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Review: Spiderman

I skipped out early this morning and went to see the first showing of Spiderman in my local theater. The Sam Raimi directed spiderman is the first of the summers blockbusters and stars Toby Maguire as the webslinger, Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin and Kirsten Dunst and the lovely Mary Jane. And guess what? Its one of the best comic book movies I've ever seen. I loved it. And I'll try not to lone-gunman-are-dead the review, but if you're super paranoid, just skip out, go see the flick, and enjoy it. So I love spiderman. The wisecracking sarcasm. The realistic portrayal of a young man coming of age and juggling real world problems with the fantasticly unreal problems of being, well, a spiderman. I just love it. I love the comics. I loved the cartoons when I was a kid. And I went into this biased as hell: with Sam Raimi helming one of the classics, I had the highest hopes of any movie since Episode I. And this time around there was not a drop of disappointment.

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 ;)

337 of 533 comments (clear)

  1. WTF?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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...!

    1. Re:WTF?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      These big-budget spectacles just beg a smart-ass comeback. Over at Destiny-Land they linked to a great deconstruction by James Lilek of the lyrics for the original theme to Spider-Man cartoons, which promise Peter Parker "Spins a web, any size / Catches crooks just like flies!"

      "Not so; he usually punched them until they were unconscious, which spiders rarely do; nor did he inject an immobilizing toxin into their bodies so he could digest them at will..."

    2. Re:WTF?!? by BobGregg · · Score: 1

      Guess you never read Spiderman 2099....

  2. It's Spider-Man. by PCM2 · · Score: 1, Informative

    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!
    1. Re:It's Spider-Man. by athakur999 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Foxtrot beat you to it.

      --
      "People that quote themselves in their signatures bother me" - athakur999
    2. Re:It's Spider-Man. by robman · · Score: 1

      No, it's Spiderman. Murray K. Spiderman. Part time super hero and full time accountant.

      --
      "Perl 6 will give you the big knob." -Larry Wall
    3. Re:It's Spider-Man. by apachetoolbox · · Score: 1
      I am not User #4486, I am a Free Man!
      no.. you're user #3458700. Resistance is futile.
    4. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Alzheimers · · Score: 4, Interesting

      As long as we're nitpicking...

      I'm gonna be pretty ticked if the theme song doesn't go something like...

      Spider-man, Spider-man
      Does whatever a spider can
      Spins a web, any size
      Catches thieves, just like flies
      Look out! Here comes the Spider-man!

      Is he strong? Listen, Bud!
      He's got radioactive blood.
      Can he swing from a thread?
      Take a look overhead.
      Hey there, there goes the Spider-man!

      In the chill of night,
      At the scene of the crime
      Like a streak of light
      He arrives just in time

      Spider-man, Spider-man
      Friendly neighborhood Spider-man
      Wealth and fame, he's ignored
      Action is his reward

      To him, life is a great big bang-up
      Wherever there's a hang-up
      You'll find the Spider-man!

    5. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Kredal · · Score: 1

      No, his post is #3458700, just as yours was #3458875. He is User #4486. You just have UID envy. (:

      --
      Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
    6. Re:It's Spider-Man. by kwik_mart · · Score: 2, Funny

      Funny, I didn't even notice the lack of a hyphen when I read that review the first time. Quick question: should "anal retentive" be hyphenated?

    7. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Bob+McCown · · Score: 2, Insightful
      should "anal retentive" be hyphenated?

      No, but we need an "Anal Retentive" moderation category...

    8. Re:It's Spider-Man. by docbrown42 · · Score: 1

      So, when is Spidey: the Fun Licker coming out?

      -Ed

      --
      Ed Wedig
      Graphic design services
      docbrown.net
    9. Re:It's Spider-Man. by daeley · · Score: 3, Funny

      should "anal retentive" be hyphenated?

      Only if used as an adjectival phrase in front of a noun: 'anal-retentive post' as opposed to 'the post was anal retentive.'

      ROFL

      --
      I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
    10. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Eccles · · Score: 2, Funny

      Quick question: should "anal retentive" be hyphenated?

      I prefer:
      "Is there a dash in anal retentive?"
      because then someone can respond
      "Damnit, it's a HYPHEN!"

      --
      Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
    11. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Mike+Schiraldi · · Score: 2

      I always thought he was saying "Fun Liquor"

    12. Re:It's Spider-Man. by sharkey · · Score: 2

      Hell, he could look at the ticket stub from the movie he just saw.

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    13. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Cheesemaker · · Score: 1

      I guess neither makes much sense, although I thought it was Fun Licker, also :-)

    14. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Strike · · Score: 1

      Actually, if you watch the movie, he's supposed to be "The Human Spider". Name snafu.

    15. Re:It's Spider-Man. by hanway · · Score: 4, Informative

      If you want to hear those lyrics, stick around through the credits.

    16. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Jonathan+the+Nerd · · Score: 1
      ...nope, it wasn't the theme to the movie.

      Actually, if you sit through the end credits, they play the original theme after the regular theme finishes. I walked into the theater right at the end of the previous showing and got to hear the original theme.

      --
      Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are not necessarily my own, as I've not yet had my medication today.
    17. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Ayatollah · · Score: 1

      Somebody should reply, "Damn it, it's a HYPHEN!"

    18. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Skoshi · · Score: 1

      If Batman and Superman don't have to hyphenate their names why should Spiderman have to? Are you trying to demean the geekiest and greatest (male) superhero of all time?

      --
      "What are apples? Left, right, socialist...I don't know."
    19. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Scooby+Snacks · · Score: 1
      --

      --
      Runnin' around, robbin' banks all whacked on the Scooby Snacks...
    20. Re:It's Spider-Man. by jdavidb · · Score: 1

      Drat, drat, drat, and double drat! I knew I was making a mistake when we left before they were over. It goes against my nature!

      Speaking of which, did you hang around until the end of the Phantom Menace credits?

    21. Re:It's Spider-Man. by Captain+Nitpick · · Score: 1
      I prefer: "Is there a dash in anal retentive?"

      Damnit, it's a HYPHEN !

      (Sorry, couldn't resist)

      --
      But then again, I could be wrong.
    22. Re:It's Spider-Man. by ErikTheRed · · Score: 2

      (mildly offtopic, keep your panties on). Yeah, but would an Anal Retentive mod be +1 or -1? There's about 15 years worth of debate...

      --

      Help save the critically endangered Blue Iguana
    23. Re:It's Spider-Man. by ben_ · · Score: 1

      When I was a wee lad, we always sang (2nd verse):
      Can he fly?
      Can he heck...
      See him fall
      Break his neck

      and then we'd run off laughing. Ah, the simple pleasures of youth :-)

      --
      ben_ the technologist and platform agnostic
    24. Re:It's Spider-Man. by MaxVlast · · Score: 1

      You, of course, mean "he" shouldn't be writing. Unless my Fowler's Usage is out of date.

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
    25. Re:It's Spider-Man. by mblase · · Score: 2

      If you're going to nitpick, you should probably make sure that your subjects and verbs agree. "Someone" is singular. "They" is plural.

      "They" isn't a verb, either. If you're going to nitpick, you should probably make sure your name the problem correctly. ;-)

  3. It's spider-man by Drachemorder · · Score: 1, Redundant
    Nice review! Makes me want to leave work right now and go see it.

    But the character's name isn't "Spiderman", it's "Spider-man".

    1. Re:It's spider-man by Geek+In+Training · · Score: 5, Funny

      I liked Jon Stewart's (of The Daily Show) description a couple of years ago when the movie was up to be greenlighted by the major studios... something along the lines of:

      "Just remember, spidey; when you're up in front of all those Hollywood mogul-types, it's not "Spider-Man," it's (pronounced): Spidermn, Eli Spidermn."

      Nobody tells better "jew jokes" than Mr. Stewart. :)

      --
      SlashSigTheorem: Humorous, Political, Critical, Constructive- If you have a .sig, someone WILL complai
    2. Re:It's spider-man by Strange_Attractor · · Score: 3, Informative

      It isn't GC (Geekily Correct) of me to know this, but Phoebe and Chandler did a nice job with this very joke a few years ago on Friends.

      --

      ----
      WWJD...For a Klondike Bar?
    3. Re:It's spider-man by MaxVlast · · Score: 2

      Because 'splosions advance the plot better than dialog.

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
  4. Yay!!! by Kickstart70 · · Score: 1, Funny

    I didn't have to suffer through a Jon K(r)a(p)tz review!

    CmdrTaco, you've made my day!

    1. Re:Yay!!! by bmongar · · Score: 5, Funny

      But didn't you want to know how Spider-Man effects the globalist wired society and unseatd the digrati by smashing the digital divide?

      --
      As x approaches total apathy I couldn't care less.
  5. Big fan by dirvish · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Big fan by dirvish · · Score: 1

      It doesn't matter how bad Episode 1 was or wasn't I will be waiting in line for Episode 2 on Thursday!

  6. Finally by First_In_Hell · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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.

  7. how about for non-comic viewers? by Misha · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.
    1. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by Microsift · · Score: 5, Funny

      Your "different generation" argument would hold more weight if your sig didn't quote a Pink Floyd lyric

      --
      My other sig is extremely clever...
    2. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by avandesande · · Score: 1

      I think he meant the generation that was out having a life instead of reading comic books.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    3. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The comic book was kind of like a comic book for people who don't read comic books. I've never been a comic book fan, but I loved reading Spider-Man.

      Ironically, my wife is dying to see this movie, and she usually hates these movies. Even she's clued into the fact that the nature of this character is just a little bit different.

      Certainly casting Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in this was smart -- geekheads may feel a little apprehensive, but if it can bring my wife into the theater it's going to bring a lot of other people who wouldn't ordinarily see a movie like this.

    4. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by Flower · · Score: 2, Funny
      More like the generation that heard Mary Jane and thought doobie instead of Peter Parker's gf.

      And remember folks...

      Don't bogart that joint my friend. Pass it over to me....
      --
      I don't want knowledge. I want certainty. - Law, David Bowie
    5. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by psycht · · Score: 1

      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?

      this is /.

      You might want to ask that on MSN.com

    6. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by nlh · · Score: 2

      I never read the comic book, and the extent of my Spider Man knowledge was that of conventional wisdom -- that he dug this redhead named Mary Jane and that he was bitten by a spider.

      The movie still rocked...:)

      nlh

    7. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by Chris+Blaise · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Other way around.

      If you're NOT familiar with the character by reading the comic books, you'll probably like the movie.

      I'm not sure how anyone who has read the comic books can call this movie a good Spider-man movie. Maybe "Pete Parker, Spiderman", but it's definetely not the same character Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created back in the day.

    8. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by gabec · · Score: 1
      How is it not like The Amazing Spider-Man?

      I'm a big spider-man fan and i just got back from the movie. it rocked. the kids in the audience loved it and so did the geezers. it's a great all-around movie and other than the web-spinners I felt it was very true to the comic. So I'm curious, what was different, do you think? (I'm not being critical, I promise!)

      Speaking of the web-spinners, I thought the director rescinded the whole "organic web-spinner" thing and went back to the original as an invention of Peter....

    9. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by Spirit+of+Ishmael · · Score: 1

      I don't do comic books at all and I thought the movie rocked--although being a morning comics reader had me fairly familiar with Spidey.

      Main thing about the movie is that its smarter than it needs to be--this is good. The could have really simplified the character and produced yet another loud, soul-less action flick. Instead, the produced a movie that was smart w/r/t the themes of the comic as opposed to the mechanics of the comic:

      Ex. They depart from the comics in how Spidey's web shooting ability works, they stay true to the notion of Spidey as a person first, superhero second.

      Guess they actually de-comic ized it to the extent that they added depth to the characters as opposed to rendering them with broad brushstrokes.

    10. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by Chris+Blaise · · Score: 1

      Ok, here's how the movie is not like the Amazing Spider-man:

      Intellegence. In comic, Peter Parker is a science "genius". He's really, really, smart. He invents his webbing formula, the webshooters to use them, sensors that allows him to track people with his spider sense, and so forth.

      The extent we saw in the movie was he wins the science award for graduation.

