Movie Review – Spider-Man (2002)
The country is in spider-fever again as everybody’s favorite masked, wall-crawling superhero once again hits the movie theaters.
In honor of The Amazing Spider-Man movie now in theaters (NOTE – This is a new version of Spider-Man and not a continuation of Sam Raimi’s blockbuster trilogy), let’s take a step back and look at the Spider-Man trilogy that began ten years ago. Wow, has it really been ten years since Spider-Man premiered in the the movie theaters? Time just passes way too quickly.
2002′s Spider-Man finally brought the superhero to the movie theaters as part of a growing superhero craze. 2000 saw the release of the first X-Men film along with Unbreakable, and 2003 gave us Daredevil, Hulk, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. 2005 would rock the audiences with the retelling of the Batman stories with Batman Begins.
Spider-Man tells the tale of Peter Parker as he becomes the legendary superhero. Set in New York City, Peter Parker (played by Toby Maguire) lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in Queens. His best friend is Harry Osborn (played by James Franco), son of Dr. Norman Osborn (played brilliantly by Willem Dafoe), a brilliant engineer and president of Oscorp manufacturing corporation.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
In the beginning of the movie we see Peter Parker as a nerdy student in high school. His smarts keep him out of trouble from bullies, but his shyness keeps him away from his female classmates. He really wants to get to know his fellow classmate and next door neighbor, Mary Jane Watson (played by Kirsten Dunst), but Peter just can’t seem to get a chance to talk to her.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
One day his class takes a field trip to a genetics laboratory (home to the largest electron microscope on the east coast) in New York City, and Peter, Harry, Mary Jane, and their classmates learn about genetically enhanced super-spiders. Peter finds the courage to ask Mary Jane to pose for a few pictures for the school’s newspaper. While taking her picture, one of the genetically enhanced spiders bites Peter on the hand. He shakes it off and thinks nothing of it.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
Meanwhile, we see that Oscorp is having trouble with their biggest client, the U.S. Army. The army wants to see bigger and better products from Oscorp before it awards the company with a massive contract. Knowing that his company is doomed without the success of its experimental human enhancer program, Dr. Osborn tests the product himself. The experiment almost kills him, but Dr. Osborn survives and becomes a superior person. He’s driven mad with rage and kills his laboratory assistant before fleeing Oscorp.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
The next morning, Peter Parker sees that he’s different. Suddenly, he no longer needs glasses. His body is also stronger and faster. He leaves for school feeling better than ever. While at lunch, he senses Mary Jane is about to slip in the cafeteria, so he quickly catches her and her lunch in a spectacular manner. Peter inadvertently gets the attention of Flash Thompson, Mary Jane’s boyfriend, and he tries to fight Peter in the hallway. Peter uses his new powers and makes a fool of flash. That afternoon, Peter further explores his new abilities and swings around the city.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
Peter Parker needs to earn money quickly so he can buy a car and impress Mary Jane, so he enters a wrestling contest. The announcer (Bruce Campbell) gives him the name “Spider-Man.” Parker then fights Bone Saw (played by “Macho Man” Randy Savage) and wins. The problem is that he won too quickly, and the event’s manager doesn’t give Peter the promised $3,000 reward. That manager is then robbed, and instead of stopping the robber, Peter stands to the side and lets him escape. That same robber then shoots and kills Uncle Ben and gets away in his car. Peter flees after him and ultimately catches the robber, horrified to find that it was the same person who robbed the wrestling event, the same person that he let escape. Overwhelmed with guilt, Peter has to return home and tell Aunt May that Uncle Ben is dead.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
Peter and his friends graduate from high school, and Peter and Harry become roommates in an apartment. Parker gets himself as photographer job for the Daily Bugle, and sells pictures of Spider-Man to the newspaper’s editor, J. Jonah Jameson (played by J. K. Simmons). We see Spider-Man swinging around and saving people from crime, all of them wondering just who is the masked hero.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
Meanwhile, Dr. Osborn has been driven insane by Oscorp’s human enhancer program. He steals the company’s experimental glider and becomes the Green Goblin. Dr. Osborn takes out his revenge against the Oscorp board of directors and also strikes at a celebration in New York City. Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin and ultimately saves Mary Jane from his attacks. He swings her across the city and out of harm’s way. This impresses her, and Mary Jane develops a crush on Spider-Man and dumps her then-boyfriend, Harry Osborn.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
J. Jonah Jameson uses the newspaper’s ratings to turn Spider-Man into a villain to entice him and draw him out to the public. This instead attracts the attention of the Green Goblin, who attacks J. Jonah Jameson to find out the identity of Spider-Man. Spider-Man saves Jameson, but the Green Goblin uses a knock out gas to subdue Spider-Man. When he wakes, the Green Goblin offers Spider-Man to join him and rule the city, or they could continue fighting each other and kill innocent people along the way. He leaves Spider-Man to think about his offer.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
The Green Goblin and Spider-Man later fight again in a burning building, and Spider-Man lets the Goblin know that he refuses his offer. Spider-Man escapes from the burning building, but Dr. Osborn later learns his identity. He later attacks Aunt May, sending her to the hospital. Enraged, Peter Parker sets out to find Dr. Osborn, horrified to learn that he already captured Mary Jane. Spider-Man meets the Green Goblin on top of the Queensboro Bridge, and there a massive fight takes place as he saves both Mary Jane and an aerial tram full of kids.
Spider-Man (2002) – (c) Columbia Pictures
The fight between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin continues to a vacant building. The two of them battle until Spider-Man finally wins. After the funeral for Dr. Osborn, Mary Jane tells Peter that he’s been the one she has been searching for her whole life. Knowing that being with her will just put her in jeopardy against future villains, Peter Parker turns down her advances. At the same time, Harry Osborn swears vengeance against Spider-Man, believing that it was him who killed his father.
As a whole, 2002′s Spider-Man is a good movie and superhero story. The overall experience is fun, that is, as long as you’re *not* a dedicated fan of the Marvel comic books.
I never read the comics myself, but I remember people talking about how the biggest problem with Spider-Man was that it had Mary Jane in the movie and not Peter Parker’s first girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. In the comics, the Green Goblin throws Gwen Stacy off the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man tries to save her, but the severe whiplash from his web actually kills the girl, further enraging Spider-Man.
Apart from the substitution between Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy, many of Spider-Man‘s elements are fairly true to the comics. And when you look at the movie as a whole, it’s a good superhero movie.
Spider-Man was a smash hit in the theaters when it was released back in 2002. My college friends and I were there as part of the opening night craze. The movie made a killing in the box office, eventually raking in over $821 million worldwide.
Spider-Man (2002) – World Trade Center movie teaser
Something interesting about Spider-Man is that it was one of the first movies effected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. The original teaser for the movie finished with the bank robbers’ helicopter being strung in a giant web between the World Trade Center’s twin tower buildings. After the terror attacks, the movie teaser was quickly pulled from the networks.
Toby Maguire pulls off a fantastic job as Peter Parker / Spider-Man. The same goes for Kirsten Dunst playing the role of Mary Jane Watson. James Franco seems a little bit old for Harry Osborn, but then again the Harry Osborn doesn’t seem to have much to do in the movie. The focus is on Harry’s father, Dr. Norman Osborn, who was played outstandingly by Willem Dafoe. The only problem with the Green Goblin is that his costume is really corny and comical in the movie. Apart from that, Willem Dafoe shines in this role and makes Dr. Osborn a badass character.
Spider-Man (2002) – movie trailer
If you love action and superhero movies, then 2002′s Spider-Man is a must-see!
Green Goblin – “Can Spider-Man come out to play?”