loss of his family. It's spiderman in a nutshell, and it's just damn solid.
The special effects are smooth. From the ads I was a little concerned since spiderman looked a little fake leaping around. But within the context of the movie it usually worked for me. They looked unnatural, but frankly seeing spiderman leap off inflatable balloon floats and swinging around flagpoles suspended by spiderwebs is already pretty unnatural so I let the suspension of disbelief win out on this one.
Danny Elfman hasn't sounded this good since Batman. I loved the score. It doesn't really feel original, but it sure fits like a glove.
In short, its a great movie. I won't comic-book-guy the details that were missed in the transition from paper to film, but I think they did a great job of making an entertaining movie, and staying extremely true to what I think Spiderman is all about. And goddamn it, the raw sense of excitement as he discovers his abilities is enough to make every guy wish he had those powers- swinging from building to building and howling like a mad freak. God I loved it. Congratulations to everyone involved- you win.
All that, and I even scored tickets to the 12:01 showing of star wars on opening day ;)
The Lone Gunmen are DEAD? Man, why did you have to give that away?!? Crap, I won't have to watch my TIVOed X-Files now...!
I figure The Scorpion King at least would be considered a "Summer" Blockbuster, even with it's April release. What's the matter? Can't Smell What the Rock is Cooking?
*Note: Author is extremely sorry for using such a tired catchphrase from an overhyped professioanl wrestler.
Th
The guy's name is Spider-Man. With a hyphen. Go and look at a comic book; this has always been the case.
Breakfast served all day!
And I'll try not to lone-gunman-are-dead the review,
The lone gunmen are dead?? Don't you know that here in the island nation of Tonga, episodes of The X Files are released two weeks later than in the US? How dare you post spoilers on the front page!
You bastard!
m-
You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
But the character's name isn't "Spiderman", it's "Spider-man".
I didn't have to suffer through a Jon K(r)a(p)tz review!
CmdrTaco, you've made my day!
It is great to see that such a big fan enjoyed the movie so much. I can't wait to see it. I am heading to the theatre for the 7:45 pm show. I wonder...if Spiderman is really good will it give Attack of the Clones a challenge this month? Star Wars is unquestionably huge but there are also a lot of Spiderman fans and a lot people that feel burned by Phantom Menace.
FoundNews.com - get paid to blog.,
Finally a review from someone who as actually "seen" the movie rather than a lot of the speculation going around. I think Taco is right on the money, this appeals to the guys that loved the comics . . . it is a dream come true.
so anyone familiar with the comic book will like it, but how about someone like me, who simply never read them? sure, flame me, but you could say i am from a different generation. still, is the movie good?
I was thinking of how to intentionally fail my drug test... It would make a good memoir story someday.
Yea thats sad about the Lone Gun Men isint it? :-(
----- The aluminum foil helmet is for my protection!
i just got back from it myself, and i thought it was outstanding. my biggest fear was the it would suck like so many other super-hero movies, but it really came through in a big way.
even better, one of the opening teasers was for the incredible hulk next summer, which looks damn cool as well.
definitly go see this movie, you wont be disappointed!
And I'll try not to lone-gunman-are-dead the review
That's got to be the phrase of the day somewhere! People on the boards were quite unhappy that Slashdot posted that (and as soon as it happened on the east coast, no less!)!
To use it as a description for how much or how little will be given away in the review is truly, truly amazing! Caused me to laugh, anyway!
of course the movies aren't going to be realistically be 100% like the original, they like to change things around. Its grown more noticable lately in movies to film adaptations. Anyways, I'll go see the film, but what spiderman movie I would really like to see is Spidey vs. Venom, that would kick ass. Anyone know if they will be making a movie like that? Hopefully the sequels won't end up like batman and become halfassed and poorly done.
Btw, what about Batman anyway? Is there another one in the works?
Slashdot Hypocrisy at work?
Like he's Jewish or something: "Ira Spiderman".
How about as Mary Jane? :)
:)
I grew up with Spiderman. He is the reason I learned to read, because a) the Electric Company featured him every day, b) my Mom wouldn't read comics to me, and c) my dad was always too busy to read them to me.
Spidey also seemed to cross racial lines, IME. We all thought he was cool, no matter if we were asian, black, hispanic, or white. Spidey just rocked.
AFAIK, he's also one of the few superheros to come close to killing Wolverine. How to actually kill Wolverine was the topic of many a cafeteria discussion when I was in college.
AMCGLTD.COM. Where cats, science fictio
No mention of Bruce Campbell's cameo roll? Thats the entire reason I've been excited about this movie for the past year..!
I can look forward to hordes of little spiderman trick-or-treaters this year instead of jar-jar binks.
It's spiderman in a nutshell, and it's just damn solid.
I haven't seen this flick yet, but it sounds like it lives up to the book.
Oh, wait...
daed si luap
Have to concur (11:30amEST showing out here), that movie does kick ass. Underhyped in some ways...
But that Hulk trailer, what a nice way to do post production. See what the current technology allows, do a vague non-cgi trailer, and use whats current and what looks good now, because Summer 2003 is easily a year'ish away.
You expect the editors of this site to do checking? You haven't been around here very long, have you?
he need some fancy high tech nano stuff to get into this stage?
When I was a kid, throwing snow or water ballons inside, was more than enough.
Carbon based humanoid in training.
It seems like, for the first time in a long while, somebody Gets the Comic Book Idea.
Which usually means "tight, interesting story, complex characters in the ordinary world with extraordinary circumstances, and spandex".
Now, if we can just get someone to perform a videogames2movie conversion that doesn't suck. (Well, except for Street Fighter II the Animated Movie, but that was an anime, so it doesn't count.)
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
Or would you just go so far as to say he is a Web Master? Gives all those poor lonely cube monkies more hope eh?
Ha Ha Green Goblin, I'll PHP your ass!!!
#include sig.h
Click here or here.
[Scene: Monica and Rachel's, Monica is in the kitchen chopping vegetables. Chandler and Phoebe are sitting in the living room.]
Phoebe: (to Chandler) Hey! (Chandler looks up, startled) Why isn't it Spiderman? Y'know like Goldman, Silverman...
Chandler: 'Cause it's-it's not his last name.
Phoebe: It isn't?
Chandler: No, it's not like, like Phil Spiderman. He's a spider, man. Y'know like ah, like Goldman is a last name, but there's no Gold Man.
"I may not have morals, but I have standards."
And I enjoyed this much more.
tcd004
My girlfriend isn't much of a (comic book/computer) geek, but she's been singing the damn theme song from the cartoon all week.
At least she'll calm down after we see it.
Hopefully it doesn't spawn a series of crappy, overhyped sequels though *cough* Batman *cough*
Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
Were the graphics rendered with FreeBSD just like The Matrix? I think FreeBSD makes the best clusters.
Either this is a typo or Kirsten Dunst was getting blazed the whole movie...
Their both good in their own way I suppose...
and apparently the local LA critics are having trouble spelling "insipid"
-dk
Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head.
