tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post7657310324330916942..comments2023-11-05T02:01:53.847-06:00Comments on Antagony & Ecstasy: WITH GREAT POWER...Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-64780958449732743422012-06-30T00:36:06.635-05:002012-06-30T00:36:06.635-05:00Man, I feel like I'm alone in the woods here, ...Man, I feel like I'm alone in the woods here, but I *really* disliked Spider-Man (1), and I say that as someone who grew up on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. I've only seen SM1 once, so perhaps I need to re-visit it, but nothing in it really seemed to click, and I was completely distracted by: A) Maguire's colorless performance; B) the awful CGI; C) the Goblin's terrible costume; and D) the weird "expensive-yet-cheap" look to the film's sets and props; E) dull action sequences (seriously, I remembered *nothing* from this this film other than the character-centered moments like the upside-down kiss and the Goblin's argument with himself); and E) hell, the way the entire story was constructed. The whole film seemed to be drenched in flop-sweat.<br /><br />That costume was so distractingly bad, I really wish they had gone with a Goblin who wears a cheap dime-store rubber mask. That would at least have had a kind of Michael Meyers creepshow quality to it, and it even makes a kind of sense given what the film presents about Osbourne's creation of the Goblin persona.<br /><br />SM2 was much better. I truly do not understand Spider-Man fans who actually like the first film.The Caustic Ignostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08573539801150336099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-28204287072075614702012-06-29T23:21:15.064-05:002012-06-29T23:21:15.064-05:00Clearly, the rule is to write more about ten-year-...Clearly, the rule is to write more about ten-year-old popcorn movies when I want to fire off comment threads.<br /><br />dfa- Against-type casting is always my favorite, but I think there are counterexamples, too: McKellen as Magneto, Michael Caine as Alfred, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. I suspect the real lesson is hire <i>good actors</i>, something the latter <i>Batman</i> films do not have in abundance.<br /><br />Rick- I find that fascinating - I don't think I've ever heard of somebody <i>hating</i> it. For me, they're both 9/10 films, only one is more 9.2, one is 8.9.<br /><br />Caleb- I will spot you that Maguire falls flat on the sarcasm, but I also think that Raimi isn't trying to play that up as much as it looks, just from the trailers, as <i>TASM</i> is. Also, I have to say, I much prefer <i>SM</i> and <i>SM2</i> to <i>The Avengers</i> in every way, but that is a taste thing.<br /><br />As is the Goblin, clearly; I just have too much affection for the resolutely chintzy approach to filmmaking to let it go. It's the same reason I'd rather watch a Roger Corman creature made from $20 of felt and plastic eyes than the coolest CGI effect ever put in a movie.<br /><br />David- You have reminded me of something I forgot completely to put in, and I even had a note that I wanted to: this movie has <i>terrible</i> opening and closing narration, that is so much gloomier and more serious than the movie can bear. I do absolutely hate the final scene.<br /><br />Kevin- As you say, different tastes: the added human tragedy is actually what I like <i>less</i> about Doc Ock.<br /><br />I agree that the crowd scene at the bridge doesn't work at all: my understanding is that it was added - embellished, anyway - as Raimi and Koepp's tribute to New York in the aftermath of 9/11, and it feels <i>really</i> forced.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-91231587815071701842012-06-29T12:04:53.209-05:002012-06-29T12:04:53.209-05:00Nice observation on Maguire's casting. I'v...Nice observation on Maguire's casting. I've always thought he was perfect for the role. Better than Andrew Garfield, anyway, who looks like a friggin' underwear model. Maguire kind of sucks when the script requires him to fire off Spider-Man's signature quips, but it seems that everyone realized this in time to tone down that aspect of the character for the second movie.<br /><br />I have to disagree, though, that Dafoe as the Green Goblin is more compelling than Molina as Doc Ock. Dafoe is hammy and fun, but Molina manages to create a genuinely human and (dare I say it) tragic figure out of a character named "Doctor Octopus" with robot arms coming out of his back. Different tastes, I guess, but Molina's more low-key performance worked better for me. And he does get a few fun "crazy evil" moments to play with himself.<br /><br />Overall, I think SM#2 is the stronger film. My problems with SM#1 is that it includes some moments that just plain don't work: the Goblin getting pelted with garbage by random New Yorkers at the bridge climax, for example, is pretty embarrassing and deflates all of the tension from the sequence.kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09791884010747001360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-30179297542762929652012-06-29T11:15:43.620-05:002012-06-29T11:15:43.620-05:00I can definitely understand why you prefer the fir...I can definitely understand why you prefer the first spidey film to the second, though I disagree for two major reasons. The CG action sequences in the first were just distractingly terrible, and those in the sequel were not just markedly improved, but in a different class altogether. I feel like the second film really allowed Raimi to get his Evil Dead on with some imaginative action, especially in the "Doc Ock massacring a ton of doctors" and "WTF insane battle on the side of a building" sequences.<br /><br />But the real thing is this: I loved Spiderman when I saw it the first time, then took my girlfriend the next night. The second time, Maguire's sad-sack "I'm so burdened and suffering" performance combined with my knowledge of that painful shove-off of MJ that I knew what coming at the end cast a terrible pall over the entire film. I've never been able to fully enjoy it since. I just couldn't believe the Peter / MJ arc in the first film, given that I know damn well they end up an item. Some movies I come to for fun and a happy ending, and Spiderman ain't Batman, if you know what I'm saying. For that reason, I have much more enthusiasm for Spiderman 2 than the original.