I watched Spider-Man 2 last week on the small screen. Boy, did that movie hold up! (You can read my at-the-time thoughts on Spidey 2 here.)
The performances were still strong, especially Alfred Molina's haunting and memorable portrayal of the tortured Doc Ock who still manages to cling to his soul. The themes still resonate: The desire to walk away from all the demands, the desire to disbelieve the truth that "With great power comes great responsibility." The effects are beautifully done and always believable, with the CGI "octopus" arms of Doc Ock even brimming with personality.
Spider-Man 3? Well... Eh. Not so much.
Now, don't get me wrong. It's a fun movie, worth the popcorn. Everything is solid. Nothing is embarrassing (well, except for Peter Parker's over-the-top dance at Mary Jane's jazz club, where I think we're supposed to feel embarrassed). Effects are good (especially the Sandman, who looked unbearably cheesy in early trailers). Performances are good (again, especially Thomas Haden Church as the Sandman).
As for the plotting, frankly, it's quite an achievement to have so many storylines swinging around in there -- and so many villains, what with the Sandman, the Little Goblin (as it were), Venom, and Peter himself when wearing that weird black suit -- and not get the audience lost.
But in the crush of storylines and villains, nothing ever gets to breathe. There's no equivalent to that lovely dinner scene between Dr. Octavius and Peter in Spidey 2, no moment where we can stop and savor. We're either in the midst of impeccably-polished, breathtakingly-fast action sequences, or we're efficiently rushing from one plot point to the next.
The movie is also the king of coincidence -- Yet somehow that doesn't slow down our enjoyment of the movie. Perhaps it's because we're in this weird comic book world where the well-established rules don't match up with the real world (Peter spends enough on flowers for Mary Jane to easily afford a cell phone, yet he's still using the pay phone in the hallway of his slummy apartment house?)... we're in a world where such coincidences can happen, and we shrug them off as part of what happens here.
Spidey 3 did genuinely move me at the unexpected ending of the Green Goblin story -- I didn't see it coming, and it touched me. But for the most part, the movie, at least compared to its predecessors, was eye candy. Fun, but not memorable. Which is a shame, as I still find things in Spidey 2 to ponder and enjoy.
Go see the movie -- it's fun, it's very, very well-made, it's worth the ticket, and definitely one to see on the big screen. Just know that you'll be ready for a more filling entertainment meal immediately after.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
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3 comments:
Been wondering what you thought of it! Yes, it was definitely *busy* but really enjoyable. The moment to "Breathe" was exactly what was lacking. I kept waiting for Venom to show up because I knew he had to. I thought they departed a little from their quite-nuanced portrayal of evil with his character: "I LIKE being evil." Seemed pretty cliched. Of course, the guy was damned, and shallow. But compared to the tormented souls of Doc Oc, Sandman, and the Goblins, he stuck out. I guess I wanted to see a little nuance, but he seemed to be so eaten up with revenge and power that he didn't have time for nuance. Still a good flick, though!
Jan, do you know if they're stopping here? I know the director/leads were only signed on for three pictures. Any word on where they go from here?
Somehow I feel the series will fall flat if Raimi leaves. He really makes it work.
Jan,
Thanks for the post. It sounds comparable to X-men 3. I felt like that movie quickly moved from one action sequence to the next. I felt thrilled and exhausted after watching it, but it just didn't stick with me the way X-2 did. I'm hoping I don't have the same feeling after watching Spidey 3. How would you compare the two films?
As for Venom, I saw a clip online of his genesis. It makes sense to me that he wouldn't be as nuanced as other villians. The symbiote is Peter's darkness and sin which he tries to cast off while in the church.
It might have made some interesting drama to see Brock fight the symbiote like Peter. I like more nuanced characters too, but the world is not all nuance, as the devil prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls. So I think Venom's line about "liking" evil would be consistent with supernatural evil and the portrayal of Venom as evil and sin.
Then again, I haven't seen the movie, so I might change my mind after watching it this weekend. :)
Personally, I think Spidey 3 was MUCH better than X3, which felt like a stupid, characterless horror movie with a sadistic killing at the end. (Why does Wolverine always kill women?)
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