I haven't had the opportunity to bail out of work to catch it yet, but I am curious as to how well they set themselves up for sequels. Before the X-Men movie even came out, it was known that there would be a couple more flicks. Have they done the same with the real Marvel flagship character? I would hope so. Marvel (thanks to Joe Quesada) has been very successful in the past year, and I can't see them not capitalizing on the Spidey franchise.
For that matter, has anyone heard anything from Raimi or any of the cast regarding sequels?
Ok, what am I doing asking about the next movies?! I haven't even seen this one!
J - Snoogans!
Fire in the sky
...the Lone Gunmen are dead? What do you mean they're dead?
Damn. Miss one XFiles episode and see the world go to hell in a handbasket...
Sounds like the team working on this movie learned from Batman. As far as I know, Batman and Spiderman are the only two SuperHeros to make it big, while still being only human- no turning back time, enhaling the Earth's oxygen in one breath, or other such silliness. That's why I've always liked them. But Batman just seemed cooler somehow.
That is, until the horendous monstrosity of the Batman movies came out. Rap music? In 1930's Gotam City? It was so distracting. And all the, let's face it...bullshit...in "Forever". I can't believe it's the only movie I ever walked out on! Ick!
Jack Nicholson as the Joker...several really GOOD Batman actors (not sure which I liked best!) and lots of money for SFX, but the soul of Hollywood came through and managed to run it right into the ground.
So a chance for a new start; I look forward to enjoying Spiderman without fear! Thanks for the review!
--- For a good time mail uce@ftc.gov
What? The lone gunmen are dead?
Thanks for ruining it for me.
No globalism-running-rampant? No sales pitch? No Open-source? Evil multi-nationals? Where's the post 9/11 hellmouth Corporatism angle?
I'm sorry, but reviews just aren't the same without the JonKatz.
Just wait till some crappy band steals your nic.
Nah, he was right the first time - all movies are best viewed with a little Mary Jane.
Eloi are stupid, throw morlocks at them!
Spider powers? I have yet to see a spider save a trapped animal from certain doom. If anything it would bite it, kill it, and suck out the liquified insides.
I tell ya what, I don't know what crack these people are on who come up with this shit.
All that, and I even scored tickets to the 12:01 showing of star wars on opening day ;)
May You ROT IN HELLL!!!!!
Rapid Nirvana
Now I HAVE to see the movie. Just found out that in it he's from the same tiny, obscure neighborhood in Queens that I am...
So, we should just rush out and put money in the pockets of the MPAA?
Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
It's spelled "pickle"
--
Mod up a post Rob doesn't like and you'll never mod again
How to actually kill Wolverine was the topic of many a cafeteria discussion when I was in college.
Take me. Take me now. You're a woman's dream.
All that, and I even scored tickets to the 12:01 showing of star wars on opening day ;)
:-)
you punk!!!
hey, for your SWE2 review, just let us know if it is better than E1 and how it relates to E4,E5,E6.
I don't want to be tempted
I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
i find it humorous that spider-man loves 'mary jane'...maybe all those superpowers are just a mild hallucination. :)
R.I.P.
I love responses like this. Because they are closer to Hollywood their oppinion is more valid?
In that case, my sister works for the guy who produced and wrote Pleasantville, Big, and other movies and SHE said it was good.
Exactly, who the hell cares what she thinks.
Never confuse volume with power.
Oh I see how this works... post a negative review for a comic book movie and get slammed as a troll. Post a positive review about the Holy Grail of geekdom Star Wars movie and get slammed as a troll.
So much for "freedom of thought".
I'm sorry.
I have now learned my lesson.
Spiderman is an outstanding bit of cinematic brilliance! It is a non stop thrill packed roller coaster of thrills and chills! Kirsten Dunce will make you beg for more! If you ever see one movie in your entire life, make sure this is it!
mje0w!!!1!
I'm a long time Spider-Man fan, so I was looking forward to/dreading seeing it made into a film. The best praise I can give it is that it was very accurate. The story of the original Green Goblin was told just as I remember it from the comic books, with a few exceptions which aren't really worth getting into.
The greatest thing about it isn't so much that the plot is accurate, but that the characters are. The first scene with J. Jonah Jameson captured the man's essence perfectly. Does he really think Spider-Man is a menace or does he just want to sell more papers? Norman Osborne is very well done, which is good since he gets the majority of screen time, after Parker. His personality-changing rage is reminiscent of the Incredible Hulk, but more devious. His interactions with Harry are are nice as well. You can already see the personality flaws and fatherly abuses that will eventually lead Harry to his own fate.
Despite the film's strong characterization and fantastic special effects, I didn't leave the film completely awed as I did with other films. It was all excellent, and polished, but it was missing a sense of wonder. Most of the film has been done before, just not all at the same time. Regardless, I think the film was successful. Hardcore Spidey fans won't be shocked by any heresy, action fans will be impressed by the web-swinging, and even those who prefer love stories won't be disappointed.
Shockwave Flash movies are the greatest thing to happen to non-sequitur humor since Japan.
Actually I think it was Pick-El originally, but has gradually lost the hyphen and the spelling over time. ;)
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
Depending on the storyline, wolverine has been
can anbody think of any more?
Those who can, do. Those who can't, simulate.
From John Ashcroft.
Lame stories are posted to Slashdot about science
while Biker Gangs On Turf Warpath.
I wonder if John Ashcroft will call them as material witnesses or
Donald Rumsfeld will call in the Special Forces.
Thanks in advance.
Woot
Can't remember what series it was, I think it was some parallel universe type thing, but Wolverine attacked one of the Sentinels (?) and the Sentinel blasted Wolverine, and all that was left on the ground after that was his smoking, but undamaged adamantium skeleton.
Any help out there on that?
I had the highest hopes of any movie since Episode I.
so i guess a little book made into a movie last christmas didn't suit your fancy?
-rp
What about Gwen Stacy? I sure as heck dont remember ever seeing the GG throwing MJ off a bridge, but if the trailer is any indication, she gets tossed like Gwen got tossed... and Spidey KILLED Gwen.
and what about his wrestling career? is that in there? that was pretty damn important..
This is my sig. Its pathetic.
Is she hot in the movie? She is everywhere nowadays, she is a nice little hottie! She is not perfect, but I somehow cannot resist here. She seeems to have strange teeths, and so so hair, but nice overall package. any comments?
(BTW, I always wanted to see a jewish Superman whose dad could be Emanu-El)
----
WWJD...For a Klondike Bar?
Here you go.. this may help you out down the road.
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BilldaCat
... and it was GREAT! It couldn't have been done better. I highly recommend it. The direction and writing was good - it didn't try to explain anything to the audience like they were stupid. I might actually go see it again tonight, and I Never do that!
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
I'd say that I haven't seen acting as bad as Maguire's since Jake "Yipee" Lloyd, but I honestly can't say that Toby is any better.
