Spiffing film.

Rating: 10/10 (8 November 2006)

Spiderman is a really good comic book adaptation - it is well-written, powerful and intelligent. Instead of just being action and no substance, this film is made great by the fact that it focuses on adolescent problems - girlfriends, exams, that banter, and also builds on the character of Peter Parker - there are times when you really feel sorry from him. The opening scene on the bus is a good one - it captures the humiliation and shyness of being the last one on the bus, and also makes you think about Peter Parker, "God, he's not a popular kid, I feel sorry for him." Uncle Ben's death was hugely powerful and effective - nearly as moving as things in Schindler's List and other tear-jerkers. I have to admit, that bit did upset me a bit. (But I shed no tears.) So you feel glad when Spiderman murders his killer. The bit when Peter Parker and Aunt May arrived home from Peter's graduation celebration made me feel slightly strange - it felt pretty empty and solemn without Uncle Ben. This only makes Spiderman better - it also has a soul, rather than being just plain action with no emotional side (like the sort of rubbish we get in cinemas nowadays). And that is what makes Spiderman a spiffing film.
There is no denying that Spiderman delivers on the action front - it does have a slight terrorist theme, which is pretty daring so close after the 9/11 atrocities. But Spiderman is mostly a tale of revenge, and this is brought to the screen in huge epic battle sequences that you enjoy watching - after all, it is what this film was made for. Comic book adaptations should all aspire to this. My only criticism of this movie was that there should have been a bit more action in it, but apart from that, it was absolutely flawless - there were many stories going on during the film, and we cared about all of them. Well, I did for sure.
This film should be in the Top 250 - it should have beat out that awful trash V For Vendetta easily. Many films these days are trying to mix adolescence into their stories - this is one in which it is done successfully. Whenever there was a death in this film, I felt really moved - they couldn't have been done better. On the whole, Spiderman is an absolutely spiffing comic-book adaptation - one that tackles many areas, and one that sticks in the mind for ages after. A stunning job - I solemnly believe that this was better than the sequel. A film that must be watched multiple times before it really hammers itself home. 10/10