BY JAIME DEJESUS Will the third time be a charm for
your friendly neighborhood
Spider-Man or has the webbed
one worn out his welcome in the
theaters?
In 2002, Sony released
“Spider-Man,” a film that changed the landscape
of summer blockbusters. Sure, there were
superhero films that captivated audiences, such
as the original “Superman” and “Batman” movies.
But after the laughable “Batman & Robin” flopped,
studios assumed that the comic fad had finally
died, though, since then, “X-Men” and “Blade”
were pretty successful and well-received films.
But it wasn’t until director Sam Raimi’s
portrayal of the long awaited hero’s debut that
everything changed. Would there have been a
Marvel Cinematic Universe that makes billions of
dollars a year worldwide without it? Would Batman
have been given his second chance to make his
triumphant return? Would studios, for better or
worse, rely on tent poles to get them through the
year? These are interesting questions. Even if
you believe that’s giving one franchise too much
credit, you can’t deny its place in movie history.
Tobey Maguire, who was already known as a
great actor before 2002, became a household
name against all odds and the trilogy took off.
Merchandise was hot. Cartoons were aired. It was
the 1960s all over again when the character made
his debut in the comics.
However, it hasn’t all smooth sailing for the
franchise. From box office disappointments to
tepid reviews to the too many reboots debate to
a universally disliked Broadway show that cost
people their reputations and nearly their lives,
Queens’ popular hero has had a bumpy ride.
However, it’s been 15 years since the first film
so it’s not exactly fair to assume it would all be
smooth sailing.
With Sony Pictures teaming up creatively
with Marvel Studios in an unheard-of deal that
essentially shares the character between the two
of them, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is the long-awaited
movie where Peter Parker teams up with
Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man this summer. It’s
going to be interesting to see if fans are ready for
a reincarnation of the hero or maybe need a longer
break from him. Let’s check out Spidey’s history in
film.
2002
The first of three movies starring Maguire,
Willem Dafoe, James Franco and Kirsten Dunst is
released. After decades of stops and starts (James
Cameron nearly directed an adaptation after
his success with “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”)
audiences were treated to their first live action
Spidey movie.
After tons of casting rumors that included
Heath Ledger, the studio chose Maguire, who
was known as mild-mannered personality and
not an action actor. But it was a decision based
on inspiration. Was the late Christopher Reeve an
action star before he became the Man of Steel? No.
And he’s still the golden standard for superhero
performances. Fans were livid when Tim Burton
decided to have Michael Keaton, known as a
comedic actor at the time, don the cape and cowl.
It was one of the biggest hits in 1989 and changed
movie marketing forever.
So Maguire, although not as universally loved
as the other two, brought in an earnest and likable
character as Peter. He played the nerd well, and
the rest took care of itself. I believe in time, he will
still be the definitive Spider-Man.
Raimi, who primarily directed terrific horror
films, had been a long time Spidey fan. Maybe he
didn’t get the new school aspects of what made
the hero popular at first. He went with a much more
traditional approach to the hero. He knew that
special effects would take care of the action side.
His job was to make you root for Peter and his long-time
crush, Mary Jane Watson. And he succeeded.
Maybe it came out at the right time. There was a
lot of subtle patriotism as well as pro-New Yorker
moments in the film that were greatly embraced by
audiences in a post-9/11 world. Most of the action
scenes haven’t aged gracefully, except the final
one that included the least amount of CGI.
The reason why a movie like this took so long to
make was because of the effects and it plays like
your classic origin story. But the movie as a whole
still holds up. There was something for both the
kids and the adults, which is never an easy task.
Comic movies have evolved greatly since then, but
we shouldn’t fault this first effort for some dated
scenes. Spider-Man made over $400 million in the
states alone and the world went Spidey.
2004
After a contract dispute and briefly thinking
that Jake Gyllenhaal would take over the role,
Maguire and Sony settled at the last moment to
film “Spider-Man 2.” This was the character’s high
point in terms of the movies. After only a two-year
turnaround, the same team was ready to up the
ante.
This time, Alfred Molina, a respected actor,
but hardly one that fans would peg to be in a big
budget film, played the favorite villain Doctor
Octopus. Rather than simply writing him as a
mad scientist like in the comics, Raimi brought a
human element to the character, as he did with all
of the antagonists in his Spidey films. Doc Ock had
a relationship with Peter, which gave the battles
more weight. The CGI was much improved, making
a train scene between Spidey and Doc Ock still a
memorable action moment in comic book movie
history.
What made “Spider-Man 2” one of the greatest
movies of all time was its balance. It brought
Peter to a place of no longer wanting to carry the
weight of being an adult superhero. The motto
was always, “With great power, comes great
responsibility,” which his Uncle Ben taught him
before he perished.
Well, in this film, the college student didn’t
QNS.COM
SUMMER 2017 25