Spidey!
Went to see “Spiderman” yesterday afternoon with The Prof and MWUFFLTHB and had a grand time. We got there a tad late for my tastes, but still got decent seats (probably the last three seats all together in the theater though).
Mild spoilers follow. If you’re a purist and haven’t seen the movie yet, don’t read.
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Plot – Very true to the original Spiderman origins. Perhaps updated a tad for the new millennium, but none the worse for it.
Acting – No complaints in this department, but don’t go expecting Oscar caliber stuff here. This isn’t Oscar territory, it’s a comic strip brought to the screen. If you go in with that mind-set, then Willem Dafoe’s somewhat manic depiction of Osborne/Goblin fits right in with the mood. Tobey Maguire as Peter/Spidey was perhaps the most inspired piece of casting since Lucas used James Earl Jone’s voice for Darth Vader. He is the nerd turned superhero, complete with cracking voice, self-deprecating sense of humor and unrequited love that makes adolescence so hard on about 98% of the males of the species. Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane was perhaps the weakest link in the casting. It wasn’t that she was bad, she just wasn’t as perfect for the part as the rest. I’m sure that most of the 15 – 21 year-old males who saw the movie would beg to differ with me, expecially after the rain-soaked kiss in the alley scene (which will probably be worn out on their DVD’s from constant replay about a week after said 15-21 year-old males acquire them). J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jamison simply wasn’t given enough screentime. He plays the Big Bad Boss to the hilt, delivering his pompous and at times self-contradictory lines as if they were the most reasonable things in the world to say. I know I couldn’t have said those lines with a straight face! You buy into his role completely, even as you want to mop the floor with him.
Special effects – This is where many reviewers criticize the movie, but I believe those reviewers are missing the whole point. Yes, the CGI was a bit comic book, but for crying out loud, this is a comic book movie. Spidey on the web looks like he swung straight out of a Marvel book and onto the streets of New York City. The effects are perfect for the tone the movie tries to set, which has a very true comic book feel to it.
Remember the promos for the original Christopher Reeves “Superman” movie?: “You’ll really believe a man can fly.” Well don’t go expecting that here. You aren’t going to believe there really is a Spiderman webbing his way through Manhatten after seeing the movie. You’ll just wish there was.
Wow, you have learned a lot. I think the only thing I have learned since my first diary entry at DD is that I shouldn’t try to amuse my readers because I won’t succeed at it if I try too hard.
Well, that’s not true really, I’ve learned AND grown a lot… But that’s what I’ve learned about keeping an on-line diary. Among with the fact that you don’t have to tolerate everything that goes on on-line and that you can ignore some things and that you shouldn’t trust people blindly.
Agh, I’m so not going to write an entry about what I’ve learned past year, not now. Damn you, Salamander, you picked too great of a topic for your entry ;).
*Sends you daisies and hugs*
cur
Happy anniversary and welcome back! You have been much missed.
Meanwhile, the roses are beautiful. My white ones are blooming in my gardens, my reds about to. I would gladly add a few buds to your bouquet if I could. 🙂
SOooooo great to see you back in full color again!
Yay Steve!
The Useless Blob is trying to hypnotize me and I’m in no state to resist…
SOooooo great to see you back in full color again!
Yay Steve!
The Useless Blob is trying to hypnotize me and I’m in no state to resist…
Sal,
If the man and I did not argue we would never have much fun communicating. He always makes me laugh!!!
Glad to see ya =)
There is something comfortable about reading a Salamander diary entry. Thank you for your clarity. i am so very happy to be reading your words again.
So, what did you think of Spider-Man?!
Your cat and my cat must be twins.
The ability of a 55 year old man to play hidey and fetch with a cat is a true measure of my sanity.
Life is too much fun to be taken too seriously.
_|m/ ADM
I just saw Ebert’s review on the movie a few minutes ago on the television. He said Spiderman looked too ‘cartoonish’ swinging between the buildings. What a bizarre thing to say about a comic book character.
I noticed on the clip they played before Ebert’s review that they showed the girl slipping in the cafeteria and Peter Parker catching all her flying food neatly on her tray. (to show his spiderlike reactions, I suppose) What’s interesting about that is that is the exact same situation they used to show The Flash’s powers in his comic book debut oh so many years ago. I wonder if that was a tribute, or a coincidence?
Happy Anniversary Dr Sal. I am glad you are back.
happy dd anniversary!!! now, there goes my entry idea for today (lol, jk).
didn’t go see spiderman saturday, but i did stand in line for 3 tickets to the 11:30pm (only available) showing for boy and his buds. he liked the movie a lot and we’ll see it later this week.
i don’t have a spare pair of glasses, so i hope spiderman doesn’t incite one to sparring.
I was thinking of naming the snail "Speedy" or "Sneaky".
;^D
Alli
You make me want to go….
It’s hard to get to movies, since I have to find a babysitter for G. I’d like to take him to see Spiderman, but I have a feeling it’s a bit too much for him. (sigh) Think I’ll be haunting matinees once he’s in school? Just watch me. 🙂
Lovely flowers!
; )
i didn’t read, i like to be surprised. hopefully i’ll get to see it accompanied by one special duck. ;-))
i was wondering how tobey macguire would do as a spiderman, he doesn’t seem the action-type hero, or at least, nobody has ever cast him as such
thanks for the review
and welcome back 🙂