-sk
My 4 year old really wants to see this movie, and I'm wondering why a movie with a potential audience going way down in age, would they aim for a teenage rating? I wonder if I should heed that "Parents Strongly Cautioned"? I'll probably take him, but it'll probably scar him for life :)
Or at least give him a few good nightmares.
I grew up on Spider-Man and in my books .. the movie wasn't so good. A few things that were changed that shouldn't have been :
1. The web shooter !! Why did they take that ultra cool contraption off ... the witish liquid on his wrists just reminded me too much of something else ...
2. They took off Gwen !! One the main characters in Spider-Man during his formative years and also one of the babes in the movie ... oh why her ??
Story wise it was streched too thin all over the place to satisfy my movie taste buds ... This is a crying ashame as it was a good effort but then I felt that things was a tad too rushed to be really memorable. A little focus would have done it a world of good.
If I was a baseball fan, that would have hurt...
Good to hear that the score for the movie actually made enough a dent in your mind to have it featured in the review. I'll go look for the score (not the soundtrack, damn it) before seeing the movie tonight at 6:30. *grin* can't wait!
Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
Hey! You're right. How come The Village missed that particular trick? The Number Six would have talked in no time if he would have been convinced he had a wife.
The owls are not what they seem
And Don't forget Sunday, May 5 is "Free Magarita Day". Hug your favorite Latino (make sure they're Mexican though) and say:
Viva! Cinco De Mayo
I wonder if Mexicans drink lots of Wiskey on July 4th...hmmmm
I'm not a comic book fanatic, so I was wondering if someone could tell me about the comic book's style of webbing. I've heard conflicting stories (shoots out of his arm, he has web packs that he reloads). Thanks!
Get Firefox!
Stan Lee has an editorial in today's New York Times (free reg required blah blah blah), wherein he talks about Spidey's long-lasting appeal. Short on depth but fulla Stan Lee goodness, it's worth a read.
Will they kill hear and just a moment later resurrect her? ;-)
-------------------------------------------------
Programming is good for health
As a non fan, who probably won't get a chance to see the movie, and who lives in Queens - what neighborhood is that?
(Bayside Hills is home)
-- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
when Spider-man 3 (or 4) is out,
are they going to make some cheesie
Spider-woman movie?
I think it requires someone to make a breakthrough, well-done crossover film (comic2movie, videogame2movie, martialarts2movie) for the studio execs to see the possibilities. I made this point in a post to an earlier story and I actually cited "SFII, the Animated Movie" just like you did. My gut feeling is that the studio execs are so closed minded that if a filmmaker approaches them with an idea to make an intelligent comic2movie film (or videogame2movie, etc.) they'll liable to laugh the guy right out of their office. Untill someone else actually makes a movie (e.g., "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") and they see a concrete example, showing that it can actually work. So here's hoping that a box-office success for Spider-Man opens the door to other well-done, intelligent, thoughtful comic2movie adaptations. As for the videogame2movie, we're going to have to wait for that one good film before the studio execs green-light too many more of those given the recent failures of videogame2movie films.
GMD
watch this
I'd say it was dealt with by a gracious moderator. -1, hehe
Figures, I skip out for a couple of hours to go down by Times Square and see it. Talk about fluff... worst movie I have ever seen.... I can think of only one movie worse, 'Oh God, You Devil II'.
Jesus... the CGI was so flacid and fake looking, unmeshed to the live stuff. The guy playing spiderman is as wooden as Matt Broderick in Godzilla, and Kirsten Dunst should never be let near a camera again (she's uselss as an actress and barely passable as a cute chick).
The Goblin was bad as well, which is the worst shame of the movie given how good Willam Dafoe really is... shame on his agent at least.
The script is TERRIBLE to boot!
Pure tripe... I can't belive the hype, and I can't believe for a second that true comic book fans will be able to stomach this celluloid horror without having to dismiss themselves every few minutes to buy rolaids and dramamine.
To thumbs, eight fingers, and ten toes down. I would rather go see that awful spanish flick or Titanic with my mother-in-law than this again.
So with Sony being a part of the MPAA and RIAA, it is ok to still see this Movie? After all you did realize this was a Sony movie.
:-P
Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
I don't the story at all, but is there any chance that Ms Dunst shimmies into a skin-tight spidey suit?
1. Mary Jane as white trash... huh?
2. Very slow on the ground. You can tell this when all the kids at the matinee start talking... nothing to keep their attention.
3. no web cartridges? damn. How many plots rely on him running out of web fluid?
4. Stan Lee cameo... give me a break. Wasn't Jack Kirby involved with Spiderman? Where's his credit?
Other than that, I couldn't keep the smile from my face. Will see it at least 2 more times I'm sure.
Dear CmdrTaco,
I always knew you were my bitch. All that complaining and going on and on about how evil I am, I knew you were just being coy. Thanks for the cash, and thanks for advertising our latest product on your website! Keep up the good work, or next time I won't use as much lube! Hehe! Just kidding, cutie-pie!
xoxoxoxo,
Jack Valenti
When did they change his name from the HobGoblin?
You didn't get modded as a troll because of your opposing viewpoint, you got modded as a troll probably because you prefaced your opposing viewpoint with:
Taco you are obviously not one for refined taste and discretion.
Your second post got modded as a troll probably because you're too much of a moron to realize it.
Hmm...I'll take Kirsten Dunst. You can swing from building to building howling like a mad freak all you want.
No, Thursday's out. How about never - is never good for you?
Maybe my memory is faulty, but as I recall, the Spider-Man in the comics had a dark, brooding personality. Until the very end, this spidey has really only one scene where he shows that, and the scene came out of nowhere; it didn't really fit. Perhaps he'll move that way in S-M-II.
sre you ESL or just simple?
I skipped out early this morning and went to see the first showing of Spiderman in my local theater.
How much did that cost the economy?
...obviously ghost-written by Jon Katz.
Taco? Not. There were no spelling errors (at least on the first line of each paragraph, anyway.)
Zoober
Jack Kirby is DEAD
All that, and I even scored tickets to the 12:01 showing of star wars on opening day ;)
Take me take me!!!
- This isn't the sig you're looking for. Move along, move along..
I love how we Americans are so intent on verbifying nouns.
Sure, tell her about Mulder's sister and why hyphenation is so important to the world...
Sony is a big company, split into lots of piecies. Sony movies and sony games are great divisions. The funny thing is that one arm of Sony doesn't know what the other arm is doing. There's that new NetMD commercial, which tells you how you can use the Sony NetMD to rip music, meanwhile Sony Music is going freaky over the wave of MP3 "music stealing."
;)
BTW> The NetMD rocks. 2.5 (at good quality) hours of music, 56 hours of battery life, cheap ($2) media. The players themselves are small, durable, and can take quite a beating without skipping. Now, if it only worked in Linux
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
I desperately wanted to share LoTR with my son, but couldn't do it as it was too violent for him.
My wife and I were both really upset when we saw that Spider-man was going to be PG-13, so I'm thinking that it is also probably out for my son.
That said, I'd love to hear from some parents on whether they think it would or wouldn't be appropriate for me to take my boy.
