What’s your honest opinion of “Spiderman?”

[Dano]

As someone who never read comic books, my only real frame of reference was occasionally watching that old cartoon show they did - the one that used the same "swinging-from-building-to-building" clip like three or four times per episode.  I really liked the movie.  All of the actors were very good - with the casting of Cliff Robertson being a real stroke of genius.  Whoever played the newspaper editor was also great.  I was upset when Peter and MaryJane didn't get together at the end... but then it hit me that the fact that I was upset meant I had become attached to the characters, which I think is a real hallmark of a good movie.  

My only gripe was with the CGI looking fake... but could they have possibly done that stuff with a stuntman?  Who knows?  I think they should refrain from CGI depicting characters until they get the cartoonish look worked out of the system.

On MaryJane looking like a "cheap whore":  I don't get this at all!  She looked like a working class kid most of the time - which is what she was supposed to be.  Does a girl have to wrap herself up in LL Bean or an evening gown to avoid looking like a cheap whore?

[Chadzilla]

Dano wrote:
>
> As someone who never read comic books, my only real frame of
> reference was occasionally watching that old cartoon show
> they did - the one that used the same
> "swinging-from-building-to-building" clip like three or four
> times per episode.  

Even as a kid I notice that the skyline was a couple o' hundred feet BENEATH Spidey, what were his webs clinging to, clouds?  Airplanes?  The Goodyear Blimp?


> With the casting of Cliff Robertson
> being a real stroke of genius.

His dying breath "Peter!" makes my eyes tear up everytime, damn what a great choice, and his slow burn hurt at Peter's "Stop trying to be my Dad!" was dead on target.  Of course, he won't get nominated for an Oscar, not for playing such a small and meaningless roll in a children's action movie.

>  Whoever played the newspaper
> editor was also great.  

That would be J.K. Simmons and he WAS Jameson, it was so dead on it was scary.  I hope they use more of him in the next movie.

> On MaryJane looking like a "cheap whore":  I don't get this
> at all!  She looked like a working class kid most of the time
> - which is what she was supposed to be.  Does a girl have to
> wrap herself up in LL Bean or an evening gown to avoid
> looking like a cheap whore?
>

The exact same comment (veiled by 'a little bit slutty') was made by the poster back when Spiderman was in theaters, I think its personal issue more than a critical one, honestly (with no disrespect intended in anyway whatsoever).  Perhaps the costume design and look of MJ just stirs up bad mojo.  It happens.  When my first true love ripped out my heart and stomped it flatter than a pancake the sight of any redhead in a movie just made me want to scream "DIE B*TCH!" at the screen.  Got over it (John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness was a BIG help in that dark year or so before I met my wonderul wife, who is a redhead by the way. :-) )  Still, the Cheap Whore comment, man that's llllllow!

[Bernie]

Thanks, Chad, for singling him out.  I forgot to mention him.  A gift from the casting gods!

[John]

>Why didn’t the Goblin just unmask Spiderman when he knocked him out with
>gas?

Superhero rule #5 I think; the bad guy can never unmask the hero. The villains in the old Batman TV show spent a great deal of time trying to trace Batman back to the Batcave to discover his real identity, but not one of them ever thought to pull off the mask when they had him tied up.

>Even as a kid I notice that the skyline was a couple o' hundred feet BENEATH
>Spidey, what were his webs clinging to, clouds? Airplanes? The Goodyear
>Blimp?

I thought the same thing, he'd just shoot a web and go swinging right where he needed to. If you stand on one building and shoot a web onto another, then swing on it, wouldn't you end up smashing itno the second building?

As for the movie, I haven't seen it yet.

[Fearless Freep]

>Why didn’t the Goblin just unmask Spiderman when he knocked him out with gas?

Superhero rule #5 I think; the bad guy can never unmask the hero.

So how would that work with Superman.

"Hmm...who is this guy?  Let's see what he looks like...with a bigger rubber clown nose?  Nope, not familiar...how about with some platform shoes and bell bottoms?..nope, can't place him.  How 'bout with same glasses?...Hey!  I know this guy!"

[Chadzilla]

Fearless Freep wrote:
>
>  
> So how would that work with Superman.
>
> "Hmm...who is this guy?  Let's see what he looks like...with
> a bigger rubber clown nose?  Nope, not familiar...how about
> with some platform shoes and bell bottoms?..nope, can't place
> him.  How 'bout with same glasses?...Hey!  I know this guy!"
>


BILL SIMON!?!

Sorry, California joke.

[Evan3]

Or what would they do if they did unmask Spider Man, I know what he looks like and can find his face in a city of millions!!! hahahahaha!!!!! Unless he has his driving license on him, I think he is pretty safe, even if unmasked.

[J.R.]

Is it just me or did the scene in the burning building where the Goblin spins around and knocks Spidey across the room seem very Evil Dead-esque?