      Physique. Throughout the entire Ditko run, he was portrayed as a skinny kid and a skinny superhero. This served many times to disarm opponents who would laugh at him...until he wiped the floor with 'em!

      In the movie he becomes a buff young stud overnight.

      Family Ties. Aunt May and Uncle Ben were the only people in the world that loved him. They meant everything to him.

      In the movie Peter tells Uncle Ben to effectively get off his case because he (Ben) is not his dad.

      Constant Oppression. Peter Parker is the quinessential "sad sack". No matter how bad your day was, his was worse! He was constantly picked on at school, his uncle was killed, his aunt was frail and perpetually on death's door, they were constantly on the edge of being evicted, occasionally his film would be ruined and there's be no picture money from the Daily Bugle, the world hates him thanks to JJJ. He's constantly stressed out and you always feel sorry for him.

      In the movie his uncle dies. Other than that, Aunt May is spry and survives a bomb blast. Peter moves out to live in an apartment that he apparently is able to pay for (or Harry's dad pays for). He's not all that upset about not having a job. His only stress was due to the Green Goblin learning his secret identity and using his loved ones.

      Secret Identity. Peter is very careful to keep is alter-ego secret because he's afraid that knowlege would allow others to hurt those he loves.

      In the movie, he walks into the wrestling promoter's office unmasked. He fights Mary Jane's muggers without his mask. He has no obvious stress about others finding out about him.

      Spider-man Persona. Peter's Spider-man identity is that of someone who constantly berates his opponents with wisecracks and humor.

      In the movie there is no difference between Peter and Spider-man's personas.

      Public Perception. Thanks to J. Jonah Jameson's rants and headlines in the Daily Bugle, most of the public is either afraid of Spider-man or hate him.

      In the movie New Yorkers rally behind him on the bridge as "one of our own".

      Girls!. Peter Parker is a teenager and likes girls! In the course of his first 100 issues, he dates Betty Brant (JJJ's secretary, an older woman!), Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane.

      In the movie, after finally "getting the girl", he pushes her away apparently because he won't risk her getting hurt because he's Spider-man.

      With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility Lesson Peter lets the criminal that kills Uncle Ben go because after his stint of celebrity, he feels really cocky about his newfound power and fame.

      In the movie he lets the criminal go because the criminal robs the wrestling promoter who has screwed Peter over.

      I'm sorry, but the character of Peter Parker/Spider-man in this movie is very different than the Stan Lee/Ditko version.

      A few of these I might have been able to forgive, but not so many. It's simply not the same character.

    11. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by nitehorse · · Score: 2

      Hey, you forgot the _most_ obvious one! jesus.

      Gwen Stacy

      In the movie, Mary Jane is the girl that gets kidnapped by the Green Goblin. Everyone who's ever read the comic book knows that the death of Gwen is one of the few things that haunts Peter throughout the rest of his days.

    12. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by gabec · · Score: 1

      Maybe that's for the sequel. ;)

    13. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2

      > Ok, here's how the movie is not like the Amazing Spider-man:

      >{ snip }

      Nice summary.

      In the comics Peter Parker is always trying be friends with Liz, a high school classmate. In the movie it was Mary Jane, the next door neighor. The movie didn't have any mention of Betty Bryant either.

      In the comics, the Green Goblin has the flying wings the *2nd* time he meets up with Spider-Man (first time was his flying broomstick.) Also, the GG was MUCH smaller -- like "goblin" size. Difference the movie had: someone who wore a metal suit that was bigger then Spider-Man.

      It's interesting how the comic book would point out how most of the villians (And Spider-Man at times) used technology.
      i.e. Vulture uses anti-magneticism to fly, Spider-Man had "web cartridges", Spidey's beam of light that shows his face (ala Batman) etc.

      Even though the movie was quite different from the comics, I enjoyed it. I think they did a great job re-telling the story. I too liked the foreshadowing with the criminal who took the wrestlers promoter money.

      How long do we have to wait for the sequel ? ;-)

    14. Re:how about for non-comic viewers? by garett_spencley · · Score: 2

      I know I'm WAY too late for this argument. It's Sunday and I just got to see it Today.

      Anyway I do want to get in on this. My main critique with the movie wasn't that the character didn't fit the comic one, but that so much had apparently been cut. I felt like they took a 10 hour long movie and crammed it into a 2 hour one but cutting so much. And I think the reason the character didn't fit so much was because of that.

      Now I'll respond point by point:

      In comic, Peter Parker is a science "genius". He's really, really, smart..... He invents his webbing formula, the webshooters to use them, sensors that allows him to track people with his spider sense, and so forth.

      They tried. Harry's dad was constantly praising him for his science genius and Harry even made a comment about how he thought his dad wanted to adopt Peter and that his not such a bad guy if you're a science genius (like Peter was). I know they were really shallow but they tried. If they had more time they would have gotten this right.

      Family Ties. Aunt May and Uncle Ben were the only people in the world that loved him. They meant everything to him.

      In the movie Peter tells Uncle Ben to effectively get off his case because he (Ben) is not his dad.


      I still got that impression (that they were everything to him). I just think they were trying to add to the emotional impact that his death had on Peter by making their last confrontation a fight. This actually helps with the whole "bad day" argument that we'll talk about in a bit.

      Secret Identity. Peter is very careful to keep is alter-ego secret because he's afraid that knowlege would allow others to hurt those he loves.

      In the movie, he walks into the wrestling promoter's office unmasked. He fights Mary Jane's muggers without his mask. He has no obvious stress about others finding out about him.


      True but remember, at the end he ditches the girl he loves because he's afraid that he being Spider-Man will hurt her. The scene you talk about was rather fishy but he did put his mask on before she saw him and there was the whole Green Goblin attacking his loved ones that adds to the "no-one can know about this" thing.

      Constant Oppression. Peter Parker is the quinessential "sad sack". No matter how bad your day was, his was worse! He was constantly picked on at school, his uncle was killed, his aunt was frail and perpetually on death's door, they were constantly on the edge of being evicted, occasionally his film would be ruined and there's be no picture money from the Daily Bugle, the world hates him thanks to JJJ. He's constantly stressed out and you always feel sorry for him.

      In the movie his uncle dies. Other than that, Aunt May is spry and survives a bomb blast. Peter moves out to live in an apartment that he apparently is able to pay for (or Harry's dad pays for). He's not all that upset about not having a job. His only stress was due to the Green Goblin learning his secret identity and using his loved ones.


      They could have done better here but I still felt like his life sucked. His one true love was going out with his best friend. He was a complete nerd who was always picked on. His uncle died. He didn't have a father etc. Remember, the comics had years and years and years to feed you all this information. The movie only had 2 hours.

      Public Perception. Thanks to J. Jonah Jameson's rants and headlines in the Daily Bugle, most of the public is either afraid of Spider-man or hate him.

      In the movie New Yorkers rally behind him on the bridge as "one of our own".


      That was definitely present in the movie. The cop wanted to arrest him before he could run into the burning building. J. Jonah was putting the bad headlines out there and people started to fear him. Yes, in the end people were cheering him on but I think they wanted a semi-happy ending.

      With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility Lesson Peter lets the criminal that kills Uncle Ben go because after his stint of celebrity, he feels really cocky about his newfound power and fame.

      IMO he wasn't Spider-Man yet. He was still P.P. He didn't have the costume. That was his very first appearance as "Spider-Man" and he wasn't a vigil-anti. He was just trying to earn some cash. It was actually that event that changed his opinion and made him care. He let the guy go and as a result his uncle died. It was the big plot shifter.

      The ones I left out are yours. I can't come up with any argument for them. I don't know enough about Spider-Man. I read the comics when I was a kid and watched the cartoon but I was more of a Bat-Man guy myself.

      Still I felt like this was one of the best movies I've ever seen. Stan Lee definitely didn't sell us out like Lucas did.

      --
      Garett

  8. Re:What abou the Rock? by SPiKe · · Score: 1

    Oh shit.

    That made my day.

  9. i thought it was great to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    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!

  10. A Truly Beautiful Description... by IronTek · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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!

    1. Re:A Truly Beautiful Description... by DahGhostfacedFiddlah · · Score: 1

      Just a "me too" post. Between that and "A black lion does not a Voltron make", there are plenty of reasons to read /.

    2. Re:A Truly Beautiful Description... by Openadvocate · · Score: 1

      Yes, but it have to be shorter to make it work.
      Something in the way "I'll try not to make a dead-gunman review this time"
      I'd say 2 works max. maybe 3 if it doesn't take too long time to say or type.

      --
      my sig
    3. Re:A Truly Beautiful Description... by IronTek · · Score: 1

      Yeah...it would be nicer if it were shorter, but the fact that that's the exact subject heading of what was posted on slashdot gives a nice quality to it, so in the future when people have forgotten the details of that post "dead-gunman" will probably work. Until then, I think the full version is okay.

    4. Re:A Truly Beautiful Description... by T.Hobbes · · Score: 2

      It's referring to this collective hyperventilation on the part of the slashdot crowd.

  11. changing of stories by Husaria · · Score: 1

    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?

    1. Re:changing of stories by Husaria · · Score: 1

      correction: book to film

  12. Spidey is why I learned to read by dscottj · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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
    1. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by namespan · · Score: 2

      Mom says I learned to read when she tape-recorded herself reading my favorite spiderman book. After reading and re-reading it as only obsessive children can, I could read.

      It's the content, not the medium.... : )

      --
      Libertarianism is rich wolves and poor sheep playing gambler's ruin for dinner.
    2. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by First_In_Hell · · Score: 1

      I have been reading Spider-man for years, I can't seem to remember when he almost killed Wolverine, when and how did that happen?

    3. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by yars+revenge · · Score: 1

      The name of the comic was, irnoically, Spider-man vs. Wolverine. Not to kill the entire comic, but Spidey catches Wolverine about to kill a woman (Charlie) and doesn't know she wants Wolverine to kill her. The fight it out for awhile and Spidey gets his hands around Wolverine's neck. About a half second later, Wolverine slams his hands underneath Spidey's chin so he can pop his claws. Funny about the parent post, I used to rave to my friends about how the same thing ;)

      --

      Succumb to natural tendencies. Be hateful and boring.

    4. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by yars+revenge · · Score: 1

      ironically, even ;)

      --

      Succumb to natural tendencies. Be hateful and boring.

    5. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by Lish · · Score: 1

      the Electric Company featured him every day

      Yes! Someone else who remembers this!

      I got digital cable and discovered that Noggin, a children's educational channel, shows old PBS standards like The Electric Company late at night. I was up a little too late on a retro kick for a few nights because of that. :-)

      --
      "This message is composed of 100% recycled electrons."
    6. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by kiley · · Score: 1

      I think I have had too much "Mary-Jane"...because this whole page is blurry.

    7. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by CJ+Hooknose · · Score: 2
      How to actually kill Wolverine was the topic of many a cafeteria discussion when I was in college.

      In the "Wolverine" comic book, somewhere within the first 50 issues, they said basically that Wolverine could starve to death, dehydrate, die from lack of oxygen (~15 minutes without breathing) , and drown. No, I don't have exact issue references. Sorry.

      Spider-Man sounds like it could be good, but what i'm really waiting for is a good HBO miniseries adaptation of "Watchmen". That would completely rock, and probably make people think differently about "comic books can't be high art." </wishful_thinking>

      --
      Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the universe.
    8. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by Cheshyre · · Score: 1

      I agree with all this, although for a funny take from someone who didn't find Spidey cool, read yesterday's Boondocks comic strip at http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/viewbo.cfm?uc_ful l_date=20020502

    9. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by Dukrous · · Score: 1

      Oh, WATCHMEN...Terry Gilliam tried to do it once and figured it was unfilmable. Alan Moore has said the same thing many times.

      There's so many problems with it...how do you get around the fact that a lead male character is naked and blue for nearly half the story? You can't dress him suddenly, the fact that he's nude is part of the character! Common decency in movies almost outlaws male nudity, and prolonged is unheard of outside of porn films.

