He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. Friedrich Nietzsche

Monsters, are what Spider-Man faces everyday: thieves, murderers, and super villains. He fights them, risking life and limb, and not to mention a social life in order to save the weak. And after fighting the monsters, people without care or rules; he goes about his life without the mask and follow the restraint.

He is superior and superhuman and yet he has to get along. It would have been perfect because it takes a superhuman amount of belief in ones own power and faith in humanity – to the law – for anyone not to give in to their inner monsters.

Alas, Spider-Man is all too human. A nerd in highschool, he has endured being bullied and being thought of as nothing. The situation has not changed even when he graduated. He is still being pushed around physically, mentally, and by circumstance; all the while having powers and advantages which can help him break the rules and fight those who bully him.

Spider-Man III sees Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finally forget all the rules.

The film starts off the opposite of what had been usual in the last two sequels. Parker gets the adulation he has been waiting for so long, both from the people of New York and his long time love, Mary Jane. The hounded vigilante was now like a rockstar receiving high profile public praises such as receiving the “key to the city”. The once humble boy has now developed a sense of entitlement.

Unfortunately not everything is going right. Mary Jane’s life on the other hand has taken an opposite direction. All the adulation and a new sense of entitlement has made our hero was insensitive to his girlfriend’s plight. To make matters worse Harry Osborn, now a fully capable Green Goblin, was only too happy to see the strain in the relationship of his “best friends”.

Work was not exempt from problems either with the entrance of Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), a new photographer for the Daily Bugle. Parker now has competition in an already low paying job. His oversized ego was beginning to show signs of frustration. If the city adores him then why can’t Spider-Man have everything?

He just can’t as fate would later teach him. News of an escaped felon, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), reached him and he snapped when he learned that Marko was the actual killer of his Uncle. Using the alien symbiote which he had just discovered he confronts the Marko, now known as Sandman, with lethal force. As a black Spider-Man, he was mad and out of control; for once enjoying that he can break the rules. Thankfully he had Mary Jane to bring him back to sanity.

Spider-Man III started off poorly in the sense you would have to remember some parts of the second to get in a flow. The opening credits did show some recaps but it’s a bad way to start. It is an aftershock, I think, of the Lord of the Rings which essentially had one big story cut into three.
Spider-Man had three enemies total for the film: Venom, a new Green Goblin, and the Sandman. Getting them introduced made the movie seem disjointed, and in many parts it is dragging and boring. The movie’s pacing could have been done better but at least it was all for a good cause because you’ll have a bonanza of costume figures at the end.

True to its advertisements of a battle within, Spider-Man III has had more focus on Parker than his enemies. Never was the spotlight brighter than when he wore the black suit which increased his power and robbed him of his inhibitions – and manners too. I didn’t like the way they tried to make Tobey Maguire look ‘bad’. He seemed more a pervert than someone who is evil. Maybe there is a physical limitation to acting as Tobey still looked boyish and nice. It was just laughable.

I don’t get why Topher Grace was cast as Eddie Brock/Venom. I was expecting more of physically imposing or an evil looking villain because Topher has that same boyish look that Tobey Maguire has. But I guess that is the point. Brock is what Spider-Man could have become had he forgotten all sense of right and wrong.

The movie’s highpoint is the battle scenes, of course, it helped that he had more than one enemy. It all mixed up beautifully at the end and with an interesting twist too.

So how does a hero keep from the inevitable danger of being a monster while battling monsters? I believe Spider-Man III has answered it: the hero must not be alone. It is not easy always doing the right thing; harder even when one has to be alone.

A hero is an example, admired, but most of all, he is followed. If no one understands or follows then a hero ceases to exist.

Spider-Man II


Often a sequel is nothing but a ruse to sell an idea that has already expired, and I am happy to say that Spider-Man II is not one of those. Yes, the formula remained the same - ordinary guy with extraordinary powers - but the character has gone through more difficult times and greater challenges.

We start off by seeing Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) doing a difficult “juggling act”. He has to study; work for a living; and in between wear that red and blue costume and save the world.

