Spider-Man
Still holds up as the classic I was utterly obsessed with growing up but just like The Amazing Spider-Man the flaws are a little more bothersome after all these years. For the most part though this thing is still pretty damn great. They nail the origin story, and I never get tired of seeing the wrestling scene. The villain in William Dafoe’s Green Goblin is rightfully iconic and is possibly the best part of this movie for me. I also love seeing Sam Rani’s style in this, especially the almost body horror elements he ties in with the spider bite and Green Goblin transformation. It’s honestly a toss up between which movie looks better for me, but this one does have the more distinct style. The cinematography here is also so colorful and nostalgic, especially when we’re in the city. So overall the visuals tend to be pretty consistent, besides the occasional dated cgi scenes.
I still don’t think Tobey Maguire is my favorite spidey of the bunch but I’d be lying if I said he doesn’t do a great job. Bro really was the blueprint. I love his version of Peter especially, and I feel like he really nails the nerdy personality in a way the other two don’t. Especially Garfield’s, whose biggest criticism is usually being to cool of a Peter Parker. It makes sense why this version of Pete is bullied I just find Maguire brings this nerdy energy to spidey to, which I don’t like quite as much. I’ve also never been a big fan of his voice-over work in these movies either. William Dafoe just being an absolute goat doesn’t necessarily help him either as he definitely out acts Tobey in a handful of scenes. There performances are both similarly a little campy and over the top, I just think Dafoe is way better at selling it.
I didn’t remember just how brutal that final fight scene between Goblin and Spider-Man was until now. The absence of music in that moment really helps with making us feel the impact of each blow. This scene, the carnival, and the bridge standout as my favorite moments of the movie. Followed close behind by the awkward Thanksgiving dinner.
Starting this Spider-Man marathon has been a blast so far and I can’t wait to continue on. Especially excited for Spider-Man 2, as it’s definitely the one I remember the least about. Fun to take this trip down memory lane. 7.5/10
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