“Who am I? You sure you want to know? If somebody told you that I was just your average ordinary guy, not a care in the world. Somebody lied”. These were the opening lines to the 2002 hit “Spider-Man”. It is hard to imagine that 15 years ago, this film came and amazed audiences. This was a movie nearly 20 years in the making, and it got it right. But what was it about this film that stood out? Well, that is what we will be focusing on in today’s reflective entry.
To research today’s post, I had to look back and figure out how I got into Spider-Man. Like most people my age, I discovered the web head by watching the 90s cartoon that aired on Fox Kids. It had a really kickass intro, and the animation was superb for the time. I always looked forward to hearing that theme music every single time. Even though my favorite superhero is Batman, Spider-Man is a close second. I think the fact that he is a teenager and not an adult makes him relatable more to kids, and plus the fact that he wears a mask that covers his face makes him feel like that anyone could be him, regardless of background.
When the first movie came out, superheroes movies weren’t as big a cash grabs as they are now. Before Spider-Man, the Batman franchise had flamed out. And the Superman franchise had flamed out. If you were making a superhero movie in the 90s, it was doomed to fail. But in the late 90s and early 2000s, there were two specific ones that did lay the groundwork in some way. Blade in 1998 and X-Men in 2000 in my opinion did make room for superhero movies to be profitable, and “Spider-Man” just built on top of it.
I still remember going to see this movie on opening weekend. It couldn’t have happened at a more appropriate time. Five months prior, I had moved to a small town and was feeling awkward of sorts. Plus, the fact that I was thirteen and had acne didn’t really help much. That opening scene when Peter is chasing the bus and everyone is laughing at him, I could easily relate to being laughed at.
What really made me realize that I knew I was going to be in for a great movie was the theme. Danny Elfman’s score is superb. As far as superhero themes go, it is right up there with John Williams’s score for “Superman” and Danny Elfman’s score for “Batman”. Once you hear that score, you know exactly what movie you are going to be watching.
There are so many positives in this movie, but to me the first that needs to be discussed is Tobey Maguire. As of this writing, I think he is the best version of Peter Parker and Spider-Man that we have had so far. He captures the essence of the role, and does a magnificent job. I know that there are countless memes online of his emotional scenes, but at least he shows emotion and not just standing there like a robot.
The supporting cast is also amazing. Kirsten Dunst, who I’m normally not a fan of, does a superb job as Mary-Jane and the scenes between her and Maguire feel very genuine and not forced. James Franco is great as Harry Osborn, and you can feel for his character because he does feel tossed aside at times. “Don’t tell Harry” becomes a common line throughout the film. That quote needs to be placed on a t-shirt if you ask me.
But if you have a great hero, you need a great villain. Willem Dafoe delivers as Norman Osborn, and the Green Goblin. It’s amazing how he can switch from the mild-mannered Norman to the psychotic Green Goblin. His best scene is when Norman has realized he is responsible for some deaths, and the Green Goblin side is telling him to keep doing it.
And while we’re on the casting, can I just say something about J.K. Simmons? Man, does this guy steal the show as J. Johan Jameson. I found myself laughing at every scene he was in. I really can’t picture anyone else as this character. He thinks Spider-Man is a public menace, and wants nothing more to have him be more and more exposed on his front page. “If he doesn’t want to be famous, then I’ll make him infamous!”
I think that of all the Spider-Man films that have been released, I feel that this one has gotten the most crap. People tend to complain about things such as the effects and the dialogue. I think that this movie has held up well on both counts. The effects didn’t bother me that much because I was so enthralled in the story. If you have an exceptional story, everything else doesn’t seem to matter.
The dialogue didn’t seem to bother me either. Some have complained that it is cheesy. Well, if you think about it, the dialogue is supposed to be cheesy. I mean come on. The story is about a teen who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and he gets the ability of a spider. When you say it like that, it does sound cheesy in in of itself.
But every time I watch or even think about “Spider-Man”, it honestly puts me in a good mood. Regardless if I am in a bad mood or not, I always feel satisfied whenever I finish the movie. It’s the kind of movie in which no matter what you’re doing, you should stop and watch it.