Stand Fast,
tjg.
I was bitten by a radioactive punchcard. Now I have the superhuman ability to write code for IBM704s.
What about Steve Diko?
Kerby did the cover of the first comic Spider-man was in. He also came up with early version of Spider-man that was pretty much a rip off of the old Capt. Marvel who looked like Capt. America.
Stan Lee never gave much thought as to what any of the Marvel hero's looked like so he didn't seem to care.
Diko came up with the look of Spider-man and has never (IMHO) recived the proper credit.
And yes I know I sound like the comic book guy on the Simpsons.
When punk rock is outlawed, only outlaws will have punk rock.
I didn't see one credit for Jack.
t ml
If you don't know why that's a problem, read this link:
http://twomorrows.com/kirby/articles/18leekirby.h
After Jack left Marvel, the only selling comic that Stan came up
with was "She-HULK". Ugh.
It's a Sony Pictures movie. Sony's a member of the MPAA, who love the DMCA. Sony Pictures has been cited as a supporter of Fritz Holling's Security Systems Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA) bill. We're talking about the kind of folks that hire lawyers to sue teenage hackers for writing unauthorized DVD playback software for GNU/Linux systems. Sure, it might be a great movie, but at least stop a minute to think where your money's going, what it will be used for down the road.
Anybody who says one vote doesn't matter must've missed the last US elections.
"We should have the Stalin award or something for entities advancing the destruction of the first ammendment. We can nominate the evil organizations oppressing freedom of speech like the MPAA."
-CmdrTaco, March 10, 2002
"In short, its a great movie. Congratulations to everyone involved- you win."
-CmdrTaco, May 3, 2002
Everyone involved? Presumably that includes the MPAA. Thanks for clearing that up, guy.
... while this review is pretty good, something about Taco's hyphen-stuck-down writing style kept throwing me off. I'm not trying to love-to-hate-Katz your review here Taco, but I couldn't resist hehe-anyone-else-notice pointing it out.
There are 11 types of people in the world: those who understand unary, and those who don't.
Next to Speedball, Spider-woman is one of the lamest characters ever.
I mean I'd have to go and see the movie about her but I wouldn't want to. I'd have too...Heck I stomached all the Superman movies didn't I?
The Only Person Willing to be Me is ME!
SPOILER ALERT
Eddie Brock makes a cameo appearance in the movie, and he eventually turns into Venom. I definitely see this happening in the sequel perhaps, due to the amazing CG they could do with the black symbiote.
I'm on top of my game like I'm standin' on Xbox.
The link is broken.. try this link, to the main page of the event, insted.
SPIDER-MAN inferior bug-creature. Bug mixed with hooman bad. Can jump he. Can spin "webbs" he. Big deal. All BUG I. Antennules and many legs can run and SPLAT! on big poosy spider-man. Bug sooperior to hooman in every way immaginnable. Sum bugs can even fly! HA! flying bugs worst nitemare of hoomans. Flying bug armee CRUSH spidor-man with huge bug-SPLAT!, yelllow and green guts oozing and dripping all over. Bug armee invincible! More bugs than Chinese! Bug armee CRUSH hoomans and take over all world, like back to prehistorick tymes when no hoomans at all to ruin earth. Earth belong to BUGS only!
BUG-SPLAT!
Isn't it odd how good comics are always billed as "comics for people who don't read comic books"? Maus, Sandman, Strangers in Paradise---all found an audience outside the pale geeky norm (well, maybe not Sandman) because they were good.
This trend is a little dubious---do you think of The Godfather as a "movie for people who don't watch movies", or The Lord of the Rings as a "book for people who don't read books"?
Bah. I'm going to go in my corner and complain some more about the stigmatization of comics,
--grendel drago
[blah, it didn't log me in. yes, i'm posting this again so i get seen. ignore that ac comment.]
Isn't it odd how good comics are always billed as "comics for people who don't read comic books"? Maus, Sandman, Strangers in Paradise---all found an audience outside the pale geeky norm (well, maybe not Sandman) because they were good.
This trend is a little dubious---do you think of The Godfather as a "movie for people who don't watch movies", or The Lord of the Rings as a "book for people who don't read books"?
Bah. I'm going to go in my corner and complain some more about the stigmatization of comics,
--grendel drago
Just so I don't have to post these things twice:
My other posting for this thread.
What's "amazing" is how Stan get all the credit!
Ha! Dilettante!
I've been in line since last Thursday!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Of course they do. They aren't _THAT_ stupid. That can be Sony's master plan to use the very same people Sony dislikes to against them. Don't like the geeks ridicule Sony? Make a Spidey movie these idiot will want to watch, then use the money provided by these foolish, narrow-minded suckers AGAINST THEM, IN COURT OR OUT. Every dollar spent on purchasing Sony product may very well goes to their legal department. So don't whine if Sony tries to screw you next time because you chose you buy its products from one of the company's many divisions.
As you can read here, there is already a sequel in the works...
Check out our infosecurity industry blog: http://securitymusings.com/
AMC Theaters all over the country started selling tickets to AOTC today, with no fanfare by Lucas. I just called the phone charge for my local theater (AMC Hoffman Center, Alexandria VA, 703-998-4262) and ordered up 8 tickets for the 12:01am showing.
Check out our infosecurity industry blog: http://securitymusings.com/
...sounds like it could add a whole new definition to the term 'Web Surfing.'
You may all groan now...
Bruce Lane, KC7GR,
Blue Feather Technologies
Is that his last name, like Goldman or Peterman? Sheesh, you skip out of work to go support the MPAA, and you can't even manage to spell the proper noun, which is both title of the movie your are reviewing and the name of the main character, in the title (or body) of your review.
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
Wow! What a waste of money, talent and film stock. Many elements have to fall into place for me to completely hate a movie to the point where I feel like setting the movie theater on fire. Where to begin.
Before the bashing begins, I will say Tobey Maguire was very believable as Peter Parker. Hhmm, that seems to be the only thing I can say that isn't snide or cutting. First off, Hollywood should now realize this whole "replace-the-human-with-CGI-effects" idea just doesn't work. It didn't work in Blade 2, and it certainly did not work in this film. Maybe imagination or blue screen acting would be more appropriate than trying to replace the human form with fake and awkward images of light and bit maps. It was like a bad video game. The dialogue also felt forced in many areas, especially when Parker tried to reveal his true feelings for Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). (Some love story - the old geek loves girl who loves another guy, and when she realizes he's right for her, he realizes that anyone who loves him is in danger so he has to reject her. ) They did it twice, and it still didn't work! David Koepp went from writing Panic Room to this slop! I haven't seen a dive like that since a Don King promoted fight.
Typically, I rarely put down music, but then again, I think its time for Danny Elfman to go on some reunion tour with Kajagoogoo or whatever the heck the name of that band was he played for. Its obvious he has lost his touch. In fact, this entire movie wreaks of Batman, which was a far superior movie.