      Another is The Comedian...he's a rapist. And yet he's the character you feel sorry for. Not to mention the woman he raped still loves him 40 years after the event, something she tells her own daughter that she [the daughter] will never understand why. The women groups will go apeshit over that.

      Ozymandias [oh, I forget how to spell that from time to time] is another problem. He's clearly insane and admitted to mass murder of a million New Yorkers...and he's the good guy? For a lot of people, that will simply not jive. Murderers are always bad guys, regardless of their intentions. By extrapolation, you could say Hitler was trying to unite Europe for the common good of people even though he killed six million Jews. Count out the Jewish viewers...

      There's three strikes already. I'm sure with some more discussion (Rorshach, while being completely unstable, is a solid moral compass in the Old Testament style) you could find a lot more strikes. All of this will prevent it from seeing any kind of mainstream airing. The only we hope is someone with a lot of money and a lot of pull (and here we need a Spielberg-type pull) to get this through on TV. A film would do it injustice.

      On the plus side, JMS's RISIGN STARS has been all but greenlighted for pre-production. While it may be mainstream as far as comics go, the ideas and themes it presents and explores are new to people who think of comics as kiddie fare.

      Someone else here said it, it's content, not form. The applies to everything, including comics and video games.

    10. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by Issue9mm · · Score: 2

      Well, "Watchmen" is unfilmable, but if you have somewhat less stringent-standards, "Authority" would adapt almost perfectly to HBO, specifically the Mark Millar run (No, I'm not knocking Ellis).

      "Transmetropolitan" or "100 Bullets" would do spectacularly on HBO, as would "Preacher", but it's only recently that comic books have been able to do well again in movies. I think both of the bigger publishing houses (read: Marvel and DC) are still a bit sketchy on how to distribute things to the small screen. TWarner does an okay job with Smallville, but the WB is hardly an appropriate environment for any of the above-mentioned books, and frankly, I doubt that TWarner is going to put something like that out there that they can't control (excepting cartoons, of course).

      -9mm-

    11. Re:Spidey is why I learned to read by Jason_Knx · · Score: 1

      Hey, someone else on Slashdot read that too. It was a great laugh.

  13. Bruce Campbell by talon77 · · Score: 3, Funny

    No mention of Bruce Campbell's cameo roll? Thats the entire reason I've been excited about this movie for the past year..!

    1. Re:Bruce Campbell by cnelzie · · Score: 2

      I read that Bruce played the part of the ring announcer near the beginning of the film. I am so glad that they included that portion of Spider-Man's creation...

      --
      If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
    2. Re:Bruce Campbell by InigoMontoya(tm) · · Score: 1

      Yeah... and Ted Raimi, in his cameo role, plays an assistant to J. Jonah Jameson.

      You know it's a Sam Raimi film when.....

      InigoMontoya(tm)
      the one with the tm

      --
      This signature is self-referential.
    3. Re:Bruce Campbell by TeamSPAM · · Score: 1

      And what about "The Classic" (Raimi's signature big yellow car)? I knew Sam would stay true to his roots when I saw spider-man land on "The Classic" in the trailer. Thank god for TiVo, I was able to freeze it and confirm that "The Classic" would be in the movie. :-)

      --
      Brought to you by Team SPAM! where we believe: "Information in the noise!"
    4. Re:Bruce Campbell by RichMeatyTaste · · Score: 1

      Come on now, even I caught that!

      The wrestling announcer....

      Bruce Campbell rocks... I still laugh my ass off when I even THINK about Army of Darkness....

      --


      Ever feel like you are driving the getaway car?
    5. Re:Bruce Campbell by CleverNickName · · Score: 2

      I thought we were trying to not lone-gunmen-are-dead this review.

      Har.

  14. Spiderman in a nutshell by nob · · Score: 5, Funny

    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
    1. Re:Spiderman in a nutshell by cp4 · · Score: 1

      Although you need to click through to get the joke, mod this guy up, it's pretty funny.

    2. Re:Spiderman in a nutshell by Kredal · · Score: 1

      +7 funny

      Very good. (:

      --
      Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
    3. Re:Spiderman in a nutshell by donglekey · · Score: 2

      Well played

  15. Spiderman very underhyped by randall859 · · Score: 1

    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.

    1. Re:Spiderman very underhyped by daeley · · Score: 3, Funny

      Spiderman very underhyped

      Spider-Man has been very underhyphened as well. ;)

      --
      I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
    2. Re:Spiderman very underhyped by Software · · Score: 2, Funny

      If it were a word, it would be under-hyphenated, not underhyphened! I think underhyphened is similar to underlined.</anal-retentiveness>

    3. Re:Spiderman very underhyped by Xenographic · · Score: 1

      Shouldn't that be under-hyphenated? :]

      Grammar nazis unite!

  16. Newly crazed buddy's dad... by Mathness · · Score: 2, Funny

    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.
  17. My Suck-O-Meter has been flat so far by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.)

    1. Re:My Suck-O-Meter has been flat so far by Gulthek · · Score: 2

      Did you see Resident Evil? Great vg->movie. I played RE obsessively and loved the movie, my gf and her sister had never even heard of the games and loved the movie. What more do you want?

    2. Re:My Suck-O-Meter has been flat so far by Wiwi+Jumbo · · Score: 1

      I firmly believe that the first Mortal Kombat is a *GREAT* videogame to movie adaption...

      It introduces all the charaters quickly yet with some reguard to their game storylines.

      It's not an award winning story, but neither was the game...

      --
      Wiwi
      "I trust in my abilities,
      but I want more then they offer"
  18. Webslinger.... by booyah · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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
  19. Free Comic Book Day by totallygeek · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Don't forget that Saturday, May 4 is "Free Comic Book Day". Most comic shops will give you a free comic book. Here is some information on that subject.

    1. Re:Free Comic Book Day by Issue9mm · · Score: 2

      Note, not all of the shops are partaking, and some are even charging for the free comic books.

      Diamond (the distributor) decided not to eat the distribution costs just because Marvel was eating the production costs. This leaves it up to each shop-owner to decide whether or not they're going to give away for free (beer?) something that they had to pay for. Not every shop (including successful ones) have the budget to be able to give away something that they didn't get for free.

      By all means, do check out the shops, but don't be too surprised if you're asked to pony up at the register.

      -9mm-

  20. Phil Spiderman by molekyl · · Score: 1

    [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.

  21. Great Review by krmt · · Score: 4, Funny
    I'll try not to lone-gunman-are-dead the review...

    I won't comic-book-guy the details...
    Great review. Now you've just got to work on not verbing your nouns. ;-)
    --

    "I may not have morals, but I have standards."

    1. Re:Great Review by subgeek · · Score: 1

      i agree it is an excellent review. i have to wait until 7:45 tonight to see it. maybe we can get taco to beat katz to the Star Wars II AOTC review, too.

      in the first example you gave, an entire sentence is verbed.

      is there a way to discuss verbing nouns without making the noun "verb" into a verb?

      --
      you probably shouldn't have read this.
    2. Re:Great Review by rvaniwaa · · Score: 2, Funny


      Great review. Now you've just got to work on not verbing your nouns


      "verbing"... Hmmm. :-)

      --
      main(i){(10-putchar(((25208>>3*(i+=3))&7)+(i ?i-4?100:65:10)))?main(i-4):i;}
    3. Re:Great Review by Dr.+Smeegee · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Get plenty of sleep, eat right and take Gerund-tol, every day."

    4. Re:Great Review by foobar104 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Great review. Now you've just got to work on not verbing your nouns. ;-)

      "Verbing weirds language." -- Calvin

    5. Re:Great Review by Dr+Fro · · Score: 2, Funny
      Obligatory-

      Worst verbing, ever

      --
      ********************
      I object to Intellect without Discipline.
    6. Re:Great Review by krmt · · Score: 2
      is there a way to discuss verbing nouns without making the noun "verb" into a verb?
      Couldn't you just say "Don't use nouns as verbs" or "These people are using nouns incorrectly as verbs"? There are centuries-old patterns of speech that are in place to discuss this very thing.
      --

      "I may not have morals, but I have standards."

    7. Re:Great Review by subgeek · · Score: 1

      yes you can. but then the irony isn't quite as amusing. ;)

      --
      you probably shouldn't have read this.
    8. Re:Great Review by StormCrow · · Score: 1

      Don't you know the fundamental rule of english grammar? All nouns can be verbed.

    9. Re:Great Review by shrikel · · Score: 1

      He's not verbing nouns! He's verbing independent clauses. I don't like I-told-you-so-ing, but you're just plain wrong. ;)

      --
      Any sufficiently simple magic can be passed off as mere advanced technology.
    10. Re:Great Review by Accipiter · · Score: 2

      Not verbing the nouns, and not starting sentences with conjunctions. I mean really, stick a comma in there somewhere.

      I will say it read better than a Katz review.

      --

      -- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
      (If you can't figure out how to E-Mail me, Don't. :P)

    11. Re:Great Review by UranusReallyHertz · · Score: 1

      Can all verbs be nouned?

      --
      Smoking is an expensive, slow, and unreliable method of suicide.
  22. Saw the movie too. by tcd004 · · Score: 1

    And I enjoyed this much more.

    tcd004

  23. Something I can enjoy with the little lady by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · · Score: 2

    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.
    1. Re:Something I can enjoy with the little lady by Dstrct0 · · Score: 1

      My girlfriend is the one who bought our tickets to it, like 2 weeks ago!

      This is the same one with the porn collection mentioned in one of my other posts...

      Damn I feel lucky!! :)

      --
      Build boards not bombs
    2. Re:Something I can enjoy with the little lady by Grip3n · · Score: 1

      Actually, all the actors and the director signed onto a contract which stated there would need to be 3 spiderman movies made. 2 more sequels to come!

      --
      To make a pun demonstrates the highest understanding of a language
    3. Re:Something I can enjoy with the little lady by Wiwi+Jumbo · · Score: 1

      I blame the switching of Directors for the bad Batman films...

      Micheal Keaton was smart to get out when Tim Burton did... I don't think Val Kilmer(?) really knew what he was getting into... and George Clooney(?) needed a job...

      --
      Wiwi
      "I trust in my abilities,
      but I want more then they offer"
  24. huh? by bilbobuggins · · Score: 2, Funny
    and Kirsten Dunst and the lovely Mary Jane

    Either this is a typo or Kirsten Dunst was getting blazed the whole movie...
    Their both good in their own way I suppose...

    1. Re:huh? by havblue · · Score: 1

      You should be sure to read THE REAL MARY JANE STORY then!!!

    2. Re:huh? by demon · · Score: 1

      You mean they're actually (at least, almost) worth reading?

      --

      Sam: "That was needlessly cryptic."
      Max: "I'd be peeing my pants if I wore any!"
  25. Re:Uh whatever by ShinGouki · · Score: 1

    and apparently the local LA critics are having trouble spelling "insipid"

    --
    -dk
    Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head.
  26. Spider-Man, Spider-Man by nooch · · Score: 1


    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
    1. Re:Spider-Man, Spider-Man by cp4 · · Score: 1

      The second one will begin filming in January. Everyone is lined up except for the Osborns (not Ozzy and Sharon!, Norman and Harry).

      Possible villains considered are Doc Ock and The Lizard (who is mentioned quickly in the film).

    2. Re:Spider-Man, Spider-Man by TaxSlave · · Score: 1

      Sequel info:

      I get most of my movie news from the The Hollywood Stock Exchange, which is an online stock-market simulation game. I've been playing it for a few years, and I've learned about more upcoming movies than I can count. Of course, many of those same movies never actually get released on the big screen, but that's all part of the game.

      HSX says:

      Spider-Man 2 is the sequel to 2002's blockbuster film based on the Marvel Comic superhero. An ordinary high school student is bitten by a genetically-altered spider and acquires super powers. Tobey Maguire plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man. It's unknown who will be Spider-Man's foe in this sequel scheduled to go into production in early 2003.

      If Spider-Man has a $100 million opening weekend, the HSX stock will adjust to ~$290 per share. It is currently trading at around $230 per share. Target price for the share is equal to the first four weeks take, in millions. SPID2 is trading at ~$132 per share.