It was a near impossible juggle even with the best of us. After a late pizza delivery our hero loses his job. He was also failing in school because of tardiness and lack of energy in class.

And as if failing in school and losing a job was not enough, he had to hear comments like, “brilliant but lazy” or “you can’t keep a promise.” Hurtful words if you think about it for someone who has given time and dedication in helping everybody else. But that is not the straw that broke the camel’s back as they say. As with many superhero stories the heart of the hero’s anguish always points to a girl.

Mary Jane’s (Kirsten Dunst) star was on the rise and though she never thought badly of Parker who always seemed lost and haggard, she greatly resented the fact that he did even care to see her act on stage. She dates another man. With problems like these our hero could have relied on the best friend but Harry Osborn (James Franco) proved no solace as his obsession with killing Spider-Man became more and more obvious.

His personal life in shambles and compounded by slanderous articles by the Daily Bugle of Spider-Man, Parker begins to show signs of stress; his powers were disappearing. And when the problem became even more pronounced, his dedication for duty also disappeared. He quit being Spider-Man.

Or so he thought. While in hiatus he founds out his worth. His life may be more in control but the city was not. Furthermore, no one else but Spider-Man can keep Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) in check. In the end, Peter Parker accepts who he is: he is both Spider-Man and Peter Parker.

The action scenes have improved in this movie mainly because it depended on more special effects. In part one the pivotal with the Green Goblin was done at night robbing the viewer of being astounded by the details. One on one they seemed like what they are two men fighting.

Here, in battles with Doc Ock the surrounding areas were varied and well lit as it always happened by day. What helped, I think, was that Doc Ock having eight appendages added to the more unique flavor in the battle scenes of part two.

I liked the story too. Peter Parker’s problems were even more pronounced and defined than in part one. The entire ensemble of actors did not loose a beat; they mixed well and played their roles beautifully. J.K. Simmons who plays J. Jonah Jameson was a great comic relief. James Franco (Harry Osborn) was better than in the first, in having a more darker role here in the sequel. I don’t have anything flattering to say about Alfred Molina but he looked ok.

What I don’t like is that there seems a wanton disregard for secrecy in this picture for too many people have seen Spider-Man without the mask. I suppose it is unavoidable. Followers of the comic book know Mary Jane is one who knows the secret, but I am unsure if, in the comics, Harry Osborn is given that secret as well. But why does Spider-Man have to be unmasked in the train? Feels wrong.

Regardless of my above mentioned misgivings I greatly enjoyed this movie. As the story shows, being of two minds can be troublesome. There is always a choice, they say, but the operative word there is choose. At least for this review, I choose to say that Spider-Man II is one superhero film you should not miss.

I love this soundtrack of Spider-man I. It has a nice tune, and at least from the title it was a perfect fit to one of the best big screen adaptations of a comic book hero.

Reading the lyrics however is confusing. There is this line “Watch as we all fly away”. At first glance it sounded like a man on a retreat; it reminds you of cowardice and fear, something that is never the trait of heroes.

I was reading it over and over and I thought this can’t be right.

But then I remembered one interview of Stan Lee I saw in the Discovery channel. He was one of many speakers in a feature about popular comic book heroes. Stan Lee was one of the speakers (the main one I think) in Spider-man.

The webslinger, Stan Lee said, is different from the rest because he never wanted the responsibility. Superman was born super, and Batman trained his life for revenge. Peter Parker is just struggling to pass school and get the eye of Mary Jane.

Remember the famous line, “with great power comes great responsibility”? To us it sounds like an advice or a sermon, that if we may find ourselves with power or in the advantage, we have the responsibility to share and care for others. For Spiderman, however, it is a [painful] reminder not to be irresponsible so that no one may experience what he had gone through with Uncle Ben.

So if we go by Stan Lee’s rationale of the Spider-man, the theme song Hero works in a way like reverse psychology. People crave for heroes, people pray for heroes, but no one wants to step forward. The song does not advocate heroism but points out the lack of volunteers. Spider-man does not want to step forward either, in fact he called his powers “a curse”... yet he tries. That’s all we can hope for I think, someone who will step forward.

Why wait for a hero when it is us?