Casting Call Issue 4: Spider-Man
Posted by Jason Chamberlain on 04.25.2007
Jason Chamberlain does everything a spider can (sorry, couldn't resist) in the new issue of Casting Call, and discusses the first instalment of Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man's film franchise! Action is his reward!
Hey everyone, and welcome to the fourth issue of Casting Call.
I don't know about you, gentle reader, but when I read a book, or play a video game, or watch a TV show or a movie, my primary goal, aside from being entertained of course, is to step into another world. I'm always puzzled by people who religiously watch ‘real world' shows like Law and Order, CSI, and ER. I see enough of the real world every day, and I don't want to see it in my entertainment. I want to see things that are impossible in our world. I want to see dreams realized. I want to get the fleeting sensation that I can fly, or have super strength, or swing from webs. In games you get this feeling through your controller, and in movies and television, you get them vicariously through the characters (see? It really does come back to the characters!).
So that's why my interests usually lead me to the Star Wars universe, or into Middle Earth, or the pages of a comic book. And while a lot of people will tell you that such genre work is unintelligent and hokey, nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, countless incredible stories and memorable characters have been borne out of genres. I'm not saying every show or movie that is based in science fiction and fantasy elements is great. Certainly, like any concept, some are ill conceived and poorly executed. But for my money, when a genre show or movie is done well, with the right writers, directors, and cast, it blows ‘every day' entertainment right out of the water.
Something that Joss Whedon accomplished to perfection with Buffy the Vampire Slayer was presenting a remarkable world populated with real people, and that is when genre is at its best; when it shows you what ordinary people would do in extraordinary circumstances. That way, the audience can truly go on the journey and live vicariously through the characters. None of us have ever been super powered vampire hunters, but plenty of us could identify with Buffy's challenges growing up and learning to be a responsible adult. None of us have ever been werewolves, witches or souled vampires, but all of us could relate on some level with Oz, Willow, Angel and Spike.
The same kind of appeal can be found in comic books. For decades, millions of people around the world have been enthralled by the adventures of different super heroes, and many genre shows have acknowledged their debt to comic books. Comics were really the first medium to popularize serial storytelling, crafting long arcs with characters that grew and changed over time. And while most super heroes like Superman and the Fantastic Four dealt with epic problems like saving the world, some, like Daredevil and the X-Men, also had to focus on dealing with their powers while trying to lead relatively normal lives.
You'd have to be living under a rock to have missed the onslaught of comic book movies that have been released over the last decade. Comics companies like Marvel, DC and even Dark Horse found Hollywood calling at their doors, and the results have been stellar; millions of dollars in revenue and several careers launched into the stratosphere in blockbuster after blockbuster. This gives long time comics fans the opportunity to see their favourite characters brought to life on the big screen, and it gives non comic fans the chance to enjoy some distilled moments from the greatest arcs and characters in comic history. A win-win, I would say.
It also gives me the chance to discuss a number of my favourite superheroes within this column. And what better place to start than with arguably the most successful superhero film franchise of all time? This franchise has already spawned two blockbusters, with another a mere two weeks away, and people are already speculating about future instalments. Of course I am talking about the Spider-Man movies, and in this column, I'm going to talk about everyone's favourite web head.
I could gush for hours about what makes Spider-Man such an amazing character, and his creator, Stan Lee, a genius... but I'll try not to. Besides, I need to fill two more columns about this guy! So I'll try to start small.
When Stan Lee created Spider-Man decades ago, his goal was to create a fallible hero that anyone could relate to, be they young or old, boy or girl. He took certain steps in order to do this; first, he decided that the character would be a teenager. This way, he would have to deal with all sorts of problems that were relatable to millions of adolescents; going on dates, getting zits, failing in school, you name it. He made sure that Spider-Man wasn't unbeatable, and in fact took quite a while to get used to his powers, how to use them, and what to do with them. And finally, he decided that the costume should cover Peter Parker head to toe, so that you didn't see any of his skin. In this way, any person, of any gender or race, could imagine themselves inside that costume, performing Spider-Man's incredible feats of heroism. Judging from the character's immense popularity and years of financial and critical success, I'd say Stan succeeded.
It was only a matter of time before such a popular character made the leap to films, and when the project finally became reality, it did so with quality people at the helm. With Sam Raimi directing and Tobey Maguire portraying Peter Parker/Spidey, buzz was good and when the film was released, a lot of fans considered it to be the best superhero adaptation ever made. So let's talk about it!
Presenting Spider-Man (as performed by Tobey Maguire), from the franchise's first instalment.
As I mentioned before, one of Stan Lee's primary goals in creating Spider-Man was to make him as relatable as possible, and the film immediately goes to work on this facet of the character. Like many of the recent superhero movies, this film is an origin story. When it begins, Peter Parker is still his normal self, not yet gifted (or cursed) with his super powers. In fact, you might say the most remarkable aspect of Peter Parker when the movie begins is how unremarkable he is. In a movie that begins in a high school setting, you may expect the super powers to be given to the star quarterback, or the charismatic guy that fits in with everyone.
