The Spider-Man Movies (part 1)

 

Spider-Man (2002)

The Buildup: 

After years of having the legal rights tied up in various bad deals, Sony/Columbia finally got the project off the ground. Spider-Man has always been Marvel’s main mascot and most popular character, so there was a lot of anticipation for this to be done right and become the second Marvel movie to do so. With the recent success of X-Men, coupled with advances in CGI, this movie had the opportunity to finally give the world a cinematic Spider-Man.

 

The Plot: 

Peter Parker is an unpopular but intelligent student at Midtown High, and during a field trip he is bitten by a genetically altered spider which results in him acquiring strength, climbing abilities, some precognition, and web-making capabilities. He first uses his new powers to get money but it results in his uncle’s death which leads him down the path of becoming a crime-fighter. Meanwhile, a lab experiment gone wrong turns a businessman/scientist into an insane villain who must be stopped.

What went right: 

Just about everything. The origin story was a nearly beat-for-beat updated version of what happened in the original comics. Tobey Maguire was great as Peter, Willem DaFoe was excellent as Norman Osborn, and JK Simmons nailed his role as J. Jonah Jameson. It had the famous line, “With great power comes great responsibility,” and showed the guilt that motivated Peter to use his powers for good. The costume looked great with the texture on the fabric and the raised rubber webbing so that it didn’t just look like tights (though its shine did make it look almost silver colored instead of black). Most of the effects were really good, and the script updated some things such as eschewing a radioactive spider in favor of genetically altered spiders, and a cage match at the wrestling league instead of a circus tent.

What went wrong: 

While he was great at being Peter, Tobey wasn’t quite the quipping, talkative Spider-Man who annoys and distracts enemies with his mouth (a feat surpassed only by Deadpool), but part of the blame can be put onto the script writers. While it wasn’t particularly egregious, there was a little bit too much of the Saturday morning cartoon villain-ish-ness in the Green Goblin, and the way the love story ended at the cemetery was a tad cliché to the point of seemingly being written by a 5th grader. I also wish they wouldn't have skipped over his high school years (and Gwen/Betty) so quickly and jumped ahead to adulthood (and Mary Jane). But other than those minor things, there wasn’t really anything to complain about. 

 

What I would have changed: 

I would have taken out Mary Jane’s sudden profession of love at the end of the movie. I would have tried something similar where she maybe wanted to start dating, but is rejected by Peter. As it is in the movie, it just sorta comes on too strongly out of seemingly nowhere and smacks of lazy writing. There’s a few other lines that I would re-work, such as, “We’ll meet again, Spider-Man!” when the Green Goblin is first foiled. Ultimately, I see why the producers chose to stick to the most popular elements instead of trying to retell the comics story beat-for-beat, but in hindsight, it probably would have made for a better series with more longevity and needing fewer reboots. 

  

 

 

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

The Buildup: 

After a very successful first movie, the sequel looked to be even better, following the trend that the X-Men movies seemed to have going on – meaning that the second movie is better than the first.

The Plot: 

Spider-Man tries to balance his personal life (school, work, love, friends, bills, etc.) with his superhero life, and it starts to wear on him. After losing confidence in himself, he gives up being Spider-Man until the guilt can no longer allow him to side-step his responsibilities, coupled with Mary Jane being put in harm’s way again forces him back into the superhero life. Meanwhile, a scientist experimenting with nuclear fusion accidentally welds 4 mechanical arms to his spine and its programmed AI encourages him to commit crime in the pursuit of science. Harry finds out the truth about Peter and his father’s alter-egos.

What went right: 

Nearly everything. Alfred Molina was great as Doc Ock, and simultaneously more sympathetic and much less cartoony, over-the-top villain than Green Goblin. The director and writer nailed showing how being Spider-Man takes its toll on Peter. The cameo from Dr. Kurt Connors had one sleeve pinned up (as it should), and all of the peripheral characters returned from the first movie. The story was a bit tighter than the first one.

What went wrong: 

The only thing that stands out to me is shoe-horning in the love sub-plot so much. While I realize that it’s a major motivating factor for Peter, it is just handled in a bit of a ham-handed manner.