The music was a blatant rip-off of Batman, and the movie even tried to rehash certain elements and moments. Let's see here: a chemical turns Willem Dafoe into a maniac, Dafoe's character trying to be nice to the superhero at the end before trying to kill the hero, the scene where the editor calls all of Parker's photos "crap" (which was exactly the same way Batman did it), the Green Goblin killing a group of people who want to rub him out of the picture (like the Joker and the other mobsters), etc. The similarities are far too numerous to number, the only difference is that Batman actually had some flair and magistry. This was nothing but a high, gloss picture with pretty images and mind-numbing editing techniques.
I should have stayed away considering Sam Raimi had directed this film, but for some odd reason, I decided to follow the crowd. The lesson: be yourself and watch something else.
I don't bother with a lot of Hollywood movies, but the last few that I saw (Lord of the Rings, and X-Men, I think), they preceeded the trailers with a string of bigname coporate television-style advertising for crap like Coca-cola, Nike and Microsoft. I might go see a Spider-man movie for the hell of it (without expecting much from it), but I will not pay to see Microsoft ads.
At a bear minimum, please do scream "bullshit" when you they push an ad on you. An entire audience chanting "Linux! Imac! Linux! Imac!" in response to a Microsoft ad would definitely warm the heart.
that would be "american" grammar
Restrictions are prohibited. Be well, get better.
Uh, you don't have to go far to find another method of killing Wolverine....
Drop by your local comic store this weekend to pick up your FREE COMIC BOOK. While there, you could also pick up Wolverine #175 -- the most recent -- for another possible answer debated in this thread.
(I'm trying not to lone-gunmen-are-dead the ending, but I think I'm failing miserably)
Actually, they know a lot more than you think. They know that even though most commoners like you know too well how immoral this company is, they are too dumb and incapable to resist this company every time it makes a 'cool' movie/game/toy/whatever. So Sony just exploit people's weaknesses, and squeeze every last cent from your pocket and willpower whenever possible. It doesn't matter if one arm of Sony doesn't know what the other arm is doing, because the brain is in perfect control of both arms, with one does squeezing and the other clobbering.
If it's anal-retentive to insist on spelling a character's name correctly, then I'm sure John Cats would point it out...
Hey, anyone seen the unreleased movie: "The Fantastic Four" made in 1992? Here's the link: http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/294.html They never released it because they wanted to make it better.
Now part of this was that I went in to the theatre expecting a very good movie. Don't get me wrong, parts of it were. I'd recommend checking it out, and while I don't plan to see it again, if I do I'll enjoy it. Just don't go in with your hopes up too high.
On the other hand, the preview for The Hulk got my heart racing... (guess I'm just a sucker)
Whoops, hope I didn't ruin it for anybody.
Now perhaps we can at last lay the bitter memory of Nicholas Hammond to rest.
BEWARE: Possible spoilers
At the end of this film, as Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) stands face-to-face with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and realizes that he can finally have his dream woman, he instead decides to walk away and leave her with nothing more than the infamous "let's be friends" line, a line that no real man has every uttered to a woman in his entire life. Finally, we understand what's been bothering Parker throughout the whole film: He's gay.
While it takes Parker a long time to admit this to himself, the clues are ever-present. First of all, what heterosexual guy pines to put on a skintight leotard and run around the city in it? You can only be gayer by dressing up as a large, pink triangle. Despite his claims about being deeply attracted to Mary Jane, the lack of a visible erection in his form-fitting suit during their encounters is testament to his gayness. And, of course, Spider-Man just loves to get other men sticky. In fact, the web that emerges from his wrist after a spider bite is simply a metaphor for the uncaring society that keeps his gayness in check.
Certainly, residents of San Francisco's Castro district will tell you about their famed Green Goblin festival, so the fact that Spider-Man is battling the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) suggests a sexual complexity to his inner conflict. Even Parker's roommate, Harry (James Franco), who is dating Mary Jane, says to Parker: "You never made your move." Well, of course he didn't. Parker lives with Harry and it's obvious from Parker's every move who he really wants.
Throughout history, spiders' use in art has always been seen as representative of a need for the phallic extension to dominate. Peter Parker's oft-closeted alter ego is the cinematic representation of the penis given full power. While one might interpret this phallic power as being directed outward, toward the female, the very interpretation of a "spider" "man" thwarts such an interpretation. "To spider" literally means to extend, while the "man" is quite obviously the object to which the spider is applied. Clearly, if Peter Parker could have come to grips with his need for the hot, sweaty man-love, his exploration into the culture of the superhero would have been redundant and thus entirely unnecessary.
Yes
It's a essentially prequel, and is supposed to be based on Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One" comic books.
I'm particularly interested in it becuase Darren Aronofsky is directing. I would expect it to have a darker feel to it, like the original Batman movie.
Why did this get a PG-13 rating?
My 4 year old child has been very excited about this movie (as am I), and I just want to know what to expect.
By the way, does anyone think it is a bit odd that this movie is being marketed to the under 10 crowd? I see it images of Spidy plastered all throughout Toys R US, on fast food kid's meal bags, and other various places that younger children look to.
I am just curious of the input. I will probably take my kid to see the movie regardless.
I saw The Amazing Spiderman back in the late 70's, with a friend, both in our early 20s then. We went to an early showing. The theatre was packed, but we were the only ones older than 16 years of age in the theatre! Spot the nerds!!
very very happy. I thought tobey was great. but then I like tobey maguire in any role. As far as the way the movie was put together it just seemed better than batman. Batman was great but it was always so super comical, the sets were unreal, the costumes were jsut abstract. thats it batman was abstract and impressionistic and I think Spider-Man is more realistic (I'm talking the look, the fact that there's a guy swinging from skyscrapers is not what I'm talking about) as for the CG. well there is one spot that looks a little funny but only for a sec. Also what right do we ahve to complain? Stan Lee exec produced it. He's even in it if you look real close.
-
Yes, there is a new Batman movie in the works. It will be based on the Batman:Year One title. No cast has been slated (Gillian Anderson is rumored to be in talks for a role) and Darren Aranofsky directing and Frank Miller (writer of the Year One comic) screenwriting.
This is scheduled anywhere between 2003 and 2005. It will be much darker, and definitely no POW!! ZAPP!! I for one am looking very forward to this one. It's about time they decided to get that train wreck back on the track.
From the reviews I've read, Woodhaven.
Kirsten Dunst site (not the official site, but first in Google)
Oops, posted my review over on the other slashdot article about Spidey today before seeing this story, where it is more appropriate. Here it is again, slightly modified.
I got my first Spidey comic when I was about 6 (27 years ago), and have been a fan my whole life. Spidey (and Fantastic Four and Superman) were part of what fueled my interest in science as a kid, since they were always inventing all sorts of cool stuff.
Going into the Spider-Man movie, I was sure there was no way it could live up to my hopes/expectations. Whenever I have this high hopes about a movie I'm always disappointed. I was even kinda bummed about the whole organic webshooters versus mechanical.
