Spider-Man

June 1, 2002

SPIDER-MAN…from the man who brought you…The Evil Dead?

I found myself asking…myself…that in the theater. Can this film possibly be by the same guy who envisioned a camping trip SO horrible that a women was raped by a tree? Has the once cult Sam Raimi sold out to become big box office? Truthfully, I was becoming nervous in the theater, thinking this is not Sam Raimi, this is not his universe, this is film is normal – until of course Bruce Campbell made his appearance. Phew! What director would not give their eyeteeth to bring one of their favorite comic books to the big screen? Sam Raimi sell out? No, of course not…at least not yet. The moment of truth will be ten or so years from now – will Sam still be churning out the Spider-Man pics or will he have abandoned it and moved on to some greater works?

So yes, America was right this time – this is NOT another Titanic! No sir, this is a GOOD film. In not trying to please the American minions, it has succeeded in pleasing the people who really matter – the FANBOYS. You know them, you fear them, you smell them – the FANBOYS. Most of my friends are FANBOYS, though they would never admit it, though they smell fresher than the average FANBOY. From the FANBOYS, I learned that the film followed the comic rather closely – Raimi concentrated on the fact that Peter Parker is an average guy, with average problems – crappy job, crappy friends, no car and girl problems. Peter Parker is actually a dork. A likeable dork, but dork nonetheless.

Willem Dafoe is actually uglier without the Green Goblin mask – how is that possible?

The upside down kiss will go down in film history as the sexiest kiss ever. I read an interview with Kirsten Dunst on how horrible it was to film, I guess she’s got to have something to complain about, being in possibly the biggest film ever made.

The end pissed me off. Yeah, I know it was supposed to. But I wasn’t pissed off because MJ and Peter didn’t get together, I am pissed because she decided she loved him. I saw no reason whatsoever she should love the dork…yet. There just was not enough background for me to believe her undying love yet. Maybe they are just going by the old Superman standard – set-up in the first movie, but no payoff until the second.

By now, I’ll bet you’re noticing the date on this review…yes, I saw it three weeks after opening weekend. Yes, I saw it last weekend. Yes, I know I am lame, but sometimes, real life gets in the way of my love of film. Did I mention that I got my CCNP yesterday? Expect more work on the site – I promise!