Spider-Man is a lark; enjoy it as such

Move over, Leonardo. Tobey Maguire has become a star and girls just can’t seem to get enough of those soulful blue eyes and boy-next-door charm. The star of Spider-Man had for years been identified with low-keyed, cerebral films that reap accolades but seldom conquer the box office. Think Cider House Rules, Ice Storm and Pleasantville. But his quiet mien also gave the impression that there is a devastating teen idol hiding inside. And that is what came out in the open with the successful live-action version of Spider-Man.

But there is a problem. Maguire, the sensitive actor who can write an acting manual on how to portray smoldering teen angst is excellent as Peter Parker, the high school student bitten by a genetically-engineered spider. But his half-smile, brooding soulful eyes and boy-next-door charm are of no use at all in effecting Maguire’s transformation into the masked, extraordinarily agile and buffed all over Spider-Man. Director Sam Raimi had to call on animation to do that.

This is really not Maguire’s or Raimi’s fault. Spidey creator Stan Lee created an action hero with no thought of a three-dimensional, large screen future. That was not so with Superman whose perfectly turned out features are prominently displayed in every frame or of Batman who is always easily distinguishable inside the mask. The challenge with these two superheroes is to make them plausible human beings and to suspend the audiences’ disbelief that Superman looks too much like Clark Kent and Batman like Bruce Wayne so why are those other characters so dumb that they can’t make the connection?

It is not so with Spider-Man. What we have are two very different characters trying to be one superhero. As a result, not much can be identified of Tobey while Spidey swings from the rooftops and scales the walls of skyscrapers as the famous web-swinger. Why that might be just another stuntman doing his job, which he probably is, or a computer-generated figure, which it probably is. But take him out of Parker’s clutches and Spider-Man amazes. Motion picture special-effects technology has indeed come so far that action of the impossible kind now moves seamlessly across the screen.

So we have Maguire in heartbreaking perfection as Peter Parker in an engaging coming-of-age film about an orphaned teenager coping with unrequited love and having to be at the mercy of relatives. He would be happy with extra spending money. He would be in heaven if he would have the guts to tell Mary Jane how he feels. Raimi, who also directed the affecting A Simple Plan, deftly traces this territory and Maguire responds with grace. The audience reacts with empathy. There is no need for a superhero here because movie-goers would have cheered just the same for a sign that Parker is over his shyness and is putting those bullies in their places.

On the other side is the dizzying adventures of the famous webswinger. A very sleek piece of filmmaking that is as thrilling and exciting as every page of the comics. Name an action word and Spidey does it. Jump, slide, fall, run, stick, climb, fly, etc. etc.etc. Why it is Tarzan with webbing in an urban jungle! It is Quasimodo in the bell tower of Notre Dame! It is Tigger jumping up and down with glee. The kids are delighted. The adults are glad they are finally still after being restless while Parker is going through the agonies of high school.

There are two very different films trying to become one in Spider-Man and all that we have to tie them up together is Maguire’s very distinctive introduction. "I am Spider-Man," he says with the tightest of expressions. What else could you expect? The guy is under a mask! But it works and is so distinctive that Maguire will now forever be remembered for those three words. It would be interesting to find out how effective he will be with other roles when his voice will always and ever be Spider-Man’s.

That is the least of his problems though. With a record-breaking $100 million plus at the box-office during its first week, Spider-Man has now become one of the biggest-grossing films of all time. The sequel is already in the works and earmarked for a May, 2003 release. There might be another one on 2004 and so on and so on until Spidey has fought the Lizard, Voltan, the Werewolf and gone through all of the comicbook villains he had encountered these past 40 years and married Mary Jane.

The kids are not complaining either. It is such a thrill just watching Spidey make a web, stick to the ceiling and learn all about what buttons to push to put his powers into use. Neither are the teenagers who have discovered somebody to identify with in the shy and insecure Peter Parker. And because they have waited for this film version of Spider-Man for many, many years the adults are simply glad that the wait is finally over.

Next year though, I hope that Spider-Man will be completely out of the high school milieu and going about in the adult world. Maguire is no teenager and could be pushing 30. Although he managed to pull off the first one , I doubt if he will still be able to look 18 a year later. I hope that there will be villains who will be able to get it into their heads that they have to act real although they are playing comic book characters. And I must also say this of the other actors in the film who I believe were saddled with badly developed or dull, under-developed characters.

Of course, those things only matter if you think of the movies as a more filling treat than eye-candy. If not, then Spider-Man is a lark. Enjoy it as such.