I watched the movie this afternoon. I had some little nits to pick here and there, but overall as a whole, the movie was way better than I expected.
They did so many things right. The bit with "the burglar that changed his life" was done perfectly, and that's what I most expected them to do poorly. That whole section of the movie, as he was figuring out who he was and what he could do, was very well done. There were some scenes you could tell were computer-generated, but the for the most part, the excitement of the movie made it easier to tolerate. And the movie would have been worse without those scenes, or if they had tried to do them physically with stuntmen.
The main characterization I felt was missing was that it would have been nice to have seen more background of the relation between Spidey and his Uncle Ben. Although I guess even in the original comics, we never really got that (although we heard about it plenty over the years).
Anyway, I loved it. I can't wait for the DVD. I'll probably bring my dad to watch it this weekend, since he used to be a bit of a Spidey fan too.
This movie was really great. Really. I think Star Wars is going to have great competition this year in the form of Spider-Man. The only mistake of the Spider-Man flick is the same error that the Batman movies have done : *** SPOILER ALERT, WELL, NOT MUCH OF A ONE, BUT STILL... ****** They kill off the Green Goblin in the end. If they do 2 or 3 other movies, they will probably run out of vilains, like Batman did. Sure, Spider Man has a lot of foes, but do we really want to see Spider-Man vs. Sand Man?
**** SPOILER END *****
This sounds great. I think I'll rush out to see this right away!
Uhh,... the MPAA boycott has been cancelled, right?
Ideology is for ideots.
Haven't you seen "The Evil Dead" on DVD? Haven't you heard Bruce Campbell's commentary to that movie?
... this car is in almost every one of Sam Raimi's movies from this point on."
Quote Bruce Campbell:
"Now Sam will lie to you about this car [the aforementioned "classic"]; he calls it a classic. It's a '73 Delta 88 Oldsmobile and it's a piece of junk! This car had been in numerous super-8 mm of Sam's in the past, and for some reason he felt obligated to use it in this movie. We tried to wreck it but it didn't work, and you'll find out that this movie is in almost every one of
No - it's not a classic - it's a piece of junk!
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
i was planning to c this movie on sunday and now, since ive read this i realy want to c it. hope its as good as u say it is.
sdgscott
from the imdb:
Sam Raimi
Director - filmography
(2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s)
Spider-Man 2 (2003)
Spider-Man (2002)
already?
spiderman 2 is already in there...
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Raimi,+Sam
My wife and I caught the noon showing, and we both really enjoyed it.
It's very well done.
The good:
- The performances were top notch.
- The effect of swinging on a web through New York was excellent and very "realistic".
- The pacing really kept things interesting.
The not bad, but could be better:
- Toby Maguire always sounds like he needs to clear a loogie out of his throat.
- It's rather amazing that the general public doesn't figure out the identities of Spider-Man or the Green Goblin. Spidey does lots of pretty amazing stuff as Peter Parker (without his mask on), and the Green Goblin's identity should be fairly obvious based on his research and government contracts.
Why are you letting these clowns ruin our country?
Steve Diko (Ditko?) gets equal "created by" credit with Stan Lee in the opening credits.
Seeing spidey kick ass made me feel good to be a nerd. He pulled the "nerdness" off really good.
So much for normal humans with super powers :(
Come on - someone who's seen it, can't you post an answer?
:-/
I have three kids who occasionally manage to see something they shouldn't.
Yes, disney owns our video collection, like so many others, and seeing 'the beast' confront a pack of wolves (to mention one instance of violence out of *thousands*) is questionable, but that's a cartoon. We use a different yardstick when it comes to "realies".
How does this compare to Episode I? To The Deer Hunter? Taxi Driver?
We'll have a chance to see it this weekend in our small town if I can get some reassurance(s), else we must wait for Siskel & (whats-his-name, with dashes) on Sunday night to talk about it
TIA -
Redundancy is good; triple redundancy is twice as good! - Me.
I skipped out early this morning and went to see the first showing of Spiderman in my local theater. The Sam Raimi directed spiderman
Caps needed: *Spiderman*
is the first of the summers
*summer's*
blockbusters and stars Toby Maguire as the webslinger, Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin and Kirsten Dunst and
*as*
the lovely Mary Jane. And guess what? Its
*It's*
one of the best comic book movies I've ever seen. I loved it. And I'll try not to lone-gunman
*gunmen*
-are-dead the review, but if you're super paranoid, just skip out, go see the flick, and enjoy it.
I find it sad that *I* have a "lameness filter" on what I can post, but Taco doesn't have a SPELLING filter.
-Kasreyn
Kasreyn: Cheerfully playing the part of Devil's Advocate to hairtrigger
i love spiderman (-?). despite sam reimi directing, i feared for the worst: no way they will pull that off these great comics in a non-cheesy, true-to-form way.
fears: they will include a kid and/or dog. they will focus on cheesy macho action scenes (see "Blade II" for reference). there will be no plot. they will use bad CG that makes spidey move like the dinosaurs from jurassic park ("jurassic-park-syndrome", in almost all CG-animated-monster flicks).
none of these fears came true. instead, it was fast, entertaining, with a good story, with good character development, totally believable (except for the bite of course, but the movie did a good job on that, too - they made it fun), i would say as realistic as you can make spiderman, perfect cast, and a GREAT story.
go see the movie.
sam reimi is a god.
Of note, not all the comic books are being distributed as free... depends on the shop, really.
Diamond (the distributor) wouldn't eat the costs, so they got passed along to the shops. It's up to each shop to decide whether or not they're going to eat the costs like Marvel did. Most of the shops I know of simply can't afford to.
-9mm-
> Boy gets bit by radioactive spider and develops super powers.
Hate to nit-pick, but in this case, the spider wasn't radioactive, it was genetically enhanced. It was clear from what Peter went through after getting bit that the intent was that his genectic makeup was being altered.
IF COMMANDER TACO and JON KATZ were the same person, wouldn't that explain a hell of a lot? Holy shit, I'm on to something.
"bit by radioactive spider" no it is a genetically alterd spider in the movie...
looks like someone wasnt paying attention
The war with islam is a war on the beast
The war on terror is a war for peace
Spider-man, Spider-man,
Does whatever a spider can,
Shoobie-doo, rock steady crew,
Find him an octoped ingenue,
With flair (hair!)
There goes the Spider-Man!
Jack Kirby is DEAD. Therefore, no cameo.
Well, I guess there _could_ have been one, but eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww...
Every movie with some sort of action scene since "The Matrix" has used their own version of "Bullet Time" and this is no exception. Will it ever stop?!? I guess this is now a must-do... Hollywood has taken the red pill. The first time was cool, but now it's just a cliche.
J.
Some cats swing, and others don't. Don't you be the kind that won't.
What world are you talking about? Is this Slashdot?
[|]
Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin and Kirsten Dunst and the lovely Mary Jane.
