This post is for Cine TV Contest #118 - Favorite Super Hero Movie
Introduction
Without doubt, the Spider-Man phenomenon has enjoyed many decades of success, only equal to that of Superman or Batman.
Although Spider-Man can’t fly like Superman, he is a true master of the art and skill of climbing up and down virtually any surface and building; he can also hang, and weave a web just like a spider, which is where his name comes from.
I think that the idea of turning an ordinary man literally into a spider, after he gets bitten by a radiation-infected insect in the lab, is ingenious, and it is what makes this superhero concept unique.
What Ι loved/hated about the film
What I loved most about this film is that crime is punished in the end.
This sets the moral tone throughout the film, and this is a good thing, because it was watched by big audience of children back then.
In fact, Peter Parker, a young postgraduate student and professional photographer in the making, who becomes Spider-Man, uses his superpowers right when they are needed most, that is, in a situation where an extortionist “Guru” demands ransom, otherwise he warns that he will use microwave frequencies to hypnotize respected citizens otherwise above suspicion, and push them to commit robberies and suicide.
However, generally speaking, I wouldn’t agree with the idea of humanity staying there and waiting for a superhero to come and save it, because people should also make use of their own powers, skills, and brains. Actually, this is not far from what Captain Barbara seems to believe for the police.
Besides, this idea of a superior human being can prove, and have proved, to be dangerous for society and humanity in many cases in the past, so it should be used carefully and prudently in films, I think.
This is not the case in this film, of course, since the hero describes himself as a “poverty-struck student”.
Therefore, possessing superpowers can only help him overcome obstacles in his life and career.
Because, let’s face it, it sometimes it takes the powers of a superhero to overcome rejection from a superior or an employer, just like Peter Parker who is constantly rejected and ignored by the chief editor of the Bugle newspaper.
But, when, purely by accident, he becomes half-man, half-insect, and these superpowers are suddenly and unexpectedly given to him, his life and luck are turned around, to say the least.
Performance of the actors/actress that left an impression
I particularly liked how Spider-Man moved up and down vertical buildings.
He kept stopping to check around with caution for a few moments, and then going ahead with a movement that fitness fans today know as “bear crawl”.
I also liked how the 10 potential suicide committers acted as they were really hypnotized.
Sources and further reading:
Spider-Man (1977 film)