Spider-Man
I was surprised by how low-key and downbeat it was. It was something of a parable about how being an adult sucks – you have to make hard decisions, the world is an unpredictable and dangerous place, and you put yourself on the line when you care about someone. But because it dealt so much with the angst factor (as well done as it was), it lacked some of the juice, the fun you expect from a superhero movie. Not knowing anything about the comic, I don’t know if that’s the tone of the source material as well. But if you’re expecting a fun romp, be slightly warned.
The high point was definitely Tobey Maguire as the webslinger. I’m so glad they didn’t cast some pretty boy teen idol (Freddie Prinze Jr. anyone?). His expressiveness peeks out from his placid face in a way that’s wonderful to watch.
I would definitely like to see a sequel or two. But lighten it up a little next time, OK?
Spider-man was always one of the rare comics to deal with real-world issues a guy like Peter Parker would face. When I was a kid I didn’t like that character much because it wasn’t the escapism I looked for in comic books, but other kids I knew liked it because the could relate to his problems.