Peter Parker is neither of those things.
Put simply, Peter Parker is... well, he's a geek. He's on the chess team, he wears glasses, he hunches when he walks, he's awkward, he can't talk to the girl of his dreams, and his only friend is fellow outcast Harry Osborn (an outcast because of his riches, not his personality). Even the bus driver likes to have fun with Peter, letting the poor guy chase the bus for a few blocks every morning. When he finally does catch the bus, the cool kids throw paper at him and even the fellow geeks refuse to let him share their seats. Nobody likes Peter!
There are a bunch of little moments that clearly illustrate Peter's social awkwardness. Waiting in line on a field trip, he sees Mary Jane look in his direction and wave. He returns the gesture enthusiastically, until he notices she was looking past him to two of her friends. Later when he sees Mary Jane waiting for a bus, he waits in the distance trying to figure out the perfect way to say hello to her. He literally tries different inflections of the word hello. Anyone who has ever had a hard time talking to the object of their affections can completely relate to the scene, and laugh at it too.
In both the comics and this movie, Peter doesn't immediately decide to use his new gifts as a force for good. Once he is bitten by the spider and his powers start to manifest themselves, he wins an inadvertent fight with the school bully quite handily, and when he sees MJ with her jerk boyfriend Flash in his new car, he decides to use his new skills to earn some money by competing in a wrestling match. After all, in a culture full of people looking for their fifteen minutes of fame, I'm sure that most individuals given such a gift would seek to profit from it. Peter starts on this path as well, and it takes a tragedy to set him on the path of a hero.
Peter is like any other teenager in another way; rebellion! Though he dearly loves his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, he's still a teenager, and when Uncle Ben tries to teach him a lesson about responsibility, he throws it back in his face, reminding him that he's not his father. After Peter is short changed after the wrestling show, the promoter is robbed, and when Peter has the chance to stop the crook, a moment of vindictiveness moves him to stand aside and allow the criminal to escape. He's understandably angry at the promoter, but heroic behaviour it is not.
Peter doesn't realize the depth of his mistake until he finds his Uncle Ben lying in the street, mortally wounded by a car jacker... the very same criminal that Peter could have stopped. Peter gets his revenge, but it's hollow; his Uncle Ben is gone, and Peter can't forgive himself for his behaviour during their last meeting.
The responsibility that Peter feels for his uncle's death is the cornerstone of his identity in both the comics and this movie franchise. It is Uncle Ben's words to Peter, "With great power comes great responsibility" that form the bedrock of his belief system; he now realizes he was given these gifts for a reason, and he has a responsibility to do something positive with them. It is only after this realization that Spider-Man is truly born.
He sets out trying to right wrongs across the city, foiling robbers and muggers, but a greater challenge is soon revealed. The father of his best friend Harry, Norman Osborn, has become the monstrous Green Goblin, and in his lunacy Osborn launches many attacks against the city and its inhabitants that Spidey must defend against. Interestingly, the Goblin initially proposes a truce with Spider-Man, and tries to convince him to abandon his heroic quest and make use of his powers for personal gain. The Goblin's case isn't all that ludicrous either; he rightly points out that people find Spider-Man fascinating as a sideshow but that many will eventually turn on him for his differences. But as we've seen, Peter has already learned his lesson about responsibility, and his rejection of the Goblin's offer only serves to further infuriate the villain.
Inevitably, Osborn/Goblin learns Peter's true identity and immediately takes advantage of the knowledge, first attacking and hospitalizing Aunt May and then kidnapping MJ. When Spider-Man catches up with the Goblin for the film's finale, he is offered an impossible choice; save Mary Jane and let innocent children die, or save the children and let the love of his life fall to a terrible death. As the Goblin tells him, "We are who we choose to be." The Goblin has chosen, but so has Peter. With a seemingly impossible feat, and with the help of some fellow New Yorkers, he manages to save both the children and Mary Jane, once again proving his heroism. In their ensuing final battle, Spider-Man beats the Goblin into submission, whereupon Osborn reveals his true face. He tries to dupe Peter into trusting him and looking at him as a father figure, all the while manoeuvring his glider into killing position, but Peter isn't fooled. He confidently names Ben Parker as his real father, and discovers the Goblin's ruse fast enough to jump out of the way, leaving the Goblin to be impaled by his own glider.
Even in this victory, however, Peter can't take much solace. After all, his best friend's father is dead, and Harry, unaware of Peter's double life or of his father's horrific actions, blames Spider-Man and swears vengeance. It's this reality that makes Peter realize that in order to keep his loved ones safe, he can't allow them to get too close. When his dream comes true and Mary Jane returns his love, he has no choice but to offer only his friendship; Spider-Man will always have enemies, and he can't allow them to harm her in order to get to him. By giving up the thing he wants the most, Peter once and for all cements his status as a hero, and dedicates his life to helping others.
It's a journey he'll continue in Spider-Man 2, and I'll continue this journey next week, when I talk about Spidey's development through the second film in his trilogy. I hope you enjoyed this week's issue. Take care!