      If video games, books, programming, chatrooms or women have screwed up your life, don't click here and start playing HSX. It will screw up what you have left.

  27. Wait a cottonpickin minute... by FurryFeet · · Score: 1

    ...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...

    1. Re:Wait a cottonpickin minute... by ProfMoriarty · · Score: 2
      Hell ... next he'll try to tell us that Vader is Lukes' dad ... like that'll ever happen ..

      :P

      --
      Karma? Karma? I don't need no stinkin' karma.
  28. At last- a somic-book-to-big-screen-non-flop?!?!? by WheelDweller · · Score: 1

    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
  29. huh? by GodHead · · Score: 2

    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.
  30. "sic" em by GungaDan · · Score: 5, Funny
    "How about as Mary Jane? :)"

    Nah, he was right the first time - all movies are best viewed with a little Mary Jane.

    --
    Eloi are stupid, throw morlocks at them!
    1. Re:"sic" em by Da3m0n · · Score: 1

      Damn straight

    2. Re:"sic" em by sl70 · · Score: 1

      The Catholic Church: We made our bed. Can your kids lie in it with us?

      Eh. Not so funny. Better is:
      Abstinence makes the Church grow fondlers.

      --
      Thank God I'm an atheist!
  31. Taco ? Look 'ere by cOdEgUru · · Score: 3, Funny

    All that, and I even scored tickets to the 12:01 showing of star wars on opening day ;)

    May You ROT IN HELLL!!!!!

    1. Re:Taco ? Look 'ere by dimator · · Score: 2

      Seriously though, this time around, I didnt even try for 12:01 tickets... maybe I'm just not as excited about ep2 as I was for ep1. Oh well... opening night on a HUGE screen is still good enough. :)

      --
      python -c "x='python -c %sx=%s; print x%%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))%s'; print x%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))"
    2. Re:Taco ? Look 'ere by hal200 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Excuse me, but I couldn't help notice your use of non-geek language. The geek-conscious version of your statement should be:

      May You ROT-13 IN DMCA HELL!!!

      These small changes will help prevent misunderstanding within the /. community. Thank you.

      This has been a public service announcement.

      --

      I just want to take over the world...Why does that automatically make me EVIL?

    3. Re:Taco ? Look 'ere by MadHobbit · · Score: 1

      12:01 opening day? That would be...41 hours after I saw it.

      Gotta love those free preview tix...

  32. woo by nomadic · · Score: 2

    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...

    1. Re:woo by Grip3n · · Score: 1

      Actually I live in the apartments that they did some shooting with outside. The place was a mess and we had to leave several times (with our consent) for them to do some outdoor shots. They never came inside, which is good, but we had to clean the window sills time and time again. I can't wait to see the movie now!

      --
      To make a pun demonstrates the highest understanding of a language
  33. Someone has to say it... by Amazing+Quantum+Man · · Score: 2, Insightful

    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.
    1. Re:Someone has to say it... by Moonshadow · · Score: 2

      Nah - just sneak in, or get your theater-working buddy to get you through.

      Either that, or pay, then just don't watch the commercials/previews beforehand. Since that's stealing, the price evens out nicely to $0!

    2. Re:Someone has to say it... by cybermage · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So, we should just rush out and put money in the pockets of the MPAA?

      Find a theater showing Spider-man and an Indie flick at about the same time. Buy a ticket for the Indie and sit down in the Spider-man theater "by mistake." Just don't do it when Spider-man is sold out.

      For bonus points, buy another ticket for the Indie flick and see that too.

    3. Re:Someone has to say it... by Software · · Score: 1
      Find a theater showing Spider-man and an Indie flick at about the same time. Buy a ticket for the Indie and sit down in the Spider-man theater "by mistake."
      A good idea (deserving of +5), but good luck finding a movie theater that is showing both Spider-Man and an independent flick at about the same time. You might have better luck finding a theater playing S-M with an Indiana Jones movie, though.
    4. Re:Someone has to say it... by MaggieL · · Score: 2
      You might have better luck finding a theater playing S-M with an Indiana Jones movie, though.

      True. Lots of places run S-M movies alongside Indiana Jones. I think it's the whip...

      We named the dog "Indiana"...

      --
      -=Maggie Leber=-
    5. Re:Someone has to say it... by ewhac · · Score: 2

      Find a theater showing Spider-man and an Indie flick at about the same time. Buy a ticket for the Indie and sit down in the Spider-man theater "by mistake." [ ... ]

      Um, how many theaters who managed to book a film like Spider-Man would also be booking indie flicks?

      I mean, what kind of theater that screens Spider-Man would also screen something like Orlando ?

      Schwab

    6. Re:Someone has to say it... by hilker · · Score: 1
      Um, how many theaters who managed to book a film like Spider-Man would also be booking indie flicks?

      I mean, what kind of theater that screens Spider-Man would also screen something like
      Orlando?
      Orlando was distributed in the US by Sony Pictures Classics, a subsidiary of MPAA member Sony Pictures Entertainment. It isn't much more "indie" than Spider-Man on that count.
  34. Re:Get a life by Mike+Schiraldi · · Score: 2, Offtopic

    It's spelled "pickle"

  35. Oh my god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.

    1. Re:Oh my god by AftanGustur · · Score: 2
      Take me. Take me now. You're a woman's dream.

      Show us your geek code and we'l think about it !

      --
      echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
  36. super powers by stagl · · Score: 3, Funny

    i find it humorous that spider-man loves 'mary jane'...maybe all those superpowers are just a mild hallucination. :)

    --

    R.I.P.
  37. Re:Uh whatever by Mr+Guy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    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.

  38. I liked it too by mattbelcher · · Score: 3, Insightful
    After picking up my Star Wars tickets this morning, I decided to stay a little later and see Spider-Man (with a hyphen) as well, especially since I had already taken the whole morning off work.

    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.

  39. Re:Get a life by daeley · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.
  40. Killing Wolverine by roberto0 · · Score: 1
    There have been many "alternate universes" where wolverine gets killed.
    Depending on the storyline, wolverine has been
    • electrocuted and cooked to death by Lobo
    • completely vaporized by a Sentinel
    • caught in a nuclear explosion (Punisher?)


    can anbody think of any more?
    --
    Those who can, do. Those who can't, simulate.
    1. Re:Killing Wolverine by TheGreenLantern · · Score: 2

      Well, presumably he was killed when they used The Ultimate Nullifier in one of those Franklin Richards-created alternate universes right after Onslaught ;)

      Also, didn't the "Professor X Files" they found right around Onslaught indicate the best way to kill Wolvie was to cut off his head with an adamantium sword or something like that?

      --

      It hurts when I pee.
    2. Re:Killing Wolverine by gordgekko · · Score: 1

      As much as I love Wolverine -- a fellow Canadian -- I always thought too much was made of his adamantium skeleton. For instance, his first appearance was a fight with the Hulk in Quebec. Sure, the Hulk may not be able to break Wolverine's bones (well, I doubt that, the Hulk's upper strength limit is an unknown, it all depends on his anger) but the simple act of punching Wolverine once would cause such catastrophic damage that he'd die instantly. Think about it, one punch to the head by the Hulk and Logan's mind would be soup. Sounds like death to me.

      My God, I just geeked out hardcore there...it's been so long...

      --
      You want to know who isn't running Firefox 2.x? They spell it "definately" and "rediculous".
    3. Re:Killing Wolverine by Hektor_Troy · · Score: 2

      Actually, in one episode Wolverine was sent into orbit around a small moon, and yes - he survived. Now, I would think, that Hulk would just send Logan into orbit and think that was that.

      --
      We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
    4. Re:Killing Wolverine by KlippoKlondike · · Score: 1

      Actually, Wolverine has had his skeleton ripped out from his body. Magneto did it, but a bone skeleton later grew with claws intact. It was really bloody too :)

    5. Re:Killing Wolverine by roberto0 · · Score: 1

      I can't remember the name of the book or the issue number, but it was definitely a Lobo special. He killed the rest of the X-men (and evil mutants) in that issue as well. Wolvie was close to the last one when Lobo tossed him into an electric fence.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, simulate.
  41. expectations? by rapid+prototype · · Score: 2, Funny

    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

    1. Re:expectations? by Jhan · · Score: 1
      Spider-Man is way bigger than LotR to any person who has been an adolescent in the last decade. This movie has been putzing around, teasing fans for over a decade. I've been EAGERLY EXPECTING Spider-Man since I was 13, LotR doesn't even come close to the anticipation.

      Not that this has anything to do with the quality of either movie.

      Lord of the Rings is way bigger than SM to anyone who has been an adolescent in the last half century. The movie has been putzing around, teasing fans for over 15 years (and semi-filmed a couple of times). I've been EAGERLY EXPECTING Lord of the Rings since I was 6, SM doesn't even come close to the anticipation.

      Not that this has anything to do with the quality of either movie.

      PS. Also, S-M is a comic, LotR is frigging Littratchure!

      --

      I choose to remain celibate, like my father and his father before him.

  42. Let's get back to superheroes... by Strange_Attractor · · Score: 3, Funny
    Wasn't Pick-El Superman's father?

    (BTW, I always wanted to see a jewish Superman whose dad could be Emanu-El)

    --

    ----
    WWJD...For a Klondike Bar?
    1. Re:Let's get back to superheroes... by daeley · · Score: 5, Funny

      Do you mean Super-Man?

      --
      I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
    2. Re:Let's get back to superheroes... by psycht · · Score: 1

      Ja-rel...

      oh nevermind.. i picked up the wrong comic.

    3. Re:Let's get back to superheroes... by Bob+McCown · · Score: 1
      Wasn't Pick-El Superman's father?

      I though Pick-El was the guy that decided on how to build the subway system in Chicago...

    4. Re:Let's get back to superheroes... by Steev · · Score: 2

      Ja-Rule was Superman's father? Supes has the bitch-ass raps.

    5. Re:Let's get back to superheroes... by Gautama · · Score: 1

      Wasn't Pick-El Superman's father?

      No, he was Pick-El, Last Kosher Gherkin of Krypton (Tm)!

  43. Just skipped work and saw it... by RobinH · · Score: 2

    ... 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
  44. The hell he is. by Squirrel+Killer · · Score: 1
    Toby Maguire was great in The Cider House Rules. He's just a solid actor.
    Maguire is so wooden, he makes Keanu look like Olivier. I was actually interested in the Spider-Man movie until I heard he was in it. The only reason he didn't kill Cider House Rules was because his character was supposed to be an emotionless retard. He was typecast. It's like when Dennie Miller gets cast as a wisecracking pedantic smartass, it works because he is one. (FWIW, I love Dennis Miller.)

    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

  45. Why PG-13? by Hell+O'World · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Why PG-13? by XBoyAdv · · Score: 3, Informative

      There are some "graphic scenes" especially the end. Some blood, punching, and lot of Green Goblins laughing.

    2. Re:Why PG-13? by Demon10000 · · Score: 1

      It may be for the fighting and unrealistic situations, such as fighting high up in the air.

      As long as your kid knows the difference between reality and fantasy, I doubt they'd have a problem with it.

      :d:

    3. Re:Why PG-13? by Lachrymite · · Score: 5, Funny

      Be careful! After the scene I keep seeing previews for, with Kirsten Dunst in a completely soaked and tight shirt, your kid might suddenly try reverting to breast feeding at age 4.

    4. Re:Why PG-13? by krmt · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hell, that scene makes me want to revert to breast feeding at age 21.

      --

      "I may not have morals, but I have standards."

    5. Re:Why PG-13? by John_Booty · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If they give the film too light of a rating, the crucial older crowd won't want to see it. And with a slightly older rating, that practically guarantees all the younger kids will want to see it. It's win/win for the studios.

      I remember hearing Spielberg say they put certain things into E.T. for just this reason, to avoid the dreaded "G" rating. Of course, that may have just been his excuse for taking them out of th newly-released version. :)

      --

      OtakuBooty.com: Smart, funny, sexy nerds.
    6. Re:Why PG-13? by charon_on_acheron · · Score: 1

      Like in "Look Who's Talking."

      As John Travolta and the baby are looking at a well-endowed woman...