Damn, that's one versatile actor!
i had been waiting for a spider-man movie for a very long time. ever since i saw superman I the movie was fun to see and i'm so glad that sam raimi directed it. unfortuately while watching it there was a group of teenagers that teased each other and giggled during the whole movie. i ended up being harshed and telling them to shutup 5 minutes before the movie ended. i regret that since now i feel like a bully and i understand that they are just being young. i was like that at their age.
;)
i didn't think and went to a showing that started after the schools got out. then i wasn't ready to be around teenagers. so let this be a warning to everyone. don't get too excited and pick a show time that's right after school!
and whatever you do. try not to lecture the kids about comic history.
bah. start over
Does this bode well for future reviews -- will you do another one?
Has Katz finally been put in his rightful place by assigning him only b-list not-quite-direct-to-video soft-core pr0n teen exploitation flick reviews?
Get off my virtual lawn, you damned virtual kids!
I liked the movie, but I didn't hear many sarcastic wisecracks. Maybe I'm spoiled by Buffy?
Judging by the car licence plates, Peter Parker and Aunt May's old-suburban residence is in Boston, but of course all the fights and such are in Manhattan. A pretty long commute. Details, details...
Damn this is so typical of Jon Katz, this review sucks its just poor quality writing no research and stupid opinioated bs thrown up onto the best website on the net why in gods name don't they fire him.... Who did the review? This review is awesome, CmdrTaco once more comes through with an interesting and insightful review of not only current movies but also our world and the universe as a whole. Bravo you genius, prince among men we are in debted to you. As long as its not Katz we are that is.
Read Errant Story.
Great Minds Think Alike - I also saw an early showing of Spider-Man today and I agreee 100% with your review. It is an excellent movie, I just can't say enough good things about it.
I'm a 2000 man.
Parking lot at Silicon Valley multiplex nearly full at 3:30PM Friday.
Granted there were changes here and there, but it didn't affect what Spider-Man is really about, a super hero behind a very ordinary and vulnerable person. Fans would be happy that the movie didn't change the character Peter Parker is ;).
Why do they assume it is a good thing when they compare it to the superman movies? Have they forgotten these movies? Christopher Reeves wasn't exactly oscar material. Gene Hackman is even embarrassed about his part. Or maybe I'm just overreacting after smoking some cracktonite.
No shit. I wasn't saying Jack would do a walk-on. I wanted to know why is name wasn't in the credits anywhere. Or why there wasn't a billboard strategically placed in the background with his picture?
Yes, I know that he isn't widely reckognized as a a big contributor to Spider-Man, but come on...
1. Stan Lee sure does down play his role at Marvel quite a bit.
2. Jack Kirby touched EVERYTHING at Marvel back then. He BUILT Marvel, they should at least give him some type of recognition somewhere in the biggest movie in thier history.
Hey, as Spider-Man 2099 said, the genetic change could have been more accurate like a real spider and he could have been shooting webbing out of his butt instead. =)
Wow since the movie is good, guess I will have to go check it out, then load up on all those YUMMY Spidey-Berry products lining the supermarket shelves.
i de rman.htm
l
So how much does Spidey_Berry figure into the movie? What is it? Radioactive Berries Spidey loves to eat? Some drink Peters mom makes for him? Whats up?
mmmm Spidey Berry, Pop Tarts, Cereal.. What else?
http://www.kelloggs.com/promotions/spiderman/Sp
http://www.digitalwebbing.com/news/042602-7.htm
http://www.kosi101.com/kelloggs-contest.html
I don't mind if you love spiderman or not but thanks for saving us a Jon Katz review. You skipped work for a good cause.
Be sure to check out the Spider-Man the Movie game, as the entire thing is narrated by Bruce himself.
It should. I understand that they connect as just a regular USB audio device. Of course then you are dealing with two sound cards but...
Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
I thought it was great! It had a real "Stan Lee" feel to me. It really did justice to the spirit of the comic books. It was fun, it was a good story, and it had great effects! I walked away feeling like I want to see it again. And, I just want to add -- "Damn you Rob! Damn you!" (for getting AoC tickets this early !!!) The countdown has begun!
I too saw a comic book movie today. However, the title was Spider-Man. Who the hell is this Spiderman?
my gf's bro worked on the mov!e.. (sorry my EYE key !s m!ss!ng so deal w!th the !'s) anyway.. he told me a year ago about th!s mov!e and has raved about what !t w!ll do .. so gg to h!m.. and the crew..
- hapt!K
Spider-Man appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 back in 1962. The comic was written by Stan Lee and pencilled and inked by Steve Ditko. The opening credits acknowledge BOTH as being the creators of Spider-Man.
Ultimate Spider-Man issue #1 will be one of the free books being handed out on Free Comic Book Day. It's the fourth comic book down at the website (alongside JLA Adventures, Tomb Raider and a Star Wars pre-AoTC comic.)
Ultimate Spider-Man is an amazing comic book. It's a retelling of the classic story for a newer generation. It's a great jumping on point for any new reader. Plus, now, it's free =)
Oh... you can also read the rest of the series for free in Flash format at Marvel's dot.Comics site.
From the Free Comic Book Day site:
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1--FCBD EDITION
by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, & Art Thibert
The perfect comic book for Spider-Man movie fans! New readers will meet Peter Parker, Mary Jane, Norman Osborn, Aunt May and Uncle Ben in the upcoming smash film - and this highly-sought-after debut issue begins their new adventures! Whether they're already a Spider-Fan, or only know the Web-Spinner from his upcoming motion picture, this easy-to-follow, introductory adventure is just the ticket for new customers! Cover by Marvel Editor In Chief Joe Quesada!
I just retured from watching Spidey on the big screen and I have to say I loved it. I really don't know what's the big fuss about the CGI I've heard that CGI-Spidey just moves too fast to be relistic, Ebert says that Peter doesn't seem to have any weight to him when leaps from roof to to roof top. To this I say....it's Spider-Man. He isn't supposed to move at a speed that is realistic to the rest of use, if he did he wouldn't be a super-hero, he'd just be very athletic. He's suppose to have super spider agility so his reflexes are supposed to be more akin to eight-legger glidding over surface, and not just the super streghth and speed Morpheos shows in the Matrix. Spidey moves in the movie just as I've always imagined he'd move.
go to see it, but take your camcorder!
I loved it, too, except at the very end where Mary Jane inexplicably expresses her undying love for Peter. Where the hell did that come from?
The only surefire protection against Microsoft infections is abstinence. - The Onion
Skip the lines. See Deuces Wild. It's a fifties rumble picture and it's fantastic. If you like seeing people get hit with bats, pipes and chains this is the movie for you.
The problem with this movie is too little special effects and too much talking. The movie was great in the beginning but then they start using cheap extras as policemen and firemen and spectators. The movie looked like a cheap tv production until the last 10 minutes of movie. I love Spiderman but this movie is a ripoff. Even my kids didn't care about it.
I've been familiar with Spider-Man only through the cartoons, which I haven't watched in, oh, fifteen years or so. But, going into the movie did remind me that Spider-Man used to be my favorite cartoon...
