Spider-Man 3 (5 Stars)

Something funny happened today. I sat down to watch "Spider-Man 3". The film began. And then, in the first few seconds, while the Columbia logo was being displayed, a spider lowered itself between me and the television. It was hanging on its web from the ceiling. I was so fascinated that I paused the film to watch it. It hung in front of me for no more than 60 seconds. Then it pulled itself back up to the ceiling, and I haven't seen it since.

A lot of people say that they don't like "Spider-Man 3". I agree that it's not up to the quality of the first two films, but it's still very good. Look at my rating! But too much is happening. Why have Sandman and Venom in the same film? Sandman could have filled the whole film. And the telescoping of the black suit stories removes a lot. In the comics Peter Parker wore the black costume for four years, before it was passed on to Eddie Brock. This story could have been divided into two films. Or three. It looks like Sam Raimi was in a hurry to get the trilogy finished.

Look at the way Sandman lumbers around like a monster from Hammer Horror. And look at the screenshot of Venom in the title picture. This is what Venom should look like, not the comical sock puppet in the Tom Hardy films.

Sam Raimi was planning to use the Vulture as the villain in "Spider-Man 4" and Mysterio in "Spider-Man 5". He was even considering casting Bruce Campbell as Mysterio. But it never happened. I read reports of disagreements between Sam and Marvel Studios. I shan't repeat them here, because I'm not even sure they're true. Just speculation. Whatever happened, the three films he made will always stand up as masterpieces.

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Spider-Man 2 (5 Stars)

Why doesn't Marvel make films like this any more? I hate it when my friends say that Marvel films are bad, because I can't argue with them. Most of the new Marvel films are average quality at best. Look at my ratings. I'm honest. There were a few good films at the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but ever since "Avengers Endgame" the quality has been sliding. What's wrong? Too many films? Not enough care to find good writers? Or is it just incapable managers looking after Disney and Marvel Studios?

Sam Raimi was the perfect choice to direct the Spider-Man trilogy. If it had remained a trilogy. He already had plans for two more films, but the studio didn't agree. Then the Spider-Man franchise was rebooted with Andrew Garfield. I like to pretend that the "Amazing Spider-Man" films were never made. Shall I ever watch them again? Probably not. But I can watch the original trilogy (2002 to 2007) again and again.

As my regular readers must have realised, I was disappointed with this year's Fantasy Film Festival. Most of the films were average to poor. For this reason I've made a decision. Every time I watch a film that I rate less than four stars, I'll watch at least two five star films, preferably from my top 100. I need to stick with quality. In theory, I could watch my top 100 films one after another for years, never bothering to watch any new films. They're all films that are good enough to watch over and over again.

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Spider-Man (5 Stars)

This is the second film I presented tonight for the theme "Do you remember the days when Marvel films were good?" In my opinion, it's the best Marvel film ever. Many people claim that the second film, "Spider-Man 2", is better. I can see what they mean. The action scenes in the second film are better. I prefer the first film for its greater emotional depth. But I'll think it over again next time I watch "Spider-Man 2". Maybe I've placed it too low in my top 100 films list. 

After watching the film today I praised Sam Raimi for making the main villain corny. An example is the way Willem Dafoe holds a speech while looking at the vial in his hand which will transform him into the Green Goblin. Then he drinks it fast, dramatically, before smashing the empty vial on the floor. My German friends didn't understand the word corny, and I couldn't translate it. Google translates it as kitschig, but that's obviously wrong. Is it an English word that has no equivalent in German, the same as English has no word for gemütlich? Back home, it took me a long time to think it over, but eventually I came to klischeehaft as a translation for corny. It's not as common in German as corny in English, but it expresses the same meaning.

When writing about "Howard the Duck" I pointed out the beautiful actress Jorli McLain in a minor role. I'll do the same for "Spider-Man". There's an unnamed lab assistant in one of the first scenes. Her role is so minor that she isn't even listed in the credits. But I recognised her immediately. She's the beautiful South Korean actress Una Damon. She's never had a breakthrough. Throughout her career she's only had small roles in films and television series. That's a tragedy.

Here's one more photo of her. She's beautiful.

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Spider-Man 3 (5 Stars)

The third film in the Spider-Man trilogy is strongly criticised by film critics and fans alike. Many call it awful. I don't understand it. I find it very good, even if it's not up to the quality of the first two films. I included it in my list of my top 100 films in 93rd place. In retrospect I think it should have been higher in the list.