      "Hey, Mikey. Are you thinking the same thing I'm thinking?"

      "Yeah, lunch."

      And Travolta's in his 40s now. shame shame.

    7. Re:Why PG-13? by jdavidb · · Score: 1

      The violence at the end was rather strong. Personally I don't mind the violence as much as other reasons movies get strong ratings, but it might be a little much for a 4 year old.

      Language was mostly okay. I didn't enjoy Peter's uncle using the word "ass"; I picture Ben Parker as a better man than that. As mentioned, Mary Jane shows quite a bit, but mostly just in that one scene.

    8. Re:Why PG-13? by Tumbleweed · · Score: 2

      Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson is the Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia (in the metal bikini) for the new age of young boys. Thing is, she looks a lot better than Carrie Fisher ever did. Kirsten Dunst as a redhead is the real attraction of the movie.

    9. Re:Why PG-13? by sckeener · · Score: 1

      just a guess, but maybe it got the rating because of the skin revealing wrestling scene...

      which of course was totally different than how it really happens...

      --
      "Only one thing, is impossible for god: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet." Mark Twain
    10. Re:Why PG-13? by citizenc · · Score: 2

      The comics were violent, therefore the movies will be too. There isn't any real GORE in the film (our webslinging friend gets a cut at one point and bleeds a little), but there is violence. (Stuff blowing up, etc.)

      Not to mention that the Green Goblin is downright SCARY. It rocks.

      But, over all, I don't think I'd have a problem letting a 4 year old see the film if they can handle some tension and a few surprises.

    11. Re:Why PG-13? by kcarlin · · Score: 1

      There is a little language and the battle scenes are intense. Small children and babies are shown in harm's way. A large vehicle full of children is shown in dire peril. Faces are shoved through glass. Walls are dropped on (admittedly bad) people. Spidey's face gets damaged in the climactic battle. Death of a parent figure on screen. (Add a wicked witch and some flying monkeys and you'd have Hollywood's perfect movie for four year olds. Oops, forgot the potty jokes!!!)

      --
      Free Adam Smith! (Or best offer.)
  46. Not Great ... So, so by Loranze-Da-Playa · · Score: 1

    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.

    1. Re:Not Great ... So, so by Big+Swede · · Score: 1

      It's been a while (a *long* while) since I read a comic, and I haven't seen the movie, but I agree with one point - how could Raimi drop Gwen? Her death is as important to the development of Peter Parker's ethos as the death of Uncle... umm... Ben(?).

      I saw an interview with Raimi, and he talked about how closely he followed the original comics, except for two remnants of the earlier treatment by Cameron - no web-shooters & gene-spliced, non-radioactive spider. How could he fail to include Gwen?

    2. Re:Not Great ... So, so by rjung2k · · Score: 1

      Raimi's said that Gwen's character got squooshed into Mary Jane's character to make the movie simpler for non-fans to follow. Though I suppose she could show up in a sequel, similar to what happens in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic.

      And the organtic web shooters make more sense that the mechanical ones. If Parker had invented mechanical web shooters and a temporary super-durable webbing, he could have sold it to 3M and retired a billionare at age 18.

    3. Re:Not Great ... So, so by CamelTrader · · Score: 2

      And as a billionaire, he could be the best super hero ever, super rich like batman but super powered like spiderman! Imagine spiderman with "those wonderful toys"!

      --
      Your .sig is important to us. Please hold.
  47. Re:You're from NYC by nomadic · · Score: 1

    If I was a baseball fan, that would have hurt...

  48. Thank you for the Elfman blurb by Kredal · · Score: 1

    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
  49. The Prisoner by October_30th · · Score: 2, Funny
    You're not a free man, you're married.

    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
    1. Re:The Prisoner by Royster · · Score: 2

      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.

      It's been years since I watched The Prisoner, but didn't they actually do that episode?

      It's being rerun on my local PBS station. I'll let you know if I see that episode.

      --
      I have discovered a truly marvelous sig, unfortunately the sig limit is too small to contain i
    2. Re:The Prisoner by October_30th · · Score: 1
      but didn't they actually do that episode?

      I doubt that. I just watched the entire series.

      Patric McGoohan had a serious phobia about physical contact the only episode in which his character showed any romantic interest in women was in the "Do not forsake me, oh my darling" in which the character was actually played by someone else.

      --
      The owls are not what they seem
    3. Re:The Prisoner by Royster · · Score: 1

      I mean, didn't they put a woman in his room with him and have her act like his wife as another of the mind games?

      It might have just been in my dreams. ;^)

      --
      I have discovered a truly marvelous sig, unfortunately the sig limit is too small to contain i
  50. Re:Already done by Ubergrendle · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It was in part of the regular run Uncanny X-Men series back in the Chris Claremnont days. It was re-run in a TPB called "Nights of Future Past"...basically in the future the Sentinels rule the US and kill off the X-Men and all other superbeings one by one. A last stand fails, so Jean Grey's daughter -- The Phoenix a la Excalibur -- time travels back to warn the X-Men and change the past IIRC. Yes, I'm a geek.

    --
    John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
  51. Stan Lee editorial in NYT by revscat · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  52. What about Aunt May? by hellstorm · · Score: 1

    Will they kill hear and just a moment later resurrect her? ;-)

    --
    --------------------------------------------------
    Programming is good for health
  53. Re:Gotta ask by CharlieG · · Score: 1

    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
  54. I wonder if... by hakkikt · · Score: 1

    when Spider-man 3 (or 4) is out,
    are they going to make some cheesie
    Spider-woman movie?

    1. Re:I wonder if... by mcwetboy · · Score: 1
  55. Hollywood doesn't respect fringe genres, yet by GuyMannDude · · Score: 1

    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

    1. Re:Hollywood doesn't respect fringe genres, yet by InigoMontoya(tm) · · Score: 1

      Here's hoping for an Authority movie... now there's a comic book that has "summer blockbuster" written all over it.

      (For those of you who aren't familiar with The Authority, go to your local comic shop, ignore the Fat Comic Book Guy(tm) who runs the place and the pr0n room, and buy an issue, or better yet, a TPB. You won't be sorry.)

      InigoMontoya(tm)
      the one with the tm

      --
      This signature is self-referential.
  56. So,We are not boycotting the evil MPAA this week? by swv3752 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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
  57. Nitpicks. (spoilage) by redtoade · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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.

  58. Re:Uh whatever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    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.

  59. What every guy wants? by Pinball+Wizard · · Score: 4, Funny
    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.


    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?

    1. Re:What every guy wants? by The+Kow · · Score: 1

      Willing to bet if I could swing from building to building I could get a better woman than Kirsten Dunst (nothing against her mind you)?

      --
      Moo
    2. Re:What every guy wants? by Jhan · · Score: 1
      Willing to bet if I could swing from building to building I could get a better woman than Kirsten Dunst
      BetterWoman: So what do you do?

      Kow: I swing from building to building!

      BetterWoman: Interesting (I guess), how does it pay?

      Kow: Action is my reward! And Justice!

      BetterWoman:

      NO CARRIER

      --

      I choose to remain celibate, like my father and his father before him.

  60. A kindler, gentler Spider-Man by graybeard · · Score: 2

    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.

    1. Re:A kindler, gentler Spider-Man by Nobody's+Hero · · Score: 1

      Dark and brooding?

      Peter Parker?????

      Nah! he was a little ticked off at all those jocks picking on him. And Mournful about Uncle Ben. But he was always a smart and witty hero. To this Day that's what gives him his edge and why people still love him.

      Not as crass as Dead Pool but every bit as sarcastic!!!

      --
      The Only Person Willing to be Me is ME!
    2. Re:A kindler, gentler Spider-Man by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      wow, you've obviously never read the comics, certainly not in recent years. He's always been plauged by guilt after the deaths of his Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy, for which he blames himself. He totally flipped out after the whole clone thing back around Amazing issues 380 or so to 400, and went psycho calling himself "Man-Spider". Spider-man's most certainly a dark character, with only a veneer of frivolity he uses to protect himself from really having to confront what he's doing.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    3. Re:A kindler, gentler Spider-Man by swdunlop · · Score: 1

      Eh, Marvel sprung that clone nonsense out of their hat when Image Comics, and Dark Horse, started edging in on their slice of the pie. When Todd McFarlane left Spider-Man to kick off Spawn, and start that huge indie surge, Marvel decided they needed to take one of their flagship characters and make him 'Darker, more gritty.'

      It was entirely out of character for Spider-Man, and it was this change, along with the sixteen-million covers for various issues, and other collectible nonsense, that chased me out of my hobby.

      I'll thank you to leave that Brooding, Tortured Hero crap with most of Grunge Rock where it belongs.. In the 90's. =)

  61. "Spider-Man" To Cost Economy $300,000,000 by Mad+Man · · Score: 2, Funny

    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?

    1. Re:"Spider-Man" To Cost Economy $300,000,000 by jcast · · Score: 1

      -$30.

      Taco's work is /.---you do understand that hurts the economy, right?

      --
      There are reasons why democracy does not work nearly as well as capitalism.
      -- David D. Friedman
    2. Re:"Spider-Man" To Cost Economy $300,000,000 by Pinball+Wizard · · Score: 2

      actually, if Slashdot shut down the day Star Wars premiered, it just might offset that...you do know /. is populated by geeks who are slacking off at work, don't you?

      --

      No, Thursday's out. How about never - is never good for you?

    3. Re:"Spider-Man" To Cost Economy $300,000,000 by MAXOMENOS · · Score: 2

      you do know /. is populated by geeks who are slacking off at work, don't you?

      Speak for yourself! Some of us don't have jobs to slack off from! :)

      If anything, that should slightly offset the $300 mil in damage caused by the next few weeks' openings.

    4. Re:"Spider-Man" To Cost Economy $300,000,000 by Pinball+Wizard · · Score: 1

      well good luck in your job hunt. I hate seeing people with resumes like yours being unemployed for months on end :{

      --

      No, Thursday's out. How about never - is never good for you?

    5. Re:"Spider-Man" To Cost Economy $300,000,000 by MAXOMENOS · · Score: 1

      I think it's more my own fault than that of the President, although I share your dislike of him.

      It occurred to me lately that maybe it was my attitude that was getting in the way...I thought I was hot shit because of everything I'd done before. That's nonsense; the fact is, I have a lot of education, but I'm lacking experience, and my resume reflects this. I've gone through an attitude adjustment since then, partially due to this realization, mostly due to the fact that I had actual work last week (Good news: finished the project ahead of schedule, no mistakes. Bad news: I get paid less. C'est la vie!)

      In any case, some things are starting to pop up. Nothing exciting, but I'll take it. I'd rather live in Portland (where I know people) and write Visual Basic (or even move boxes of files around) for $25k, than live in New York City (where I know nobody) and write C++ for $200k. (I guess that means I'm not serious about my career; oh well. As long as I'm serious about doing an outstanding job; that should be enough once I get hired.)

  62. Re:The nature of Spiderman's webbing by Nobody's+Hero · · Score: 2, Informative

    Well, In the comic books he had web-shooters that he(Peter Parker) designed. They shot out a special compund sort of like a liquid cement that hardened on contact with air(once again peter designed this). This compound also disolved in air after a few hours(so that there weren't webs lieing all over New York City). The compund was loaded into tiny air compressed cartridges. These cartridges then were loaded into his "web shooters".

    The webshooters were essentially a metal apparatus that wrapped around his wrists with a little bulb that rested in his palms...when he touched his middle fingers against this bulb.the compund shot out of a little falve on the underside of his wrists and BAM web bonanza!!!

    later on in life he got a special "alien" suit(now worn by Venom) which had the webbing stuff all built in and shot out at a simple thought by peter. This suit fired the stuff out of the tops of his wrists. This was all fine and dandy then he realized that the suit was a symbiot trying to take over his body. So he ditched it and went back to the old web shooters.

    I have not seen the movie yet but can only guess that he produces webs without the aid of anything special...just his body. That must be the case because the reviewer mentioned that there was something odd about thew nature of Spidey's webbing.

