A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Spider-Man

Date Viewed: 5/18/02

Details:

Tobey Maguire

Willem Dafoe

Kirsten Dunst

James Franco

Cliff Robertson

Rosemary Harris

Director: Sam Raimi

Score: 1/2

The Review: There is a bit of artistic convergence or synchronicity between Spider-Man and the Who. As I was listening to a recent Who retrospective album (MCAD-11462: highly recommended road music!), I was also watching the movie. The lyrics amplify (or at least illuminate) the plot, and occasionally this is valuable.

From the long-running Marvel comic ("...I try to find the key to 50 million fables...": TS).

Tobey Maguire is Peter Parker, orphaned and being raised by his aunt and uncle ("...substitute you for my mom...": SUB), a young adolescent high-school student ("...it's only teenage wasteland...": BOR) with a long standing crush on the girl next door ("...I want it, I want it, I want it -- you can't have it...": MB). He's being raised well ("...I've got values but I don't know how or why...": TS), so you know from the archetypes that he will be "good."

Meanwhile we are introduced to Willem Dafoe ("...my name is Bill and I'm a head case...": IAB ), who will become our requisite villain; unusually for this genre, the hero and villain occupy substantially different age groups ("...talkin' 'bout my generation...": MG).

On a field trip to the Columbia University spider labs ("...creepy crawly, creepy creepy crawly crawly...": BTS), Tobey/Peter gets bitten by an experimental, genetically engineered and recombined spider escaped from the labs (no, it's not radioactive). After overnight incubation, he develops super-powers ("...I know that you have 'cause there's magic in my eyes...": ICSFM). Now he can climb vertical surfaces and spin webs ("...look who's crawling up my wall; now he's up above my head, hanging by a little thread...": BTS). Following a tragedy ("...hope I die before I get old...": MG), the action begins ("...let's see action, let's see people...": LSA).

Inevitably, Spider-Man's crime-busting spree gets mixed reviews: nobody likes a vigilante ("...people tend to hate me 'cause I never smile...": TS), except those who get rescued ("...I'm a substitute for another guy...": SUB).

Just as inevitably, the villain confronts Spider-Man ("...I don't need to fight to prove I'm right; I don't need to be forgiven...": BOR), in serial fashion because he can't quite finish it properly all at once. Even though the villain is (inevitably) deposed ("...he's come to a sticky end, don't think he will ever mend...": BTS), you get the feeling that nothing's changed ("...meet the new boss, same as the old boss...": WGFA). Spider-Man must persevere ("...I won't get to get what I'm after 'til the day I die...": TS) alone.

The SFX are excellent, especially swinging through the high peaks of Manhattan. But the movie in general did not click for me. If I'm to watch a superhero suffering angst, I think I prefer Batman ("...talkin' 'bout my generation...": MG).

Don't look too carefully at the biology (an overnight transformation, and he's not even hungry in the morning?), or the physics (the recoiless web-slinging bio-mechanism must work at near supersonic speed, considering the strength of gravity and the terminal velocity of a falling body) of Spider-Man. A substantial suspension of disbelief is mandatory, so check your brains at the door. And just where did the new Spidey-suit come from?

The Danny Elfman score starts out very well (especially under the titles), but fades to being barely noticeable; since I usually like his scores, this tendency to hide from the action was a disappointment.

A final abbreviation and citation key for all non-Who aficionados (both of you) -- WGFA: "Won't Get Fooled Again" (1971); MB: "Magic Bus" (1968); SUB: "Substitute" (1966); BTS: "Boris The Spider" (1967); IAB: "I'm A Boy" (1966); MG: "My Generation" (1965); ICSFM: "I Can See For Miles" (1967); LSA: "Let's See Action" (1971); TS: "The Seeker" (1970); BOR: "Baba O'Riley" (1971).

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