"Spider-Man 3" has so much in its favour. It neatly brings the Harry Osborn storyline to a close. The Sandman is brought to the big screen as a villain we can sympathise with. The pathos of Peter Parker's on-off relationship with Mary Jane Watson tugs at our heartstrings. My only criticism of the film is that it's too short to do Venom justice. It should have lasted three hours to give bigger battles with Venom.

I'm glad I had enough time to watch the whole trilogy without interruption over the last three days. I haven't written much about the films. Do I need to? I'm not a professional writer. I'm not paid to write 2000 words a day. If I have something on my mind I'll write it, and if I don't I shan't force myself.

The singer Prince was notorious for his sexual activities. At every party he visited he picked up another woman. His songs were also very sexual. In an interview he was asked what he liked doing most: having sex or writing songs about sex. His initial reaction was to laugh and call it a silly question. Then he became pensive and said that he didn't know the answer. Both were important to him. In the same way, I can be asked whether I prefer watching films or writing about films. I prefer watching films, but after eleven years of writing my blog I find that writing about films is also very important to me. Sometimes I write a big post, and the writing takes up more time than I spent watching the film. I enjoy watching films. I enjoy writing about films. I can't separate the two.

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Spider-Man 2 (5 Stars)

This is the second film in Sam Raimi's brilliant Spider-Man trilogy. As I've said in past reviews, one of the greatest strengths of these three films is the casting. Actors were chosen who looked like the characters in the comics. Alfred Molina looks so much like Doctor Octopus that it's difficult to imagine anyone else ever playing the role.

I recently read that when the first Spider-Man film was planned in the early 2000's Stan Lee requested permission to play J. Jonah Jameson. I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, I admire Stan Lee so much that I'd love to see him in a large role rather than a brief cameo. On the other hand, J. K. Simmons played the part so perfectly that I wouldn't want to see anyone else. Supposedly Steve Ditko based his drawings of J. Jonah Jameson on Stan Lee. I shan't say anything else about it. Whichever decision I make, I'll regret it tomorrow.

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Spider-Man (5 Stars)

In preparation for the new Spider-Man film, "No Way Home", I've decided to re-watch the Sam Raimi trilogy. They're the best Spider-Man films so far, and difficult to live up to. I consider "Spider-Man" (2002) to be the best super-hero film ever made. It's the perfect mix of action, romance and tragedy.

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Spider-Man 3 (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #93

This is the third film in the original Spider-Man trilogy. It neatly ties up all the storylines from the first two films, as well as introducing new villains: Sandman and Venom. I use the names that they were given in the comics. In the film they're referred to as Flint Marko and Eddie Brock.

As in "Spider-Man 2", the opening credits contain a recap of the previous events. A subtle recap, just enough to nudge the viewer's memory, not enough to tell him everything. This time the recap is in the form of photos, not drawings.

The recap includes the Kiss (with a capital K) from the first film. Cold. Rainy. Passionate. And an awkward angle. I've never tried kissing like that. Are there any women who'd volunteer? I shan't hang upside down. I'm not Spider-Man. I'll just lie on a sofa and let you approach me from above for the kiss (with a small K).

The Spider-Man trilogy is the love story of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. That's strongly emphasised in the first film, but it's true of all three films. That's what makes Sam Raimi's films better than the subsequent Spider-Man films. People can relate to love stories, even if they aren't interested in super-heroes.

There are problems for the relationship in the form of a beautiful blonde called Gwen Stacy.

(This is actually in the wrong order. In the comics Gwen Stacy was Peter Parker's girlfriend before he dated Mary Jane).

Peter even kisses Gwen. Just a publicity stunt.

But Mary Jane is shocked. That was her special kiss.

It's even worse when Mary Jane has to see the kiss (with a small K again) on the front page of the newspapers.

It's all made worse by the arrival of an alien symbiote. It bonds to Spider-Man by taking the appearance of a black costume. I have to admit that it looks cool. It gives Spider-Man additional strength when he's wearing it. Unfortunately, it has an adverse effect on his personality. Peter Parker becomes more arrogant and self-centred. This drives away Mary Jane.

Peter's closest friends give him advice. Aunt May speaks words that are wiser than anything she ever said in the comics:

"I don't think it's for us to say whether a person deserves to live or die".

There's also a stranger that Peter meets in the street.