    All of this Spiderman stuff should not be mistaken with SPIDER-MAN 2099 in which he had spinnerets in his arms(just like a spiders). The squirted real wbs when he flezed his arms in a special way.

    Anyway that's it....more than you wanted to know....

    --
    The Only Person Willing to be Me is ME!
  63. Re:Nitpicks. (spoilage) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Jack Kirby is DEAD

  64. hey! taco!! by ByteHog · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    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..
  65. Re:Already done by InigoMontoya(tm) · · Score: 1

    Actually, the story was called "Days of Future Past," and while it is collected in its very own TPB, you'll be better off spending $16 and just getting the Essential X-Men Volume 2 TPB (I think that's where it is) which reprints a whole bunch of the classic X-Men stories. It's worth it if you're an X-Men fan or just want to read some really great sooperhero stories.

    Yes, I'm a geek as well.

    InigoMontoya(tm)
    the one with the tm

    --
    This signature is self-referential.
  66. Re:Green Goblin by Nobody's+Hero · · Score: 1

    Actually the Green Goblin was first...

    The HobGoblin was something completely different as I recall the Hobgoblin was actually an Assassin that got possesed by a Demon.

    At any rate I know green goblin was first and the HobGoblin was just a cash in on the popularity of one of Spidey's first enemies.

    There was a whole host of weird stuff that went on with all thses Goblins'. Originaly the green goblin was very much a "Doctor Jekyl and Mr.Hyde" rip-off with Norman Osborne changing into the Green Goblin without much control.

    Another line in the mean green and without control theme that Marvel seemed to like at the time(The Hulk, The Leader, Doc Samson, She-Hulk, The Abomination). Green Goblin was along the same lines as all those only without the Gamma Rays.

    --
    The Only Person Willing to be Me is ME!
  67. Re:So,We are not boycotting the evil MPAA this wee by be-fan · · Score: 2

    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...
  68. But can I take my 8 year-old? by tjgrant · · Score: 2

    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.

    1. Re:But can I take my 8 year-old? by LetterJ · · Score: 2

      If you believe the listings that a local site (twincities.citysearch.com) is showing, this movie is rated "G".

    2. Re:But can I take my 8 year-old? by pete-classic · · Score: 2

      Two words: Willem Dafoe

      Man that guy gives me the heebee-jeebeies.

      Seriously, there is a lot of ominous cackling, and several jump out of your seat moments.

      If you think Bilbo's "moment of weakness" would have freaked you kid, probably best to leave him at home for this one.

      There is also a lot of "comic book violence". People's faces or entire bodies shoved through windows, that sort of thing.

      I guess it really boils down to how desensitized your kid already is.

      -Peter

    3. Re:But can I take my 8 year-old? by GreyDuck · · Score: 1
      The "nuclear family" consisting of my wife, my 9 year old son, my 8 year old daughter and myself, all went for a sneak-preview night (the day before opening day, big deal). The kids loved it unconditionally. My son told me during one of the better Peter/MJ scenes that "we have to buy this when it comes out."

      I put up a review on my site, for what little that's worth.

      --
      I'm only wearing black until they come out with something darker.
    4. Re:But can I take my 8 year-old? by tjgrant · · Score: 2

      Several of my co-workers saw it yesterday at a matinee. When they returned to the office I quizzed them relentlessly on whether it was appropriate for an eight year old. I got several unqualified 'yes's' and one qualified 'yes'.

      So Travis and I went to see Spider-man together last night. We both jumped a couple of times, and both thoroughly enjoyed it. If I was on the ratings committee (or whatever it is that does the ratings) I would have probably rated it PG, not PG-13.

      The final fight is pretty graphic, and has what could have been a very gory scene, however, the editing was well done and everyone understood exactly what happened without any blood.

      Travis told me that we would have to buy it when it comes out on DVD. He also told me he wished that William (his five-year-old brother) could see it. But when I reminded him that William hides around the corner of the room at the scary scenes in Disney movies, he re-assessed the situation and said maybe William shouldn't see it.

      That said, we both agreed that my youngest son Kellan (who will be four tomorrow) would have thoroughly enjoyed it.

      I hope this helps someone make, what can be, a difficult decision--at least for parents who care what their kids feed into their brains.

      --

      Stand Fast,
      tjg.

  69. My coding superpowers by Walt+Dismal · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was bitten by a radioactive punchcard. Now I have the superhuman ability to write code for IBM704s.

  70. Re:Nitpicks. (spoilage) by FSK · · Score: 1

    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.
  71. Jack Kirby by redtoade · · Score: 1


    I didn't see one credit for Jack.
    If you don't know why that's a problem, read this link:

    http://twomorrows.com/kirby/articles/18leekirby.ht ml

    After Jack left Marvel, the only selling comic that Stan came up
    with was "She-HULK". Ugh.



    1. Re:Jack Kirby by Chris+Blaise · · Score: 1

      Not sure why you'd expect credit to Jack since it was Steve Ditko who co-created Spider-man.

      And he is properly credited.

    2. Re:Jack Kirby by redtoade · · Score: 1

      Where was he credited? Not a flame, I really looked and couldn't find it. I wanted to see him get some reckognition for THE Marvel movie.

      "Steve Ditko created the original cover, then collaborated with Jack Kirby on the final version when Stan Lee asked for another angle."
      -Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics. page 94.

      Marvel wouldn't be where it is without him. It's a shame that Stan Lee sucked up all the spotlight.

      On the other hand, giving Jack movie credits might be like giving equal credits to Bob Kane and Frank Miller for a Batman flick.

      With all of the contributors over the years, I'm sure they ALL deserve credit... but Stan Lee seems to take a little too much.

    3. Re:Jack Kirby by Chris+Blaise · · Score: 1

      He and Stan were credited about 3 credits before the director. It was something like "Based on the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko".

      Chris

    4. Re:Jack Kirby by redtoade · · Score: 1

      yeah I saw that, I thought you meant Jack Kirby was credited.

    5. Re:Jack Kirby by Chris+Blaise · · Score: 1

      No, Steve Ditko. Kirby had nothing to do with Spider-man so he shouldn't be credited. He tried to submit a character based on the Silver Spider character he and Simon created in the early 50s, but the Marvel Spider-man was the creation of mostly Ditko and Lee.

      Chris

    6. Re:Jack Kirby by JosefK · · Score: 1

      See

      http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes -M ovies-X!ArticleDetail-57463,00.html

      for a story on Steve Ditko's role. A brief passage:

      Lee and Ditko's first Spider-Man story was actually an experiment. In the early 1960s, Marvel had pulled out of a decade-long slump and was flush with the success of its 1961 title "The Fantastic Four." Editor Lee wanted to follow up with more heroes, beginning with a nerdy high school student who gains the proportionate strength of a spider in a freak lab accident. Lee's publisher, Martin Goodman, hated the idea, particularly the insect theme and the fact that the hero was a teenager. Lee compromised by slotting Spider-Man's inaugural tale into the final issue of a canceled fantasy series.

      Spider-Man Co-Creators Begin to Disagree
      Initially, Lee assigned the art chores to legendary comics artist Jack Kirby, with whom he had co-created the Fantastic Four. Kirby returned with several pages of bombastic heroic renderings Lee didn't think were quite right, so he turned to Ditko. "There was something about the way he drew," Lee says. "It had a realistic style, it wasn't too exaggerated or too over the top."
      "Amazing Fantasy" No. 15 hit newsstands in August 1962. When the issue's staggering sales figures came back a few months later, Lee gave the character his own series. "Amazing Spider-Man" debuted in March 1963, and almost immediately became a hit.
      Behind the scenes, though, the co-creators began to disagree on the title's direction. After a few dozen issues, Ditko was plotting the book himself and turning the penciled pages over to Lee, who filled in the dialogue. "I didn't know what he'd be bringing me. It was almost like doing a crossword puzzle," Lee says.
      By the time Roy Thomas joined the company as assistant editor in 1965, Ditko and Lee were no longer speaking to each other, using intermediaries to communicate. "There wasn't a lot of anger, it was just that they got to arguing so much over the plot lines," Thomas recalls. Then, one day in early 1966, Ditko walked into Marvel's offices on Madison Avenue, delivered a stack of pages, and quit. The only person who knows for sure why Ditko left is Ditko.

    7. Re:Jack Kirby by redtoade · · Score: 1

      That's not true at all.

      Fantastic Four, Hulk and Thor were all done by the Kirby and Lee team. When Spider-Man came along in August of 1962, Lee felt that they were spreading themselves too thin... and Lee also wanted something a bit more "edgy and dynamic."

      Taken directly from the pages of Five Fabulous Decades...: (thank God for viavoice)

      Until this time, Jack Kirby had been drawing all of the company's new characters, but Spider-Man ended up in the hands of another artist. Kirby drew several pages of a version of Spider-Man, but he never completed a story. Kirby's version was as bold and dynamic as the rest of his work, but Lee wanted something a bit more offbeat and edgy. Steve Ditko was the artist to provide it, and Lee asked him to illustrate the initial Spider-Man adventure. The now famous cover for the first story was drawn by Kirby and Ditko together. "Steve Ditko was a fine artist," says Kirby, "and he did a fine job on Spider-Man."

      So no, Kirby wasn't the lead guy on this, but obviously he had input on the project. NOTHING went through Marvel back then without Kirby being involved. Almost a full year later, when they were working on Iron Man in March 1963:

      Don Heck had the honor of drawing the initial Iron Man story, a rare opportunity in the days when Jack Kirby seemed to get first crack at just about everything. In fact Kirby did have a hand in Iron Man. "He designed the costume," says Heck, "because he was doing the cover. The covers were always done first."

      Keep in mind that these quotes are taken from a MARVEL publication, and Stan Lee is notorious for down playing Kirby's role. So we know Kirby drew the cover for Spider-Man, thus he obviously was involved in the initial stages. Beginning with the Fantastic Four in November 1961, Kirby was the driving force behind Marvel's art. And he obviously had a hand in EVERYTHING that Marvel did in those early years. So why not give him credit? Stan Lee being the face of Marvel without Kirby is like Steve Jobs being the face of Apple Computers without Wozniak.

      Kirby isn't here to defend his work, and I was just wondering what he'd think of Spider-Man the movie.

      PS. I'm not putting Ditko down at all... he also deserves the credit. He's a hometown boy after all. Besides, no one is going to read this thread way down here... which is a shame, because I would really like to hear some "experts" discuss this. Have you noticed how all the moderated (+5) stuff is by people who haven't seen the movie... and is all completely off-topic? Slashdot sure has gone down the tubes... sigh.

  72. see it, help the pro-DMCA, anti-freedom lobby? by peterw · · Score: 2, Insightful
    It's sci-fi/CGI/comic stuff and we're geeks, so we must see it, right? Bah.

    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.

    1. Re:see it, help the pro-DMCA, anti-freedom lobby? by JFMulder · · Score: 4, Insightful

      /%?%$!!"/$$??!/ How come people rate this crap as insightfull, or anything!!! Stop f**king around always complaining about companies do this, and companies do that, they don't want me to pirate their stuff, I can't illegally get the stuff they own for free. Get a life. They have the right because they OWN the product. If you can't get that across you narrow minded stealing anti-everything little brain, then you're going to find like to be VERY LONG and very boring, because you DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO STEAL! You said it yourself : unauthorized DVD playback software. It's UNAUTHORIZED. You don't have the right to do it because it infringes copyrights. Whether or not cpopyrights and IP is a good thing is another debate. For the time being, go see the movie, because it's funny, a hell of a good ride and stop whining.

    2. Re:see it, help the pro-DMCA, anti-freedom lobby? by ainsoph · · Score: 2

      Wow, you obviously are not that informed about the issues you are ranting about.

      *Some* people are not talking about *stealing*, some people are talking about *fair-use*, some people are talking about being afraid to write code. Do you really think Alan Cox, kernel hacker is a software pirate? Guess what? He is vehemently afraid of those legislations, so much so he will not step foot on American soil. This is the fate of many Open Source devlopers. They are not *stealing* pirates like you suggest.

      So I dont know, nor can I tell if you use Linux or not, but um, if you do, there is a code that falls into this arena, which you claim is "anti-everything, stealing, blah blah BS".

