Spider-Man,
directed by Sam Raimi, is yet another recent film bringing
a comic book character to the screen. Peter Parker (played
by Tobey Maguire), an intelligent but nerdy high school senior
in Queens, provides voiceovers at the beginning that the story
is about Mary Jane Watson (played by Kirsten Dunst), a girl
whom he has loved ever since she moved next door when they
were both six years of age. However, Mary Jane is popular
with the macho boys, who in turn tease Peter. One day the
science class in his high school takes a trip to the arachnid
lab at Columbia University, where they get a guided tour of
the many spiders in the university's collection, including
some hybrid species. However, one of the genetically modified
spiders (thus updating the 1962 comic book, which features
a radioactive spider) has escaped captivity. After the uncaged
spider bites Peter, he goes home too exhausted to eat, crashes
on the floor of his bedroom, and he notices that he has considerable
musculature when he awakens for school in the morning. At
school, he outfights a bully, surprising everyone, and afterward
he tests his new powers to discover that he is now part-spider.
One day, to earn $3,000, he enters the ring to challenge a
wrestling champ; dressed in a special outfit, the emcee calls
him Spider-Man, and he dethrones the champ. Meanwhile, brilliant
researcher Norman Osborn (played by Willem Dafoe) has a Defense
Department contract to develop a potion that will confer superhuman
strength. Visiting Defense Department officials, on ascertaining
that he has made no progress on lavish funding, are determined
to terminate his contract if he cannot come up with results
in two weeks. Accordingly, Osborn drinks the potion and indeed
develops superhuman powers that can be turned on and off with
the aid of an evil-looking Green Goblin mask. Thus, the story
presents the classic opposition between Good and Evil. Spider-Man
becomes famous for humanitarian deeds, while the Green Goblin
conducts a reign of terror. Ultimately, the two confront one
another, with a predictable victor. Mary Jane is rescued several
times by Spider-Man and gradually falls in love with Peter.
But Peter chooses not to reveal his dual identity, so they
both suffer the fate of unrequited love. Thus, the stage is
set for Spider-Man II, which will be released
in 2004, with both Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in the
lead roles. Willem Dafoe, having been vanquished, will be
replaced by new evil characters, all according to the script
of the comic book. MH
I
want to comment on this film
