I remember seeing the movie, and I remember like it being yesterday. We got there late--not late enough to miss any of the movie, but late enough to get good seats-- and I remember sitting close to screen, which is a horrible seat because you either can't see everything, or you can but can't see it well, which defeats the purpose of going. Still, despite all that, I enjoyed the movie. I loved it!
The movie, directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man: The High Definition Trilogy (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 / Spider-Man 3) [Blu-ray]
)was faithful to the comics to a good degree. It tells the story of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire). He's a friendly, intelligent guy that loves photography. He lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, an elderly couple that has cared for Peter and are basically his parents. Things are not going well for him as he gets picked on, and isn't able to fight back. That all changes the day that he's bitten by a radioactive spider while on a class trip to Oscorp.I feel that this movie is about changing and personal responsibility. Peter changes when he gets his powers. He went from a normal guy to one that has super strength, the ability to stick to walls, and also the ability to sense incoming danger--known as the Spider Sense. He struggles with these powers, and I like that they added that in. Him not knowing how to fire his web was a nice, comedic touch.
On the other end, you have Norman Osborn. He's a charming man, but not a very good father to his son, Harry Osborn. Norman ends up experimenting with a performance-enhancing vapor that increases his speed, stamina, and strength--the side-effect being that it drives him insane.
Peter ends up using these powers to become a pro wrestler and earn some money, money he plans to use to buy a car to impress the girl of his dreams, Mary Jane Watson. Before he goes on to wrestle, he has a heart-to-heart conversation with Uncle Ben. That conversation, while good, was also tragic. It was tragic because I know what happens to Uncle Ben. It was a well-acted scene by both actors. The scene was memorable for two things: Uncle Ben's famous line (with great power comes great responsibility) and also the exchange below:
Uncle Ben: I don't mean to lecture, and I don't mean to preach. And I know I'm not your father--
Peter: Then stop pretending to be!
The reaction of Uncle Ben felt real. He looked like he was about to cry. Peter ends up beating Bone Saw (played by the late, great "Macho Man" Randy Savage). The promoter ends up cheating Peter out of the money. The promoter, rightfully so, gets robbed by a robber. Peter has the chance to stop the crook, but chooses not to. That choice comes back to haunt Peter as the guy that got away was the guy that killed Uncle Ben.
The fight scenes throughout the trilogy are nicely done. They were very creative with what they were able to do. As a huge fan of Spider-Man, I was in awe at what they were able to come up with for the fight scenes. That awe was also there as I saw Spider-Man swing through New York as one would expect. He did acrobatics while in the air, running up walls, etc. It's a marvel to behold on the big screen or elsewhere.
I feel all the actors did a good job, but my three favorites would be Rosemary Harris (Aunt May), Cliff Robertson (Uncle Ben), and J.K Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson).
Before the ending to the first movie, Peter talks about the fact that he will never forget the words: with great power comes great responsibility. It's a nice way to remember his Uncle Ben. That, and it's something that I think could keep him on the right track.
Spider-Man 2 is a great movie, and one that I feel is an improvement on the 1st. Now, I'm not here to spoil and talk about everything, but what I am here to do is tell you why I feel this trilogy is a must-have.
This movie delves into both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. He has a strong moral duty to himself and to the city of New York, so he can't stop being Spider-Man. But that duty comes into strong conflict with Peter and his life. He struggles with his job as a pizza delivery boy, and even loses his job. He struggles to pay rent. He struggles in school. His relationships with Mary Jane, Harry, and Aunt May are strained not just by his double life, but also for different reasons. He can't be there for Mary Jane since he's too busy to watch her plays. Harry Osborn is angry at Spider-Man for "killing" his father, and he's bitter at the world. As for Aunt May, Peter was more or less responsible for Uncle Ben getting killed. Her reaction later on in the movie to Peter was a thing of beauty, and that's all I'm going to say about that.
Aunt May was a great character to watch. Her speech about a hero was something that I feel should definitely be watched and listened to closely. She's also a character that is easy to sympathize with. Not only did she lose the love of her life, but she's also facing foreclosure and struggles in her own right.