      So instead of being a sadly misinformed ranty head who obviously loves living in a world of "Oh so they wanna drill for oil in Alaska, or bad stuff is going on in ______, who cares, whats on TV?", if thats the world you prefer, thats cool, just stop voting, and STFU, you are screwing it up for the people that care.

      Thanks.

  73. Re:The nature of Spiderman's webbing by VikingBerserker · · Score: 1

    I know it's nitpicking, but a spider's spinnerets are actually in its abdomen.

    Somehow I don't see people wanting to see that feature added to Spider-Man.

  74. try not to moderator-bash-button me, but... by fR0993R-on-Atari-520 · · Score: 1

    ... 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.
  75. A movie about one of the lamest characters??? by Nobody's+Hero · · Score: 1

    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!
  76. Re:The nature of Spiderman's webbing by Nobody's+Hero · · Score: 1

    no no...what i meant was he(spidey 2099) had spinnerets much like a spiders accepting the location(they were on his forearms).

    Spidey 2099 also had claws that popped out of his finger tips for climbing. I think that they adapted something like that for the movie too....Maybe they should have called it Spider-Man 2099...

    --
    The Only Person Willing to be Me is ME!
  77. Fixed link by T.Hobbes · · Score: 3, Informative

    The link is broken.. try this link, to the main page of the event, insted.

  78. Non-Comic Comics. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    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

  79. Re:Nitpicks. (spoilage) by redtoade · · Score: 1



    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!

  80. Re:The nature of Spiderman's webbing by hitzroth · · Score: 1

    I want you to pull out a dictionary and look up "accept".

    See that definition? Good. Remember it.

    The word you were looking for is "except". No -ing either.

    --
    In mathematics, one does not understand things, one merely gets used to them.
    --VonNeumann
  81. Re:The nature of Spiderman's webbing by Nobody's+Hero · · Score: 1

    note to self.....

    put dictionary.com in favorite list....

    I am truly sorry for all of my grievous errors. Oh how will I ever live now that I have made an error in my post. I will simply have to throw myself off a cliff.

    I want you to pull out a dictionary and look up "sarcasm".

    See that definition? Good. Now rip out the page, put it in your pipe and smoke it.

    Friggin' trolls....

    --
    The Only Person Willing to be Me is ME!
  82. Unfortunately... by DangerTenor · · Score: 1

    As you can read here, there is already a sequel in the works...

    --
    Check out our infosecurity industry blog: http://securitymusings.com/
  83. Dude, just go get them!!! by DangerTenor · · Score: 1

    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/
  84. Spiderman? by sharkey · · Score: 2

    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.
  85. Re:Contrary to popular belief... by Melantha_Bacchae · · Score: 1

    An AC wrote:

    > ...spiders CAN NOT shoot out a stram of web and swing from building to
    > building. Nor can they fire a sticky web net at a fleeing evil-doer.
    >
    > 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.

    Fantasy characters are often inspired by the creations of others. To understand Spider-Man you have to know what came before. Spider-Man first appeared in 1962. On July 30th, 1961, in Japan, the movie "Mosura" ("Mothra" in English) was released. The title character was a gigantic moth, with an 800+ foot wingspan as an adult, whose silk in caterpillar form was strong enough to bring down helicopters. The infant Mothra spits her silk out of her mandibles, and in later movies uses it as a weapon against other monsters. Twin infant Mothras fought Godzilla in 1964, spinning him a fetching straight jacket and dumping him in the ocean. By that deed, Mothra won for herself the title "Queen of Monsters". As an adult, she originally used category 5 hurricane winds to "popcorn" cars, and enough windshear to take down entire buildings. Not even Rodan can equal her in the air.

    But Mothra isn't a predator, and she isn't a ordinary moth mutated by radiation (despite what Columbia wanted you to think when they released the American version on May 10, 1962). She is the Goddess of peace and happiness, the Goddess of the sun born from the sea. She is beautiful and benevolent, the heroic protector of the innocent, and the wrathful avenger of the murdered and oppressed. It is only the power of Mothra that can turn aside Godzilla's wrath and turn the godly flame of the atom to peaceful purposes.

    If some guy bitten by a radioactive spider wants to don her colors and swing around like Tarzan protecting the innocent, well she would have no problem with that.

    > I tell ya what, I don't know what crack these people are on who come
    > up with this shit.

    Um, I believe it's called an "imagination". Check it out, they are pretty fun to have. ;)

    "Mothra, you are Life Eternal! Hear the prayers of your servants. Come back to us from out of the legend. Come and save us with your power of Life!"
    - From the US release of "Mothra" May 10, 1962

  86. But did they hit you with advertising? by doom · · Score: 2
    Maybe I'm weird, but what I want to know is did they plaster the damn thing with advertising?

    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.

    1. Re:But did they hit you with advertising? by joey · · Score: 2

      Plenty of product placement in this film anyway, a sony flatscreen TV, and some soft drink got plenty of camera time.

      --
      see shy jo
    2. Re:But did they hit you with advertising? by pete-classic · · Score: 2

      I think it was nissin cup-o-noodles.

      The palm logo below and to the left of it (as I recall) was distractingly phony looking.

      Too blue, too sharp (that that distance) and oriented too directly at the camera for where it was placed. Luckilly it was small.

      -Peter

    3. Re:But did they hit you with advertising? by Servo5678 · · Score: 2
      Don't forget about all the ad banners at the Unity Festival. I wonder how much Cingular paid to be in this movie?

      Still, I guess it was worth it to see...

      *SPOILER* .

      .

      .

      .

      ... The Green Goblin surf around the buildings.

  87. english vs american by Ommadawn · · Score: 1

    that would be "american" grammar

    --
    Restrictions are prohibited. Be well, get better.
  88. Re:Killing Wolverine AND A FREE COMIC BOOK by spideyct · · Score: 2, Informative

    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)

  89. Let's ask John by Catbeller · · Score: 2

    If it's anal-retentive to insist on spelling a character's name correctly, then I'm sure John Cats would point it out...

  90. Alas, it really wasn't as good as I'd hoped by palmech13 · · Score: 1
    The dialog just wasn't up to snuff. The special effects are great, the nods to classic comic book days kept me smiling, but the dialog removed any sense of caring about these people. It was tough to tell if they edited too much out, or if it was just badly written but I came out of the theatre feeling let down.

    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)

  91. Gwen Stacy is dead. by blacksqr · · Score: 1

    Whoops, hope I didn't ruin it for anybody.

    Now perhaps we can at last lay the bitter memory of Nicholas Hammond to rest.

  92. Mr Cranky Review by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Mr Cranky Review by Mr+Teddy+Bear · · Score: 1

      Ahh yes, but you have forgotten one thing:

      Spider Man wasn't the name he gave himself. He was originally the Human Spider. So maybe it was that dude at the wrestling match. hmmmmmm...

      Maybe _HE_ was the real Mary Jane. or maybe not.

      P.S. I love Spidey just as much as the next guy, this is a joke.. so don't throw stones. :-P

    2. Re:Mr Cranky Review by jo42 · · Score: 1
      Hilarious, abso-forkin-lutey hilarious.

      Would also explain why CmdrTaco wrote, and I quote him from above, "I love spiderman".

  93. Next Batman. by Wntrmute · · Score: 2

    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.

  94. PG-13 rating by bakeman · · Score: 1

    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.

    1. Re:PG-13 rating by whizzird · · Score: 2, Informative

      Some light language, violence, and nipples through a wet shirt.
      Expect the kid to get scared by the green goblin though (but then, scaring kids is his job).

  95. The Amazing Spiderman by AShocka · · Score: 1

    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!!

  96. just got back from the theatre. by RestiffBard · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

    --
    - /* dead coders leave no comments */
  97. New Batman Movie by Glenn2372 · · Score: 1

    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.

  98. Re:Gotta ask by nomadic · · Score: 1

    From the reviews I've read, Woodhaven.

  99. Re:Why PG-13? (obligatory karma-whoring) by Software · · Score: 1

    Kirsten Dunst site (not the official site, but first in Google)

  100. This lifetime Spidey fan loved it by sunhou · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

  101. Good, but did the same mistake as Batman did by JFMulder · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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 *****

    1. Re:Good, but did the same mistake as Batman did by XBoyAdv · · Score: 1

      Well, in the current Amazing Spider-man storyline. I think Norman Osborn got "revived" while the other Green Goblins including Harry are dead as a door nail. Go to www.spiderfan.org if you want to update your Spidey info. :P

    2. Re:Good, but did the same mistake as Batman did by vjzuylen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Much like Batman, Spider-Man has plenty of enemies in the comic book series; Sandman would in fact be the least of his problems. Unlike Batman though, Spider-Man doesn't seem to be limited to just one or two interesting arch-nemeses.

      For the first movie, I would've liked to see Spidey take on a non-superhuman like the Kingpin. That way, the audience would've gotten a better idea of how Spider-Man's powers compare to those of a human foe, albeit an extremely rich, well-armed and resourceful one.

      Then there's Dr. Octopus. To an extent, his mechanical tentacles give him similar mobility to Spider-Man, which should make for some very interesting battles and chase scenes across the cityscape. The problem with Doc Ock is that he's another crazed scientist in a techno suit, making him less suitable for an immediate sequel.

      Speaking of crazed scientists, there's also the Lizard, whose tragic history would place Spider-Man's own genesis into an interesting context. If you've ever seen the Spider-Man cartoons, you'll know that at some point in the story the spider-half of Parker's genetic makeup becomes dominant, essentially transforming him into a giant spider very slowly. He seeks out the help of Lizard's human alter ego, who in turn is desperately trying to keep his own animal side from gaining control.

      And of course you've got Rhino, who's probably not impressive enough as an enemy; Elektro, whose powers seem too straightforward (let's not mention his ridiculous costume either); Mysterio, who would make for some very tiresome illusion-inside-an-illusion storytelling; and Sandman, who.. well... After 'The Mummy', his powers just wouldn't be all that impressive to audiences.

      The ultimate foe for Spider-Man would probably be Venom, or maybe Carnage. The problem with those two is their back story: even if it could be squeezed into one movie, it's probably too far-fetched for most movie audiences. A genetically altered human gaining spider-like powers is hard enough to swallow; let's not enter symbiotic alien suits from a galaxy far away into the equasion. Still, as long as Venom remains an evil, more powerful version of Spider-Man, Raimi can adapt his back story however he sees fit.

      And if they REALLY run out of ideas, they could always have some mercenary uncover all of Osbourne's research, expose himself to the same technology, and turn him into the Hobgoblin...

      --

      Hee-hee. Dying tickles!
    3. Re:Good, but did the same mistake as Batman did by Da_Monk · · Score: 2

      >do we really want to see Spider-Man vs. Sand Man?

      Heck yes, I really want to see who they cast as lady death. :)

    4. Re:Good, but did the same mistake as Batman did by Sloppy · · Score: 1

      I see what you mean, but in movies, a character's death can sometimes be only a minor setback for that character. That reminds me, I haven't seen Jason X yet...

      --
      As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
    5. Re:Good, but did the same mistake as Batman did by BazzaH3 · · Score: 1

      In the comic book version, Norman Osborne's)The Green Goblin's) Son Harry Becomes the green goblin. Hence his lines at the end of the Movie.

      --
      ~ I can smell the color Blue...
    6. Re:Good, but did the same mistake as Batman did by ChristTrekker · · Score: 1
      The problem with those two is their back story: even if it could be squeezed into one movie, it's probably too far- fetched for most movie audiences. A genetically altered human gaining spider-like powers is hard enough to swallow; let's not enter symbiotic alien suits from a galaxy far away into the equasion.

      Nah. All you have to do is put the back story into Spidey 2 while he fights Galactus or Kingpin or whatever, and then have the Venom as the antagonist in Spidey 3! One sequel is not enough.

    7. Re:Good, but did the same mistake as Batman did by Banjonardo · · Score: 1
      Did anyone forget the SECOND Green Goblin?

      (Or the Hobgoblin, for that matter.)

