A Look Back: Spider-Man

[Mitch Henessey]

So by now we all should know about the planned Spider-Man reboot. The reboot film is supposed to hit theaters July,3 2012, and just like every big name film now a days, this one will be in 3D. So that means no more Tobey Maguire, Kristen Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, or Sam Raimi. I've been a fan of Spider-Man for years, and I was so excited when these films began to be released back in 2002. I've seen all of these films more than once, and here's what I think about them:

Spider-Man (2002) 6/10- This was a good way too kick off the series. I thought William Dafoe was a great choice for the villain. He played the Norman Osborn and Green Goblin characters so well. At first, I wasn't to crazy about Tobey playing Spider-Man, but I enjoyed his performance in this film. The fight scenes were pretty cool, and this film had a gut wrenching ending.

Spider-Man 2 (2004) 9/10- This film is very high up on the list of my favorite super hero movies. We saw Peter struggle with his identity here. He always remembered Uncle Ben's words....."With great power comes great responsibility," but Peter was really struggling in this one. He wanted to declare his love to Mary Jane, but how could Spider-Man have a girlfriend? Mary Jane was moving on, and Peter had to make a decision.

Then there was the feud with Harry. Harry was of course bitter about Spider-Man supposedly killing his father, and he vowed to catch up with the web slinger one day. The scene where Harry slaps Peter at the party was classic. It was shocking to see the friendship crumble in that way.

Alfred Molina was just brilliant as Dr. Otto Octavius. He made the character seem so much more interesting. Doc Ock was so cold and calculating towards the end. Molina also did a good job with the dark sense of humor.

The fight scenes here were awesome. Watching Spider-Man dodge bags of money at the bank is something to admire. The scene where Spider-Man stops the train with web was also very cool. Some people might find that scene to be ridiculous, but I loved it.

Spider-Man 3 (2007) 1/10- I really, really hated this one. I'm sure a lot of Spider-Man fans were anxious to see Venom in this one. I couldn't wait to see how they would pull this off, but man was I disappointed when I finally saw this film. Topher Grace as Venom? Really? He played this whiny little wimp throughout the whole movie, and he really didn't seem all that evil when he finally bonded with the symbiote. Grace was terrible as Eddie Brock/Venom. Having to hear him say, "Actually, it's Edward Brock, Jr. sir" drove me nuts.

Peter was supposed to be evil when he bonded with the symbiote, but if you ask me, he just came off as this pissed of teenage goth kid. He also looked like one. I literally facpalmed in the theater when he was walking drown the street. He looked like a fool buying clothes, and the idiotic dancing wasn't funny to me at all.

I could deal with the Mary Jane and Peter stuff in the first two films, but here their relationship storyline just seemed to be so over the top. Although, I could see all of it coming after the kiss with Gwen during the Spider-Man celebration.

James Franco did a good job as New Goblin, but we didn't see that much of him here. I also enjoyed Thomas Haden Church as Flint Marko/Sandman.

The fight scenes were okay. Peter fighting Harry at his mansion was my favorite one. The music during this scene was unique, and watching Harry take the impact of the bomb on his face was sick.

I just thought Spider-Man 3 was one giant clusterfuck. Sam Raimi truly went mad with this one. There were too many villains, Venom was ruined, and the Mary Jane/Peter relationship stuff should've been settled in Spider-Man 2.

Financially all three Spider-Man films were a huge success. Each film managed to rake in a ton of cash at the box office, and the DVD sales weren't too bad either. For the most part, I enjoyed the acting all three films. I hated Topher Grace as Venom, but I really didn't have a problem with anyone else. I think Sam Raimi was a good choice for director. I just wish he wouldn't have went so insane with Spider-Man 3.

What are your thoughts?

Did you enjoy Spider-Man 1,2, and 3?

