Spiderman
The latest super hero to hit the silver screen is Spiderman. Is this a movie worth
spending time and money on? Mostly!
The story, if you used to watch the Saturday afternoon comics, remains the same.
Class geek Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider (slightly updated to become
a genetically engineered spider) and then mutates until he can do all of the things
that a spider can. Peter, an orphan, lives with his Aunt and Uncle, and he has a crush
on the girl next door.
The Green Goblin and his alter ego Norman Osborn are played by Willem Defoe. He's
a good actor, but I couldn't really tell what the difference between Osborn and the
Goblin were. That's a fatal flaw in a villain. Osborn's son is Peter's best friend
which sets up some interesting situations, but most of them go nowhere.
Of course there is a girl. Mary Jane, Peter's neighbour since they were six, but
she dates Peter's best friend, so he stays away from her.
The story is very like a 30 minute cartoon, stretched to two hours. I'm not saying
it's boring, but they could have done more with it. This is a character that has
millions of fans already, why make a movie for people who don't know him? I also
found that the special effects took away from the film a lot. I knew when I was seeing CGI
effects and it wasn't a good thing. Some things, like the webs are cool, but others
just weren't believable.
That said, the performances are great. Tobey Maguire is Peter Parker, I can't think
of another actor who could have inhabited the role as well. Kirsten Dunst is fine
as Mary Jane, although I think any number of young starlets could have played the
part as well. Willem Dafoe is menacing, but not terrifying in this film. Watch for a brief,
but funny cameo from Raimi regular Bruce Campbell as the man who names Spiderman.
So, should you see this film? Yes, if you like Spiderman, or the actors. No, if
you aren't interested in one more action here on the screen! A lukewarm recommendation
from me...I give it **1/2 stars out of five.
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