      --

      -----

      Score 3? For what? Being wrong, at length? - smirkleton

  102. Boycott cancelled? by Trickster+Coyote · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.
    1. Re:Boycott cancelled? by Servo5678 · · Score: 2
      Uhh,... the MPAA boycott has been cancelled, right?

      Dude, it's the weekend. Who works on the weekend?

      But come Monday morning it's back to business as usual.

  103. "... and it's a piece of junk!" by Hektor_Troy · · Score: 2

    Haven't you seen "The Evil Dead" on DVD? Haven't you heard Bruce Campbell's commentary to that movie?

    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 ... this car is in almost every one of Sam Raimi's movies from this point on."

    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.
    1. Re:"... and it's a piece of junk!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      The rumor is ( from Bruce Campbell's book, "If Chins Could Talk: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor" ) that Sam lost his virginity in that car, which is why it's so special to Sam.

      Bruce jokingly ( I hope ) surmises that it may have been the ONLY time Sam ever... well, you know... which explains Sam's *insane worship and adoration* of "The Classic", Sam's pet name for the vehicle.

      Remember when they dropped it from the Sky in "Army of Darkness"? I thought Bruce had finally killed it for sure.

      Killing it is one of Campbell's goals in life.

  104. Saw it, really enjoyed it by osgeek · · Score: 2

    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.

    1. Re:Saw it, really enjoyed it by sharkey · · Score: 2

      Not to mention the fact that Willem Dafoe really LOOKS like the Goblin mask when he grins.

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  105. Re:The nature of Spiderman's webbing by Hektor_Troy · · Score: 2

    Actually they're not claws, they're hooks, and that's how spiders hang on to stuff - and if I'm not mistaken (obviously) that's also how it works in the comic, with the small hooks being able to penetrate the suit without ripping it.

    --
    We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
  106. I too, wish to know! by Bill+Privatus · · Score: 1

    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.
    1. Re:I too, wish to know! by Slowping · · Score: 1

      I don't know what you consider to be appropriate for your children to view. But after seeing this film, here are the things I saw:

      BTW, I thought the movie was good. Nice fantasy flic for little kids as well as big ones. But, I took my 11 year-old sister to see Saving Private Ryan (on her request), so YMMV. And yes, my sister is normal with no psychological damage a a result of the movie.

      WARNING: MAY GIVE HINTS TO PLOT! PROCEED AT OWN RISK!

      fighting. very little blood. like in the previews, there is a scene where spider-man gets cut on his forearm. But most fights (until then final one) are carton violence (punch and people fly back 20 feet). Hand to hand fings go relatively fast, and mostly spider-man kicking criminal ass.

      scene where Kirsten Dunst is in a wet shirt in the rain. Scene goes by fast (bout 1~1.5 sconds) of nipping.

      MaryJ and Spider-Man deep kiss scene. Passionate, but no tongue twisting shown. Lasts about 10 seconds.

      Scene where spider-man must make difficult choice: he can only save one of two groups of individuals in peril.

      Some death scenes as a result of Green Goblin. No blood, but death is shown in cartoony way (but may still be shoking, depending on your children).

      There, my 2 cents. hope it helps.

      --
      (\(\
      (^.^)
      (")")
      *beware the cute-bunny virus
    2. Re:I too, wish to know! by Bill+Privatus · · Score: 1
      A bit clinical, but even not knowing you (aside from immediate credebility as /. user :-) that's an excellent description you've given - funny when I read it that it's a profile of a movie disney would never look twice at (not enough violence, prurience, etc etc).

      In short, my wife & I are ok with taking the kids tomorrow - and so *we* get to see it tomorrow. Whee! (more excited than the kids, who don't know Spider-Man from Butkus 8^) Thanks

      --
      Redundancy is good; triple redundancy is twice as good! - Me.
  107. Is English your second language, Rob? by Kasreyn · · Score: 2

    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 /. flamers since 1999.
    1. Re:Is English your second language, Rob? by BazzaH3 · · Score: 1

      There is only a hyphen in the Comic Book Title "The Amazing Spider-Man" and possibily the movie, but if you read any diolouge its always just read as Spiderman.

      --
      ~ I can smell the color Blue...
  108. second that! by nikster · · Score: 1

    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.

  109. Re:Killing Wolverine AND A FREE COMIC BOOK by Issue9mm · · Score: 2

    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-

  110. Spider wasn't radioactive... by Carpathius · · Score: 1

    > 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.

    1. Re:Spider wasn't radioactive... by kasek · · Score: 1

      and whats to say the spider hadn't been exposed to radioactivity just because it was genetically enhanced?

  111. Re:The nature of Spiderman's webbing by Dreamweaver · · Score: 3, Informative

    Nope, at least not originally. Spidey was just sticky. It was explained in one of the Spiderman annuals with the hologram covers from years back (I'm sure in other places before and since, but that was during the period I actually read comics). The whole issue was Peter explaining his powers to Mary Jane (kinda a rip-off of an issue, but ah well). He said he could make any part of his body stick to anything (which sparked a query from Mary as to whether he could do it with any part, which rather surprised me considering how much less risque comics were back then) and that he made the gloves and boots of the suit extremely thin so he could stick through them. That, in turn, prompted Mrs. Parker to fret about him catching cold through the material.

    Yes, I know, I have an inordinately detailed memory for absolutely useless facts. Now if only I could do the same with actually useful facts...

    --


    "If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live" -- MLK, Jr.
  112. bit by radioactive spider ?? by minus_273 · · Score: 1

    "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
  113. Re:Gwen Stacey by j-beda · · Score: 2

    Gwen's storyline is essentially taken up by MJ, who doesn't die. They did put in the whole wrestling, petty criminal who later becomes a killer, power/responsibility thing, and did it quite well in my opinion.

  114. Re:Nitpicks. (spoilage) by Peale · · Score: 2

    Jack Kirby is DEAD. Therefore, no cameo.

    Well, I guess there _could_ have been one, but eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww...

  115. Bullet Time... yet again. by jazzmanjac · · Score: 2, Insightful

    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.
    1. Re:Bullet Time... yet again. by Dixie_Flatline · · Score: 3, Informative

      There's very little bullet time in the movie. Bullet time was a specific way of doing things that let you see all angles around the target. It takes a lot of cameras, a lot of time, and a lot of fancy work.

      What you saw was just good old slow motion. They slowed everything down a bunch, and that was good enough. It wasn't anything special, but conveyed the fact that Spidey was moving faster than you'd normally be able to see. It was perfect.

    2. Re:Bullet Time... yet again. by thomas.galvin · · Score: 1

      Spit-Wad Time!

  116. huh? by phossie · · Score: 1
    Time... /Warner ..... can't
    ....control?

    What world are you talking about? Is this Slashdot?

    --

    [|]
  117. Not to mention Peter Sellers by jzitt · · Score: 1

    Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin and Kirsten Dunst and the lovely Mary Jane.

    Damn, that's one versatile actor!

  118. loved it, but be patience with the youngens. by blank · · Score: 1

    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

  119. Taco, how did you beat out Katz to do a review? by JoeGee · · Score: 1

    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!
  120. Wisecracks? by SiliconEntity · · Score: 1

    I liked the movie, but I didn't hear many sarcastic wisecracks. Maybe I'm spoiled by Buffy?

  121. This review suxors by actor_au · · Score: 1

    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.
  122. CmdrTaco, you are 100% correct by eples · · Score: 2



    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.
  123. Spiderman reducing productivity by Animats · · Score: 2

    Parking lot at Silicon Valley multiplex nearly full at 3:30PM Friday.

  124. Re:Nitpicks. (spoilage) by redtoade · · Score: 1

    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.

  125. Re:Many would have broken bones? by Thrikreen · · Score: 1

    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. =)

  126. hmmmmm Spidey_Berry products!! Yummy!!! by ainsoph · · Score: 2

    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.

    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/Spi de rman.htm

    http://www.digitalwebbing.com/news/042602-7.html

    http://www.kosi101.com/kelloggs-contest.html

  127. Thanks by motox · · Score: 1

    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.

  128. And to all you Bruce Campbell fans... by HeavensTrash · · Score: 1

    Be sure to check out the Spider-Man the Movie game, as the entire thing is narrated by Bruce himself.

  129. Re:So,We are not boycotting the evil MPAA this wee by swv3752 · · Score: 1

    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
  130. I just saw it too... I loved it! by GuNgA-DiN · · Score: 1

    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!

  131. Spider-Man by lgw4 · · Score: 1

    I too saw a comic book movie today. However, the title was Spider-Man. Who the hell is this Spiderman?

  132. Something to do after the movie by starvingartist12 · · Score: 1

    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!

  133. Well duh. by gruntvald · · Score: 1

    go to see it, but take your camcorder!

  134. Spoilage Warning by proverbialcow · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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
  135. Do yourselves a favor by bman08 · · Score: 1

    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.

  136. SPOILER--*Spider-Man*: Just a Damn Good Movie. by Chasing+Amy · · Score: 2

    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
  137. My impression by fliptout · · Score: 1

    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.
  138. Randy Savage by jhaefele · · Score: 1

    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.

    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-lots -of-buildings-flying-by stuff. The closing sequence rocked my face clean off.

  139. lone-gunmen-are-dead is a verb? by Max+Threshold · · Score: 1
    I'll try not to lone-gunman-are-dead the review

    Is that going to be jargon now?

  140. Re:Already done by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 2

    You're not too much of a geek:

    "Days of Future Passed" (echoing the Moody Blues 1967 album title) appeared in X-Men 141 and 142. It was actually John Byrne's next-to-last two issues, Claremont took over again shortly after (and the book was never as good again). The character who travelled back in time was Kate (nee Kitty) Pryde. Rachel Summers used her powers to send Kate's mind back in time to when she was 14 or 15 and had just joined the X-Men. Kate then had to help the X-Men prevent the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (or whatever they called themselves c. 1980) from assassinating Senator Kelly (yes, the same guy in the movie) during a presidential campaign that started the hysteria that culminated in the creation of an army of Sentinels that ultimately took over the world and killed every superhuman.

    Anyhow, I can only spout this much detail about a few series of comic books for the 12 years or so I collected, and John Byrne's run on the X-Men rates a CBG "Best! Series! Ever!" in my book. I bought 'em off the newstand in the day, but they've been reprinted many times since.

    As an aside when X-Men 137 came out, I was about 16 and I made the decision that I bought comics because I liked them and not for profit, so I didn't buy extra speculative copies. I'm sure they're worth a bit now, but that's OK. I'm glad I was only in it for fun.

    --
    You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
  141. Re:dead by MaxVlast · · Score: 1

    You mean Lone Gun-Men, of course.

    --
    There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
    Max V.
    NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
  142. Correction by GreyDuck · · Score: 1

    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.
  143. VIOLENCE by peter303 · · Score: 2

    The first and final fight scenes are pretty violent. They could frighten a kid. The ones inbetween are more artsy.

  144. Where can you see the WTC? by sunking7 · · Score: 1

    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?

  145. Re:Nitpicks. (spoilage) by redtoade · · Score: 1

    Just read my other thread....

    I don't feel like repeating myself.

  146. Spiderman vs Wolverine Oct. 1987 by svzurich · · Score: 1

    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!

  147. 2 words description by ehiris · · Score: 2

    Wonderful movie

  148. Re:Green Goblin by BazzaH3 · · Score: 1

    Green Goblin and the Hob Goblin are two different bad guys that just have alot of simalarities.

    --
    ~ I can smell the color Blue...
  149. Re:Contrary to popular belief... by BazzaH3 · · Score: 1

    Most of the great ideas are pretty fucked up. Just look at The ninja turtles, Mario, sonic the hedgehog, pok'e'mon, and im sure there are more.

    --
    ~ I can smell the color Blue...
  150. The Lizard by BazzaH3 · · Score: 1

    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...
  151. Re:Uh whatever by Meowharishi · · Score: 1

    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!
  152. Re:So,We are not boycotting the evil MPAA this wee by be-fan · · Score: 2

    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...
  153. The only thing that could have saved this movie wa by Wedman · · Score: 1

    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.

  154. Re:Nitpicks. (spoilage) by TBHiX · · Score: 2

    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. ;)