J.K. Simmons returns and nails J. Jonah Jameson to perfection--in all 3 movies to be exact. Watching this guy is an absolute treat.
The villain for this movie is Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina). He starts off as a good man named Otto Octavius. He's a brilliant man, and even shares that kind of connection with Peter. His dream is to perfect sustained fusion power. His dream turns into tragedy, but I won't spoil that either.
The movie features several great moments, several great fights, and a great ending that I won't spoil. However, I do want to talk about a certain part of the movie that I feel was done exceptionally well. Peter Parker gets a point in his life that he's fed up with being Spider-Man as it brings him nothing but trouble with his grades, his jobs, and his loved ones. He gives up being Spider-Man. It goes well for him at first. He does better in school. He's able to be there for the people that matter.
But one thing that I loved is that bad things happened during this part. Peter, at first, didn't do anything, but was visibly troubled by it--signaling, to me anyway, that his desire to be Spider-Man was still there. Later one, Peter is walking through town at night when he overhears a commotion. He sees that a fire in going on and jumps into action, or at least tries to, but stops when he notices that he doesn't have him costume underneath his clothes. He hesitates at first, but still goes to save the day.
What I love about this part was that despite things going good for Peter, he notices that the city needs Spider-Man. He also notices that he can't stop being Spider-Man
Things take a turn for the worse in the final entry of the trilogy. Now, while this movie isn't bad, it does pale into comparison to the ones that came before it.
This movie tries, but it tries too hard. There are villains crammed into one movie. The first two movies had only one villain, and I think that worked much better. Quality over quantity.
Flint Marko (Thomas Hayden Church) has a sick daughter and turns to crime out of desperation. He's supposed to be a sympathetic villain, and I think it worked rather well. His life of crime turns into tragedy as he ends up becoming The Sandman. While not a big fan of the villain, I will say that the CGI for him was amazing.
Harry ends up becoming The New Goblin, which I thought was disappointing. I would have rather he become The Green Goblin (with an altered suit) like he did in the cartoons and comics. His suit was alright, but his glider was pretty cool as it was able to use fire as a weapon.
The last villain is Eddie Brock/Venom (Topher Grace). I thought this was really disappointing. He wasn't sympathetic like he was in the 90's cartoon. Instead he lives in his own little world. He fakes a picture of Spider-Man robbing a bank (and gets fired) and "loses" Gwen Stacy to Peter Parker. His motivation for wanting revenge wasn't as strong as it was in that cartoon. In that cartoon, Spider-Man, in a way, ruined his life. They could have done so much more with Eddie, but they chose not to, and that disappointed me.
Eddie ends up becoming Venom. Venom looks amazing, and I was happy to see him. Unfortunately, Venom was tacked on, and it really felt like it. He never referred to himself as "we," which is something he is known for. He's not in the movie for that long either before the symbiote dies, along with Eddie Brock who can't live without it apparently.
Harry learns about what really happened to his father. This leads to his redemption. He fights alongside Spider-Man, who are now best buddies, against The Sandman and Venom.
I have no complaints about the fight scenes. They're good as they always have been.
I have more problems with this movie. The relationship between Peter and MJ is not cute, or even enjoyable to watch. When I saw their relationship in that cartoon, I enjoyed it because they were a couple in love and it looked like it. In this movie, they have petty issues that make it feel like a soap opera on the big screen. Mary Jane is upset at Peter because, apparently, she's not as famous as Spider-Man. Gwen Stacy is added as nothing more than "the other woman," and I think that's a shame because she deserves better.
Last but not least: they changed the killer of Uncle Ben. It's not the guy that we thought it was It was Flint Marko, and I thought that was really stupid.
The performances are great as always. J.K. Simmons plays a perfect J. Jonah Jameson. Rosemari Harris is very enjoyable as Aunt May. The fight scenes are an absolute treat to watch. I love the scenes in which Spider-Man is swinging around. The suits look great.
The movies are filled with bonus features, which adds a nice amount of replay value to this movie All in all, while not a perfect trilogy, it's very enjoyable and has a ton of great moments.
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