<br /><br />I will concede that Dafoe as the Green Goblin is truly excellent, one of my favorite of his performances (up there with The Life Aquatic and Shadow of the Vampire)David Greenwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03666205737413060006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-59681385653579337712012-06-29T11:08:12.264-05:002012-06-29T11:08:12.264-05:00As well as he suited the awkward teenage nerd elem...As well as he suited the awkward teenage nerd element of Peter Parker, I found Maguire wholly unconvincing in his turn at the quintessentially snarky Spidey, someone's whose "incessant, prattling quips, "as the Vulture once put it, should reflect the layer of confidence – and even arrogance – Parker found behind the suit and powers. Maguire mostly just sounded like he was either stoned or half asleep. I've yet to see Garfield's take, but I have a feeling based on his past performances and interviews that he'll prove much more capable in that transformation than did his predecessor.<br /><br />That said, I very much liked Raimi's Spider-Man, and while I think Avengers has now surpassed it in capturing that particular fun sense of comic book je ne sai pas quoi, I do consider it the best of the naughts in that regard by a long shot.<br /><br />Gotta part with you on the Goblin costume though. There is "good, goofy fun" stupid and just plain stupid stupid. I'd have much preferred some wicked silly CGI elastic creation more in line with his comic masks, furling purple dunce cap and all.Calebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18374497545791328382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-89239173413606449472012-06-29T08:54:18.968-05:002012-06-29T08:54:18.968-05:00Having watched all three Spider-Man films for my o...Having watched all three <i>Spider-Man</i> films for my own retrospective, I find that <i>Spider-Man</i> is loved, <i>Spider-Man 3</i> is despised, but <i>Spider-Man 2</i> splits the fans I know. Some love it, some hate it.<br /><br />I first loved it when I saw it, but now I'm split down the middle on <i>Spider-Man 2</i>. I cannot say it is better than 1 but no question it's better than 3.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16611922269342141654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-31538606954829870202012-06-29T05:47:04.361-05:002012-06-29T05:47:04.361-05:00Late for the ball, yet I must say I agree with eve...Late for the ball, yet I must say I agree with everything The.Watcher stated, and the second film in this franchise does indeed capture the dualistic nature of a superhero like no film ever has. The great lesson to me, from these films, is to cast again type; this can most clearly be seen with Ironman's choices of both heroes and villains. It was a painful lesson, but after Batman & Robin, I guess they fired every casting agent in town and hired more effective folks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-42329419475010791612012-06-28T22:28:25.132-05:002012-06-28T22:28:25.132-05:00Rob- No, that was pretty much it. It is good for t...Rob- No, that was pretty much it. It is good for the soul to occasionally just gush in enthusiasm, and when I'd ran out of gush, I tried to get it wrapped up quicky, before I hit 2000 words.<br /><br />MrRoivas- Admittedly, the goblin mask is incredibly dumb. I don't know, it amuses me greatly.<br /><br />The.Watcher- My reasoning is, honestly, basically what I've already said: the films are so close to equal for me, and it mostly comes down to preferring both Dafoe as an actor and Norman Osborn as a character to Alfred Molina and Doc Ock.<br /><br />Also, while there are many things I enjoy about <i>Donnie Darko</i>, I have to confess that Gyllnhaal's performance doesn't really convince me.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-56018806936048259072012-06-28T21:11:21.644-05:002012-06-28T21:11:21.644-05:00"Try to imagine Jake Gyllenhaal playing a soc..."Try to imagine Jake Gyllenhaal playing a socially discarded nerd"<br /><br />Donnie Darko?<br /><br />Yeah, the first two Spider-Mans (Men?) were awesome, but I would still have to give the best comic book movie award to X2: X-Men United. To me, that's a masterpiece. It's quite interesting to see that 3 Marvel movies so far (or based on Marvel properties) have had 2 successful entries and a third one that sucked: X-Men, Spider-Man and Blade (I'll take a bullet for Blade 1 and 2). We've yet to see how Iron Man will fare with its third release next year.<br /><br />Also, judging by the tone of the review, it's apparent that you value SM 1 above 2, which is interesting since the sequel is generally considered to be the superior movie. Can't wait for your next SM review to see your reasoning for that.The.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06746957245529915320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-70666514685518283542012-06-28T21:02:15.710-05:002012-06-28T21:02:15.710-05:00While I do really like the first movie, I must con...While I do really like the first movie, I must confess I follow mainstream consensus in finding the second one superior. This doesn't detract at all from the triumphs you draw out. <br /><br />Though that goblin suit was so goddamned goofy that it was really pushing it, even in a film with this tone.MrRoivashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12018731012247569416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-33754772324235195842012-06-28T19:10:03.577-05:002012-06-28T19:10:03.577-05:00I've been defending Raimi's first two Spid...I've been defending Raimi's first two Spider-Man movies for years! I'm so happy that you're having a look at them!<br /><br />This was a great review but I can't help but feel like it cut off early. It seemed to me like you were just getting started. Where'd the rest of the review go?<br /><br />Either way, can't wait for your look at the sequel!Rob Nivenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14485496971433728722noreply@blogger.com