Those are my thoughts on “Spider-Man”. I think that this film does deserve more recognition. Not only did it prove superhero movies could make millions of dollars, but I think there is another thing it did that people do tend to forget. What it did was renew faith in the American spirit. It came out seven months after 9/11. Spider-Man himself is an American icon. I feel that it made people feel comfortable and it gave people something to believe in. I know it sure did for me.
To research today’s post, I had to look back and figure out how I got into Spider-Man. Like most people my age, I discovered the web head by watching the 90s cartoon that aired on Fox Kids. It had a really kickass intro, and the animation was superb for the time. I always looked forward to hearing that theme music every single time. Even though my favorite superhero is Batman, Spider-Man is a close second. I think the fact that he is a teenager and not an adult makes him relatable more to kids, and plus the fact that he wears a mask that covers his face makes him feel like that anyone could be him, regardless of background.
When the first movie came out, superheroes movies weren’t as big a cash grabs as they are now. Before Spider-Man, the Batman franchise had flamed out. And the Superman franchise had flamed out. If you were making a superhero movie in the 90s, it was doomed to fail. But in the late 90s and early 2000s, there were two specific ones that did lay the groundwork in some way. Blade in 1998 and X-Men in 2000 in my opinion did make room for superhero movies to be profitable, and “Spider-Man” just built on top of it.
I still remember going to see this movie on opening weekend. It couldn’t have happened at a more appropriate time. Five months prior, I had moved to a small town and was feeling awkward of sorts. Plus, the fact that I was thirteen and had acne didn’t really help much. That opening scene when Peter is chasing the bus and everyone is laughing at him, I could easily relate to being laughed at.
What really made me realize that I knew I was going to be in for a great movie was the theme. Danny Elfman’s score is superb. As far as superhero themes go, it is right up there with John Williams’s score for “Superman” and Danny Elfman’s score for “Batman”. Once you hear that score, you know exactly what movie you are going to be watching.
There are so many positives in this movie, but to me the first that needs to be discussed is Tobey Maguire. As of this writing, I think he is the best version of Peter Parker and Spider-Man that we have had so far. He captures the essence of the role, and does a magnificent job. I know that there are countless memes online of his emotional scenes, but at least he shows emotion and not just standing there like a robot.
The supporting cast is also amazing. Kirsten Dunst, who I’m normally not a fan of, does a superb job as Mary-Jane and the scenes between her and Maguire feel very genuine and not forced. James Franco is great as Harry Osborn, and you can feel for his character because he does feel tossed aside at times. “Don’t tell Harry” becomes a common line throughout the film. That quote needs to be placed on a t-shirt if you ask me.
But if you have a great hero, you need a great villain. Willem Dafoe delivers as Norman Osborn, and the Green Goblin. It’s amazing how he can switch from the mild-mannered Norman to the psychotic Green Goblin. His best scene is when Norman has realized he is responsible for some deaths, and the Green Goblin side is telling him to keep doing it.
And while we’re on the casting, can I just say something about J.K. Simmons? Man, does this guy steal the show as J. Johan Jameson. I found myself laughing at every scene he was in. I really can’t picture anyone else as this character. He thinks Spider-Man is a public menace, and wants nothing more to have him be more and more exposed on his front page. “If he doesn’t want to be famous, then I’ll make him infamous!”
I think that of all the Spider-Man films that have been released, I feel that this one has gotten the most crap. People tend to complain about things such as the effects and the dialogue. I think that this movie has held up well on both counts. The effects didn’t bother me that much because I was so enthralled in the story. If you have an exceptional story, everything else doesn’t seem to matter.
The dialogue didn’t seem to bother me either. Some have complained that it is cheesy. Well, if you think about it, the dialogue is supposed to be cheesy. I mean come on. The story is about a teen who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and he gets the ability of a spider. When you say it like that, it does sound cheesy in in of itself.
But every time I watch or even think about “Spider-Man”, it honestly puts me in a good mood. Regardless if I am in a bad mood or not, I always feel satisfied whenever I finish the movie. It’s the kind of movie in which no matter what you’re doing, you should stop and watch it.
Those are my thoughts on “Spider-Man”. I think that this film does deserve more recognition. Not only did it prove superhero movies could make millions of dollars, but I think there is another thing it did that people do tend to forget. What it did was renew faith in the American spirit. It came out seven months after 9/11. Spider-Man himself is an American icon. I feel that it made people feel comfortable and it gave people something to believe in. I know it sure did for me.