What I would have changed: 

I would have had Peter dating someone like Betty or Gwen during the second movie while Mary Jane is tied up with JJJ’s son, and set up the love story between Peter and Mary Jane for the third movie.

 

 

  

 

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

The Buildup: 

The main focus of the hype was that we were going to see the Venom story. Being one of the most popular Spider-Man villains, it’s understandable how excited people were for the third installment.

The Plot: 

Spider-Man has gained a positive public following, but is informed that the man that robbed the wrestler promoter from the first movie wasn’t Uncle Ben’s killer – it was actually Flint Marko, who recently escaped from Prison and fell into a scientific experiment which turned him into living sand. Peter and Mary Jane’s relationship is starting to have problems, and Harry becomes a new Goblin to enact revenge. An alien form lands on earth and bonds with Peter, enhancing his powers but his personality takes a dark turn.

What went right: 

Thomas Hayden Church is a great pick for Sandman, had his talents not been wasted on such a poor script. There were a few bright spots here and there, like seeing the black-suit Spider-Man (though it lacked the distinct white scorpion logo).

What went wrong: 

This movie had far too much going on, and didn't devote enough time to let the various plots play out. From what I’ve read, this one had a lot more producer input (read: meddling). There were two major villains, and a third minor villain, and each one had his own plot happening, and there wasn’t enough screen time to do any of them justice. JJJ was laid on too thickly, and Topher Grace was dreadful as Eddie Brock, and he had more screen time in the Venom costume showing his face than having the eyes/mouth typically associated with Venom. Introducing Gwen Stacy as an alternate love interest in the third movie wasn’t a good choice. Mary Jane being used as spider-bait for the third time is a row is too much of a worn-out trope. Peter dancing. Retconning Uncle Ben’s death takes something away from the first movie. Due to having too many sub-plots running and needing to keep the runtime under control, a lot of the explanation about how Venom works was skipped entirely, and "normies" were probably confused as to why hitting construction poles defeats aliens. 

 

What I would have changed: 

First of all, ret-conning Uncle Ben’s Death is a terrible idea. I would have taken that point out, and just focused on Marko trying to rob banks (or something) because his daughter needed money for some medical procedure and is using his newfound powers to do so, but keeps getting thwarted by a (powered-up, black-suited) Spider-Man. The Gwen Stacy sub-plot would also get the axe, and assuming that the second movie had been changed per my recommendations (see above), then this would be the official start of Peter and Mary Jane dating, and in this movie she wouldn’t be kidnapped or in danger. Harry would still become the New Goblin and he ambushes Peter about halfway through the movie. Spider-Man wins, and delivers Harry’s unconscious (but still alive) body in the same way he did to Norman’s (in the first movie), and when he comes to is when Bernerd tells Harry what he knows, causing him to have a change of heart. I still would have included the alien symbiote plot, but instead of it just randomly landing from space near Peter’s scooter, it would have attached itself to a space shuttle being flown by JJJ’s son (referenced as being an astronaut in the second movie) which causes it to crash into the Hudson. Spider-Man rescues the astronauts and gets the “black goo” all over him. It goes on to enhance his powers and change his personality, further escalating the divide between Peter and Eddie Brock (played by Channing Tatum). Mary Jane convinces Peter to ditch the suit and when he finally does, it attaches to Eddie. Peter has to fight an enhanced Sandman without his stronger powers but is joined by Harry, who promptly retires after getting injured in the fight. A flash of Venom is shown in a mid-credits scene, setting up the fourth movie. I also would have made the spider symbol on the black suit a medium gray so it stands out a bit.

Alternatively, instead of Sandman, he could be replaced with the Lizard to let Dr. Connors’ appearance in the second movie setup the villain for the third one. I might even save the Sandman/New Goblin story for the fourth movie, and have Venom for the fifth (along with Peter and Mary Jane’s wedding) and then Carnage for the sixth and final movie. But all of this would mean actually having a plan and having faith that it’ll work (like what the MCU did).

The Spider-Man Movies (part 2)