 

[INDYjon22]

I enjoyed Spider Man 1 the most. None of them really ever stuck with me though. I am just not a huge Spider Man fan. However, I am a big James Franco and Willem Dafoe fan and the performances they brought to the first film and beyond were tremendous. Tobey Maguire was great in the first Spider Man, but I really felt like his performances went down hill from there, with the third film being the worst. I also wasn't a big fan of Doc Oc in the second film. I like Alfred Molina a lot, but that character just didn't do anything for me. The Green Goblin was the best villain from my point of view, which is sad considering Venom should have been.

I hope the new film is good. It has a ton of potential. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are two very talented young actors. I am a little skeptical of Gwen Stacy being in this, but Stone is a good enough actress that she should make the role work. Andrew Garfield is almost the perfect pick to be the new Spider Man, it would be down to him and Logan Lerman so no complaints here. The trick will be picking an appropriate villain to counter the younger Spider Man, since this is a reboot. I don't necessarily want to see him go up against The Green Goblin or Venom yet, but there needs to be a somewhat top tier villain. I am not familiar enough with the Spider Man cast to be able to say who. Also, I would love to see a Dare Devil cameo, maybe to set up a new Dare Devil film.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Rhys Ifans is the new villain, looks to be playing Curt Connors/The Lizard as the first villain so that to me would be positive for a successful reboot...

2 is one of the best movies of the Noughties, let alone the Genre, it only got pipped by Dark Knight to number one in my book... I thought it worked real well as a standalone movie without needing to have seen the first...

The first movie was a little disappointing on rewatching... A little too lightweight... I enjoyed little touches like Randy Savage as Bonesaw and how Peter tested out his powers but on the whole the Goblin story was rushed and they failed to use Defoes goblin face, instead the made him into a Power Rangers villain.

Three wasn't as bad as people made out... sure the dancing was cheesy but it did serve a plot point, that the goofy and extrovert side that Pete normally only displayed in the suit coming into his normal self... Bryce Howard was perfect as Gwen Stacy too...

In all the films they got a lot wrong though... Kirsten Dunst was a horrible MJ, by the end of the first movie I was hoping for her to die when falling from the bridge... They underused Elizabeth Banks who could have been a better bet for Pete's first GF... Aunt May was horrid... I found her annoying and whiny rather than sympathetic... I felt she should have been a bit younger too, to give the illusion of her spending years living with Spiderman through the films... The villains in 3 were not the best, Topher Grace did ok as Brock but Church as Sandman was so wrong it was unbelievable... it needed a whirlwind of loads of villains been rounded up early in the film rather than his story...

 

[Goliath Uterus]

I liked Spiderman 1 the first time I saw it, but upon watching it again I realized it was boring as fuck. Spiderman 2 is very good, lots of good action, and the story being told is very logical, and not a cluster of different storys happening at once.

Spiderman 3 was terrible, too many things happening, fucking Eric from that 70's show attempted to play a villian, and the movie just sucked ass. The fight scenes saved it.

Hopefully with a brand new cast, the 4th installment will be just as good or better then the first two, although I have a feeling that it too will be a clusterfuck. Much like the third one.

 

[LigerBomb]

I'll be honest, I actually fell asleep during Spider-Man when I first saw it back in theaters. As a big mark for the comic source material I found it hard to get into the movies simply for the (admittedly personally perceived) bad casting and wonky reworking of character history/sequence of events. MJ before Gwen (hence no Gwen/Goblin GW bridge showdown)? Organic web-shooters? Sandman interacting with Uncle Ben? No Liz Allen? Felicia Hardy Etc. No thanks.

First off let me make this clear: Kirsten Dunst should never be allowed on film sets. Personally I find her revolting and simply unattractive. That said, imagine my disbelief/disgust when I was asked to buy that she was playing a girl that would eventually become an internationally known actress and supermodel… terrible casting. Dafoe was a great Gobby but got a shit costume. Tobey was acceptable as Peter Parker but I've never been a big fan of that shit-eating grin and mumbly speech pattern he seems to constantly rely on. Molina was excellent as Doc Oc, Lowell from Wings (aka Thomas Hadden Church) was an interesting choice as Sandman—I detest Raimi's decision to forcefully retcon Uncle Ben's murder to include him however. Finally, the less said about scrawny Eric Forman as Venom the better. Ugh.