As for the film itself, I'm damn impressed. There are movies which are nice entertaining little romps, which pass the time and are enjoyable. And then there are films which are all of that, plus a lot more--having a certain artistic and literary quality which gets the viewer more emotionally involved and maybe even has something to say about the world. *Spider-Man* falls in the latter category--great entertainment, but it also *says* something.
Take for instance the plot point about Peter Parker's uncle/father figure being murdered by a robber whom he could have stopped earlier if he'd cared. That gives him/Spider-Man a tremendous feeling of guilt and need to atone for his sin, by helping strangers the way he chose not to on the day Uncle Ben was murdered. This is a very meaningful, deep motivation, and lends Spidey a brooding quality unlike other superheroes. It also gives the film more emotional depth than it would have if there were some standard meaningless plot without deep psychological motives beneath it.
I couldn't help, afterward, comparing it to movies like *X-Men*. *X-Men* was entertaining, but had no real depth--it was pure entertainment with no real meaning. Sure, it has the brooding Wolverine character--but what exactly is he brooding over? The fact that he doesn't know his origins? That the X-Men treat him nicely, when others haven't? Oh, boo-hoo, what a shallow motivation. Poor him. Self-pity, how wonderful. But Spidey did something for which he's truly responsible, which will always motivate everything he does--he indirectly killed his beloved uncle, his father-figure, through inaction and lack of forethought. He will always be repaying that debt, with every person he saves and every evil he defeats. He cares deeply and feels constant remorse for a past he's trying to atone for. That's a very universal theme, not just a plot point.
That, I think, is what made this film so great. I was watching *Return of the Jedi* the other night, and asking myself why it's so moving, why it means something long after other great films of the time are somewhat diminished. It's those universal themes again, which give it the scope of an epic saga rather than a mere movie. Dark Sides, redemption, good and evil, long-lost family, love, oppression, longing, the struggle for freedom. The SW Trilogy gains a universal appeal because of these themes.
*Spider-Man* wasn't as epic, but was very much along those lines--themes of sin and redemption, a debt which can never be repaid, the loss of loved ones before their time and for which one feels responsible, love and longing, moving from adolescensce into adulthood, love that can't be consummated for its object's own good, heroically standing up for others. This is a movie which could be the beginning of an epic saga, although sadly its sequels will likely be more vacuous and less meaningful.
At any rate, I thought Spidey to be a wonderful tragic hero in the guise of a standard comic-book character, and the movie to be a great mix of the literary disguised as the trivial.
Chasing Amy
(We all chase Amy...)
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws"-Tacitus
Perhaps I am the only one here who thought it was kinda lame. The dialogue was heavy-handed and sappy. Elfman's soundtrack was bland, only reminiscent of the much better Batman soundtrack. Maybe it's just me, but I can only take so many plot and dialogue contrivances, like repeating what somebody said back to them.
On the positive, I thought the battle scenes were well done, though the strength Spidey demonstrated at the bridge scene was a bit much.
I wanted to like this film a lot, but I was squirming in my seat for most of the picture due to silly dialogue.
A witty saying proves you are wittier than the next guy.
I about fell out of my chair when I saw Randy Savage enter as "Bone Saw McGraw", a semi-pro wrestler in the New York Wrestling League. Funny stuff. Made me strangely hungry for a Slim Jim.
s -of-buildings-flying-by stuff. The closing sequence rocked my face clean off.
I've never been a reader of comic books (sigh), but I certainly respect people wanting the movie to at least come close... I hope it did so, in spirit if not in technicality. I at least know that it was a cool flick with pretty decent special effects, specifically the close-up-of-him-swinging-through-the-air-with-lot
If by "lone-gunman-are-dead"-ing it you mean "soliciting an opinion that is only partially thought out, poorly written, aggressively ignorant, unnecessary for the viewer, and detrimental to the viewer-to-be" then I'm afraid you need to come to the realization that you write for Slashdot. There is simply no escaping it.
Is that going to be jargon now?
huh, are you serious?
the first Batman is by far the best comic-to-movie translation yet. all the other batman movies sucked balls terribly.
Spider-Man is a very close second, with Superman coming in third and X-men rounding it out.
You're getting more illiterate by the day, Rob Malda.
That should read, "Danny Elfman hasn't sounded good since Batman." Snip "this" out of the original sentence.
The music was a non-starter for us. It was a lifeless pastiche of everything else Elfman's ever done, and I dare you to pick out a memorable melodic line. I dare you to remember any given series of notes.
Blargh. It was awful. Luckily, it was so lifeless that it never got in the way of the movie, so in that respect the music (kind of) succeeded.
I'm only wearing black until they come out with something darker.
The first and final fight scenes are pretty violent. They could frighten a kid. The ones inbetween are more artsy.
So I went last night after work to a sold out show. I was so impressed, what a cool production!
but WHERE WAS THE WORLD CENTER!?
I missed out on experienceing the whole thing because I was so obsessed with finding a scene where you supposedly could see the twin towers reflected in Spidey's eyes.
So now instead of rushing in like a fool on opening night I'm going to do more homework before I see it again. Maybe you can help?
"a powerful and unexpected ally..."
Just read my other thread....
I don't feel like repeating myself.
This was from October, 1987, when I was in 8th grade. God is was cool to see Wolverine admit that Spidey was strong enough to break the admantium coated neckbones, while commenting that he could pop a claw through Spidey's skull at the same time! Seeing Spidey in the German costume fight by spider sense alone was a treat! Bye bye tombstones! I love that issue still!
Wonderful movie
Did anybody else notice the reference to the lizards dual idenity in the movie ? In case you didn't it was in the diolouge where harry asked peter if he got fired by doc. connors ( or somthing along those lines) Doc connors is The lizard.
~ I can smell the color Blue...
True Spidey fans who stick it out till the last credits roll will hear the 60s theme song. And boy, is it AWESOME.
I have found there are certain critics who have the same tastes that I do and that their opinions are generally pretty much the same what I'd think if I were to see the film..
I'm not gonna see Spiderman... but I'll damn sure see Episode 2. Plus I'm lucky that I live in LA so I can go down to Hollywood's El Capitan theater and see it in an old timey theater in full digital just like Lucas wanted it.
Never seen a digitally projected movie before. What a great way to start!
And I don't care if the story sucks. It'll be good eye candy!
mje0w!!!1!
Hey, I got to thinkin' ya know, and I was wondering if anyone can think of any other possible comic to movie ideas? and if so what actors would play the characters.
They don't. Sure, it'll work under Linux as an optical device (SPDIF) but the OpenMG software, needed for NetMD mode (which allows LP mode and quick transfer of data) only runs on Windows.
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
The only thing that could have saved this movie was Chewbacca coming out of nowhere and laying 16 inches of tube steak on Queen Amidala.
In reference to Mary Jane... actually this is reasonably true to the comic. She had _serious_ issues with her abusive father; it was part of the reason she was staying with *her* aunt, IIRC. This came out more or less the same time she and Parker got very serious (pre-marraige buildup).
;)
So dere.