By: debbie lynn elias
Swinging into theaters and kicking off the “summer” movie season this weekend is everyone’s favorite webspinner, Spider-Man. Weaving a web of thrills, over-the-top and out-of-this-world CGI effects and three – count ‘em – three super villains to defeat, not to mention personal demons, and dealing with a disgruntled girlfriend, Spidey is spun gold. Unfortunately, as with the “Star Wars”, “Rocky” or even “The Godfather” sagas, the third time is not a charm as despite being satisfying and visually electrifying, SPIDER-MAN 3 falls short in the story-telling department. For those of you not caught up somewhere in Spidey’s web over the past 45 years or so, let me give you a brief history lesson. Created by the incomparable Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962, teenaged Peter Benjamin Parker was not one’s first thought for a super-hero but to Stan and Steve, Peter Parker was, in fact, the ideal super-hero. An average all around good guy respectful and loving to his elders, beloved by his precious Uncle Ben and Aunt Mae, Peter dealt with issues so many teens (and adults) could relate to; loneliness, peer pressure and feeling kinda nerdy, among them. But all that changed when Peter was bitten by a radioactive spider during a science experiment leaving him with super-human powers and the ability to spin spider-webs. Feeling the bravado of his new power, Peter looked for fame (which failed) but then tried to use his power for good, only to initially fail at that, as well. Letting a thief slip through his fingers, Peter was in for a rude awakening about responsibility and duty when several weeks later that same thief killed his Uncle Ben. Now alone with his Aunt Mae, Peter realized his purpose in life and embarked on what has now been a 45 year battle of crime-fighting, teenage angst and hiding his secret identity. Fast forward to 2007. Peter Parker is still hiding his secret identity and still fighting crime and still working for The Daily Bugle and its owner, the irascible, J. Jonah Jameson. Finding the happy medium between his life as a super-hero, life as Mary Jane “MJ” Watson’s boyfriend, and star Bugle boy photographer, not to mention basking in the glow from all of Spidey’s positive press, Peter’s life is good. No, it’s great – at least for awhile. But trouble starts a-brewin’ when Peter catches the eye of his new boss. Secretly relishing the public praise and loving the added female attention, it doesn’t take long for MJ to get more than a bit disgruntled and rumors of break-up run amok. Great. A young super-hero with amazing powers and he has to deal with a broken heart. And while he tries to save his troubled relationship, the real trouble takes the shape of a creepy black organism that infects his Spider-Man suit, transforming or trans-mutating the good-hearted Peter into his complete opposite – a dark disturbed power hungry jerk. But if that’s not enough, let’s toss in not just one villain- The Sandman, not just two -The New Goblin, but three – Venom, and all set on revenge against Spider-Man and all with seemingly good reasons.
Tobey Maguire returns as Peter Parker/Spider-Man as does Kirsten Dunst as the devoted MJ. Still known for one of the most electrifying and romantic kisses in movie history, their chemistry together is as strong if not stronger then ever. More gratifying, however, is their individual performances. Thanks to some psychological exploration and development into the characters courtesy of Sam & Ivan Raimi’s script, Maguire is given a chance to break out of Peter/Spidey’s good guy mold. With a more than capable emotional foothold, Maguire takes the oh-so-nerdy science major shutterbug and turns in some emotionally challenging darkness and loathing that propels not only the character’s growth but that of Maguire as an actor. Dunst, who I swear can act her way out a paperbag to great applause, brings a universal appeal to MJ with elements of jealousy, envy and spoiled brattiness while still retaining MJ’s core niceness. A casting coup is Topher Grace who does double duty as fellow Bugle employee Eddie Brock and villain Venom. Going toe to toe with Maguire’s Parker/Spidey as an adversary both at work and in the criminal world, Grace levels the playing field and brings an entirely new compelling dynamic to the film. So convincing and adept at his role, had Maguire not been cast as Spider-Man years ago, I could easily see Topher Grace spinning those webs today.
Although the majority of his character, The Sandman, is portrayed through CGI, Thomas Haden Church doesn’t let that stop him from being noticed. Relying on his eyes and facial expressions as the very essence of the character, Church proved instrumental in the characters “birth.” Going above and beyond, and after working out for 16 months to build up his body for the character, Church even insisted on performing some of his own stunts and particularly one which many have deemed the most dangerous in the film. Permitted by insurance to do the stunts only once, Church rehearsed as much as six hours before one scene in particular was shot. Self-described by Church as a “molecular accelerator”, a device was built from the turbo engine of a Bell Helicopter and brought up to full speed. With Church on a tether, he runs flashing light bars and then is literally sucked and yanked backwards by the force of the engine. The stunt worked and the result is mind-boggling. Church also plays Sandman’s alter-ego, Flint Marko, and does a remarkable job of intertwining the two with symbiotic individualism. Let me tell you, this is a far cry from his comedic work as Lyle in “George of the Jungle” and he is fantastic.
Well settled into his role in the franchise, James Franco returns as Harry Osborn, but emerges as the evil New Goblin, allowing him to breathe some new life into what could have been a fading role. And a big tip, be on the lookout for Spider-Man creator Stan Lee who has a cameo. But without a doubt, the real star of this film is once again Sam Raimi. Turning in an ambitious character driven screenplay that introduces many new faces, a multiplicity of enemies and a valiant and determinated effort at emotional growth and human interest, the ambition may be a bit much for itself leading to some convolution and an inability to develop some of the more interesting aspects such as Eddie Brock/Venom. (Or should we be looking for this in Spidey 4 or 5?) I can’t fault Raimi and his co-writers Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent, however, as it seems that demands were made from the powers that be that Raimi and company add characters and storylines against Raimi’s better judgment. But whatever shortcoming there is this in the story, soon falls from your mind as the spectacular visuals are in a word – AWESOME! Thanks to the CGI and special effects gang over at Sony, and particularly Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Stokdyk, under the insightful eye of Raimi, the action and CGI integrates with the story as opposed to being “stand-alone” effects for show, keeping the audience engaged, begging for more. With the requisite damsel in distress scenes, CGI shines with a fresh familiarity, but then just as easily transports you to roller-coaster-ride-pit-of-your-stomach excitement with new innovations and technology. Another hint – besides Thomas Haden Church’s incredible stunt as Sandman, look for a spectacular battle between the New Goblin and Spider-Man that puts Alfred Hitchcock’s vertigo sensations to shame. I am always amazed by the ingenuity and creativity of filmmakers and technology . Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something else is done even more amazing that before. This is what Sam Raimi and his team bring to the table every time they get together. With a budget of over $250 million, it’s easy to see where the money was spent. And trust me, it’s worth every penny. Sam Raimi has once again spun his own web of masterful movie-making with SPIDER-MAN 3. And let me tell you, this is one web YOU want to be caught in. Spider-Man/Peter Parker – Tobey Maguire Mary Jane Watson – Kirsten Dunst New Goblin/Harry Osborn – James Franco Sandman/Flint Marko – Thomas Haden Church Venom/Eddie Brock – Topher Grace Gwen Stacy – Bryce Dallas Howard May Parker – Rosemary Harris J. Jonah Jameson – J.K. Simmons Directed by Sam Raimi. Written by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent based on characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Rated PG-13. (156 min)
