Spider-Man | Teen Ink

Spider-Man

April 16, 2019
By MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
678 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Spider-Man is one of the very first superhero movies to come out that truly impressed people and revolves around the Marvel superhero character, Spider-Man, who's real name is Peter Parker. Peter is just an ordinary teenager with typical problems. He has to deal with bullies at his public school, struggle with trying to get the girl he likes to feel the same about him, and to make things even worse, Peter also feels bad that both of his parents are dead, which is why he lives with aunt and uncle. However, Peter's entire life gets thrown upside down when he gets bitten by a genetically-altered spider while on a school field-trip. Even though Peter doesn't make much of it at first, by the time he returns home, he passes out from exhaustion. When Peter wakes up, strange things begin to happen to him, including being able to climb up walls, sticking to unusual things, and having uncanny reflexes. Despite how Peter Parker doesn't truly understand why, he gains the ability to have superhuman strength and cling to practically any surface imaginable, leading Peter to believe that he has somehow gained great power. However, although having his powers sound awesome at first, Peter soon learns the hard way of how it can be a downside, as he truly learns the meaning of great power comes with great responsibility, which leads to him vowing to fight crime with his newfound powers. It is through this that Peter Parker transforms into Spider-Man, but neither Peter nor Spider-Man know what they are truly up against when they begin to fight a hardcore criminal, instead of just street thugs, in the Green Goblin. Not only must Spider-Man do his best to keep Manhattan safe, but Peter Parker must also struggle to keep his secrets hidden. Both Peter Parker and Spider-Man will suddenly learn that they greatly underestimated how difficult living two lives would be, and however mighty they might be, they are still just teenagers, so all of this might prove to be too grand of a task.  

 Spider-Man is a truly engaging superhero movie that knows how to make audiences relate and feel for its protagonist that shines. The movie instantly became a classic and is the first movie in the original Spider-Man trilogy, while also being one of the first modern superhero movies in general. The script of the entire film is simply brilliant, and not only acts as a homage to the well-known comics, but it also created a Spider-Man for the modern-day and age for the time, which was one of the main goals of the movie, if not the greatest. The beginning of the movie jumpstarts the movie flawlessly, and not only does it introduce audiences to Peter Parker, but it also sets up the rest of the movie for success through careful planning and precision. The middle of the movie marvelously progresses things along and is jam-packed with so much character development to the point that each and every character in the movie changes for the better during this portion. The enticing ending of the movie proves to be both exhilarating and manages to conclude all loose ends, which is its true purpose. Despite the fact that the movie doesn't haven't have too many thrilling twists and turns, the ones that it does have are quite elaborate and manage to elevate the movie to the next level, because they are simply that outrageously clever.

 Spider-Man is based off of one of Marvel's best superhero characters and is one of Stan Lee's greatest creations, who was one of the main minds behind Marvel. As a comic book character, Spider-Man was able to become a massive success, despite how others felt that the concept would prove to be a flop. At that time in history, superheroes were typically adults that managed to do crazy feats that were surely impossible and still managed to come home to eat dinner with their families, making them seem idealistic. Because of this, Stan Lee saw an opportunity to revolutionize the superhero genre by creating a character that was severely flawed, making him relatable. This character is precisely Peter Parker. Peter is far from being a muscular athlete that demolishes all of the obstacles in his path. Instead, he is just an ordinary person with ordinary problems, making him a character that just about anyone and everyone can relate to. Because of all of this, the movie needed to stay true to the comic books and create a movie-version of the famous superhero. The movie did precisely that. The Spider-Man presented on the big screen is easy to like and is someone that everyone can root for. Unlike other superheroes, Spider-Man isn't solely extraordinary, and this very idea is presented clearly in the movie. In the movie, Peter Parker must deal with horrible loss, just like everyone else in the world. Peter makes mistakes, which all humans do. This gets coupled together with the fact that he gets his powers through basically shear luck, making it seem like anyone could become Spider-Man, since nothing makes him special, except for the spider's bite. 


 Spider-Man greatly benefits from a truly frightening villain that still remains to this day as one of the best super villains of all time in a superhero movie. The villain of the movie is called the Green Goblin, and not only does he have an intriguing connection to Spider-Man, but his very nature of being chaotic manages to smartly contrast with Spider-Man's innocent nature of trying to fight crime for the sole purpose of doing the right thing. The Green Goblin is genuinely menacing, and at times, it becomes impossible for audiences to not actually fear the fearless Green Goblin, who isn't afraid of doing whatever it takes to achieve his goals. Throughout the entirety of the movie, there are epic battles between the duo, which are nothing short of awesome to watch. 


 Spider-Man has the rare ability to say that it is enjoyed by both critics and viewers alike. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie an exceptionally high 90%, which is just such an impressive mark, and an outstanding 91% of Google users liked the movie, demonstrating that such a wide variety of audiences found satisfaction with the movie, helping to cement the idea this movie is certainly worth watching. 

 Spider-Man is an instant classic that will never cease to amaze people, and this movie will surpass any and all previous expectations. The movie shatters all barriers to create a tale that has aged wonderfully and is a must-see. Not only did this movie help to kickstart an era where superhero movies are common, but it also helped to revolutionize the superhero industry as a whole. This movie proves to be just as amazing as the webbed slinger himself.


The author's comments:

"Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: 'With great power, comes great responsibility.' This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Spiderman." - Spider-Man/Peter Parker


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