Anyway, I don't want to bitch and moan endlessly so I'll move on to the reboot. Here's hoping these new films will be paced and structured a bit better. I've no idea about the chocies of cast yet so I'll just take a wait and see approach. That being said, I'm a proponent of Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey. I've been a fan since Superbad. It'll be interesting to finally see her naturally blonde hair.

 

[benny02]

I liked the first two parts more like other guys here than the third one. Last one was just commercial try. It's better to don't stretch such kind of movies without any killer story and script.

 

[Alex]

I liked Spider Man 1,typical origin story (introducing characters, how he becomes Spider-Man, trying out his powers etc) I found Tobey Maguire did a good job and Kirsten Dunst was acceptable. But Willem Defoe was great as Normon Osbourne/Green Goblin, he really got the pyscho thing going. I liked Randy Savage's cameo to.

I liked Spider Man 2 building on the whole duality that plagues Peter's life. His responsibilites as Spider Man and his love for Mary Jane causing him to question himself.
Alfred Molina as Doc Ock was great and playing as the determined scientist, even if that determination results to crimes being commited.

Spider Man 3, I do not get the massive hate, sure it wasn't as good as the previous ones but it was ok. The whole anger thing was justified (Mary Jane ditching Peter, Brock being a rival, his former friend believing he killed his father etc) ok the whole emo fringe and dancing were cheezy but there were cheezy bits in the first two films. ('Go Web' and Pizza delivery anyone) My one complaint was putting Venom in it right at the end, sure Brock got some character development in the movie but it didn't really justify adding Venom so late in the film to then kill him off (he should have been absent from the film completely or be used as sequel bait)

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I liked the Spiderman trilogy. In fact I happen to have all three movies on my laptop right now.

Spiderman 1 was the way the first films in a trilogy usually are. They built up the storyline from scratch and provided a good plot as well with Green Goblin as the antagonist. In a way this movie had some great moments especially that kiss between MJ and Spiderman. It set the tone for the future movies in this trilogy. I think the best way to describe this movie would be to say it was good but nothing special. I'll give it 7/10. Plus as a wrestling fan I really cannot give a film which involves a wrestling match, albeit a short one, less than seven.

Spiderman 2 is my favorite movie in the trilogy. A very relatable story with Peter finding it difficult to manage studies, his love life and his duties as Spiderman and even quitting at one point. Another reason I like it is because of Doctor Octopus, my favorite villian even from the Spiderman comics that I read as a kid. I even sympathized with Doc Ock a bit because he wasn't exatly in control of what he was doing. I think Raimi said it well at the time the movie was coming out that the core of the movie was a love story. Well written and well executed. I'd give this 9/10.

Spiderman 3 was pretty bad in my opinion. The plot of success going to Peter's head did hold a lot of promise but I think someone told Raimi that this was his last shot. He mixed three movies in one in my opinion. He wanted to go out with a bang by making this Spiderman's biggest challenge to date but I guess bigger does not neccesarily mean better. I read a review somewhere that the three villians could not compensate for one Doctor Octopus and I do think that is true. The story held promise as I said earlier but it was too rushed. So I'll give it 5/10.

 

[willywonka8822]

Spiderman 1-overrated if anything William Dafoe was good at playing a psychopath but the goblin costume was horrid and just a funny fact on the scene where they zoom in on goblin's eye you can see the camera's reflection in it. Loved James Franco!
Spiderman 2-the best, but it was pretty boring to me many movies are like this for me "Public Enemies"
Spiderman 3-horrid. Tropher Grace has no business around any superhero movie way to kill the best spiderman villan along with corny drama and repulsive acting (Grace, Dunst, and at some point even Maguire)
The next Spiderman villan ive heard would be either Lizard or Vulture