"You know, I guess one person can make a difference. Nuff said!"

One of the side effects of bonding with the symbiote is that Peter Parker becomes irresistible to women. They turn and look at him in the street. He also attracts his landlord's daughter, Ursula Ditkovitch.

Ursula is played by Mageina Tovah. She has a pretty face...

... but she really needs to put on weight. I wouldn't hug her because I'd be afraid I might crush her.

Is there a future for Mary Jane in Peter Parker's life? Can she survive in the shadow of Spidey the Mighty? I shan't give you an answer, but I think you can guess.

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Spider-Man 2 (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #23

I watched this film out of order in my Top 100 countdown. I know that I'm erratic, but in this case I had a good reason. Can you figure it out?

While watching "Spider-Man 2" today I tried to figure out why most fans like it more than the first film. Is it because there's more action? That's the only reason I can think of. In all other respects the first film is either equally good or better.

I like the way that the opening credits are scenes from the first film. It's a kind of summary of "Spider-Man", which was made two years earlier. It's not detailed enough to explain things to anyone who didn't see the first film, but the collection of photos is detailed enough to bring everyone else up to speed.

Peter Parker cradles his dying Uncle Ben in his arms.

Peter stands over Uncle Ben's grave.

The Kiss! This is one of the most iconic scenes in the first film, and there are references to it in the two other films in the trilogy. I praised Sam Raimi for sticking close to the original comics, but this kiss is something new that he's injected into the story. It's done so respectfully that I can't criticise him for the novel idea. It fits the film so well. The MTV Movie Awards have a prize for the Best Kiss. This category is sadly missing from the Academy Awards. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst won the award in 2003. That's the least that they deserve. It wasn't just the Kiss of the Year, it's the Kiss of the Century.

But for all the passion, the Kiss wasn't enough to seal the relationship. Peter Parker walked away while Mary Jane looked on wistfully.

Now Peter can't get away from her. Wherever he goes, he sees her photo on the wall.

The villain of the second film is Otto Octavius, also known as Doctor Octopus. In the comics he's a purely evil character. "Spider-Man 2" portrays him as a complicated character who has noble motives, despite the crimes that he carries out to get what he wants. This makes for a more interesting film, I admit. In Stan Lee's early super-hero comics there was a sharp distinction between good and evil.

In the comics Aunt May disliked Spider-Man, but she praises his nobility as a hero in this film. That's unfortunate. It added to the poignancy of her relationship to her nephew that she thought Spider-Man was a villain. She even preferred Doctor Octopus to Spider-Man, as we see in Amazing Spider-Man #115.

And it almost comes as far as marriage in Amazing Spider-Man #131.

That's something that Sam Raimi let slip through his fingers. He couldn't have gone as far as a wedding in a two-hour film, but he could have spiced up the story with a budding romance between Aunt May and Doctor Octopus. Instead of this he shows Doctor Octopus already being married.

Despite all of this, it's still an excellent film. Maybe it should be a few places higher in my list, even if it's not as good as "Spider-Man".

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Spider-Man (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #8

I'm moving ever closer to the top place in the list of my favourite films. Many of my friends already know what my favourite film is, but I'll keep the rest of you in suspense.

In my opinion, this is the best film ever made based on Marvel heroes. Some people prefer the second Spider-Man film, but I don't understand why. It's a great film, I admit, but the first film is better. What I like about it is that it keeps so close to the original comics and the stories told by Stan Lee. There are a few minor changes, such as Peter Parker being older and his web being organic, but the film keeps very close to the spirit of the comics. The second film deviates more from the source material.

As I've said in my past reviews of this film, the casting choices are miraculous. The director Sam Raimi was meticulous in his choice of actors who looked as similar as possible to the comic book characters. Just look at J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. Who else could have played the part?

Elizabeth Banks looks remarkably like Betty Brant. Compare her with the awful casting of Angourie Rice in the MCU Spider-Man films. Where's Sam Raimi when we need him?

Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris as Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Perfect! Who had the silly idea of casting Marisa Tomei as Aunt May in the new films? Sam Raimi would never have made a mistake like that.

And Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson? I would never have considered her because of her blond hair, but with red dye she looks perfect. She also has the light-headed party girl attitude that we know from the comics.

I could continue by going through every character in the film, but it's late and I don't have the energy. I should put it on my to-do list for the next time I watch the film. It really is a film that I should watch more often.

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