Spider-Man (2002)

Spider-Man (2002)

Release date: May 3, 2002

This was the big one. Eagerly anticipated after spending over 20 years trapped in development hell with occasional escape attempts, (a previous incarnation got far enough to keep villains Sandman and Electro out of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, in case their portrayals contradicted the movie that ultimately never happened) Spider-Man was finally on our cinema screens. After X-Men was a box office success and also proved to be not awful, expectations were high for the webslinger. At the time, those expectations were met, but does the film still hold up today?

The film begins by introducing us to Peter Parker, who is a bit of a dork. He’s an easy target for bullies, his attempts at flirting are cringeworthy (still better than mine though,) and his friend Harry Osborn doesn’t follow the creed of Bros Before Hos, being brazen enough to chat up Peter’s crush Mary Jane Watson with factoids Peter gave him seconds earlier. On a school field trip, Peter is bitten by a genetically modified spider and falls ill, going to bed as soon as he gets home from school.

Meanwhile, times are tough for Harry’s dad Norman Osborn, as his company is about to lose funding for a serum that grants the user super strength and enhanced senses, with side effects of insanity. Norman decides to test the formula on himself and, would you believe it, he goes insane. He’s probably the kind of guy who operates heavy machinery while intoxicated.

The next day, Peter wakes up a changed man, having gone through puberty in record time. His vision is improved, he has enhanced senses, sleep-working-out has made him buff, and his room is coated in a sticky white substance… web, of course. I do so enjoy making things sound dirty. Peter uses his new powers for personal gain at first, making a fool of school bully Flash Thompson and becoming a wrestler for money. After being conned out of his wrestling money, Peter refuses to act when the promoter is robbed. We all know what happens next. Peter’s inaction leads to the death of his Uncle Ben, who was shot by the burglar for his car. Peter decides to use his powers for good because (does dramatic voice) “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Peter gets a job as a photographer at the Daily Bugle where he takes pictures, pictures of Spider-Man! The webslinger becomes a beloved icon of the citizens of New York, despite the Daily Bugle’s best attempts at sland… I mean, libel. Slander is spoken, as J Jonah Jameson points out. Peter is taking pictures at the World Unity Fair when it is attacked by the Green Goblin, who kills the Oscorp board of directors and threatens Mary Jane’s safety. Spidey saves her, only for Mary Jane to get herself into trouble again a short time later. After the second rescue, famous upside-down kissing ensues. 

                                                        Yeah, I could totally do that.

The Parkers, Osborns and Mary Jane have thanksgiving together, but Norman spoils the occasion by leaving upon figuring out that Peter Parker, whom he greatly admired and had been grooming as an heir at Harry’s expense, was Spider-Man, before going on to berate Harry for dating a supposed gold digger loudly enough for everyone else to hear. The Green Goblin decides to attack Spider-Man’s loved ones instead, scaring Aunt May into a hospital bed in a rather over the top scene (“Deliver us FROM EEEEEEEEVILLLLLLLL!”) In the hospital, Peter finally tells Mary Jane how he feels about her, while bragging that he knows Spider-Man. “You know what Spider-Man told me? That Peter Parker guy is really handsome, you should date him!” Harry walks in on the two bonding and runs off to tell Daddy that Peter also failed to respect the creed of Bros Before Hos.

The Green Goblin kidnaps Mary Jane and a box full of children, then dangles them from a bridge and taunts Spider-Man to choose which to save. Spidey chooses to take a third option and save both, which is happily more successful than the last time Green Goblin dangled one of Spidey’s love interests from a bridge. The Green Goblin is defeated, but Peter finds out that Norman Osborn was the Goblin, before Norman accidentally kills himself with his own glider.

Tobey Maguire is very good at the nerdy side of Peter Parker. He is portrayed as a big dork, but a likeable one who is quite easy to cheer for. The dorkiness doesn’t quite go away when he’s in costume as Spider-Man either, reminding us that he’s still the same person behind the mask, and his personality hasn’t changed from the spider bite. It is a shame however that Spidey doesn’t get to do much wisecracking, as Spider-Man is a character notorious for taunting his opponents and making jokes about them during battle. What little he does get to do is pretty funny at least. Disappointingly, Mary Jane doesn’t get a whole lot to do besides have men fawn over her and be the damsel in distress. She needs to be saved three times just in this film, poor girl.

The Green Goblin is a villain of two halves. As the Green Goblin, he’s a rather weak villain. He’s not intimidating or particularly cool, his bombs are inconsistent, being able to disintegrate people in one scene, but only ruining Spidey’s mask in another, and his costume makes him look like a member of the Power Rangers’ rogue’s gallery. At least his hammy overacting keeps him entertaining. As Norman Osborn however, he’s much more interesting. In Peter he sees a lot of what he would like from a son, which ends up pushing Harry away, as well as making it ironic that Norman and Peter should fight behind masks. The addition of Peter as an idealised son for Norman is a good one, as it helps build on the character of Harry and his estrangement from the people he previously called friends. The scene in which the Green Goblin is created is an effective entrance for him, so it is a shame that this early potential isn’t sustained. The film’s director, Sam Raimi, is a veteran of horror films, and this scene reflects that experience.

                                           Maybe the filmmakers thought this looked silly...

But this isn't really better.

The supporting cast are good as well. It’s clear from Peter’s interactions with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben that they all love each other very much, which makes the death of Uncle Ben upsetting to watch, especially since the last time they spoke, Peter shouted at him. The scene of Peter bursting into tears after his graduation because Uncle Ben wasn’t there to see it is even sadder. As for J.K. Simmons as J Jonah Jameson, he is the definitive JJJ, effortlessly stealing the show whenever he appears on screen.

                                  This picture is an accurate representation of how awesome JJJ is.

This film is the one that established the stock superhero origin story that has been used countless times since: hero is a loser, becomes hero, villain is created, hero fights them. For this reason, the film doesn’t hold up quite as well as it used to, because the story beats have become so familiar from so many other films taking notes. That doesn’t mean that the film is bad, though. It is still worth watching.

Stan Lee Spotter: Stan Lee can be seen briefly in the crowd at the World Unity Fair when Spidey saves a couple from some falling debris. A deleted scene gave him a bit more screen time, trying to sell Cyclops’ visor at the fair. Frequent Sam Raimi collaborator Bruce Campbell appears as the wrestling announcer, while Peter’s opponent Bonesaw is played by the late Macho Man Randy Savage.

Next Time: I am vengeance. I am the night. I! Am! Ben Affleck!

Bonus: Promotional materials for the film released in 2001 were withdrawn after 9/11 for featuring the Twin Towers. An early poster had the towers reflected in Spider-Man’s eyes, while an early trailer had a short story involving some bank robbers having their escape attempt thwarted when their helicopter was caught in a giant web between the towers.

The withdrawn poster...

And the withdrawn trailer.

Following Spider-Man’s release in the UK, the film was given a 12 rating. Given that a significant chunk of the film’s audience was made up of children who wanted to see their favourite hero on screen but were (does Lemongrab impression) “Too Young! Too young to watch the movie!” this decision went down about as well as you would expect. Several councils and independent cinemas even rerated the film PG in protest. The controversy caused the introduction of the 12A rating a few months later, which allowed children below 12 to watch at the cinema if accompanied by an adult, and the film was rereleased to take advantage of this.