Unfortunately, I rushed to the Galleria Theater in hopes of seeing a film that would relieve all the stress endured over the past week. Rushing from work in hopes of getting to the 4:35 p.m. matinee viewing I enthusiastically hurried my date with great fervor.

However, I slowly but surely felt the enthusiasm leek out of me like a spider being sprayed with Raid, as my interest slowly drained like the poisonous effects of Bug Spray eventually stopping a spider in its tracks. Since when did watching my favorite Marvel Comic’s childhood Super Hero deal with confusing real life issues become entertaining?

Perhaps I’m still a big kid, coming to the movies like a wide eyed naïve little boy thinking that my cartoon hero would wham and bam the bad guys as Director Sam Raimi brings the amazing “Spider-Man” to life in an action flick where my hero triumphantly entangles evil into his spider web.

WARNING: I hope this opinion does not spoil the movie for anyone, and I promise not to tell the whole plot.

Actor Tobey Maguire plays the sinewy Peter Parker getting bit by a super spider while on a field trip which is suppose to turn him into the web slinging superhero Spider-Man.

All throughout the movie Peter Parker is infatuated with the pleasing yet troubled Mary Jane Watson played by actress Kristen Dunst. Director Raimi decides to give the audience a real life look into a dysfunctional family where a distressed high school girl is verbally abused by her stepfather, who’s only role in the movie is to yell and scream at her, make negative comparison to her mother and demand a cold beer.

I personally wanted the Green Goblin, the movies villain played by actor William Dafoe to beat him up. Dafoe plays a good villain and looked like a Goblin even when he was not wearing the mask.

Seriously, as a Social Worker I honestly tried to leave the job at the office, however after watching poor Mary Jane move out of an abusive home, break up with a bully, then struggle on her own working in a sleazy diner in the big city, I automatically thought about making a referral for her to get help.

Perhaps that’s one of the big problems with some Social Workers, like me is that we sometimes want to fix everybody and everything, even characters in movies.

I'm sorry, but I could not help feeling sorry for poor little Mary Janewho just couldn’t catch a break to save her life. Here is a young teenager who finally broke up with the high school bully only to be courted by a rich kid played by actor James Franco who also had serious family problems.

It appears my naiveté has gotten the best of me, for a PG-13 movie I immediately wondered why I was grappling with some major real life issues. Although Marvel Comics made Peter Parker imperfect with identifiable human traits, this movie goes over board with various social issues.

Honestly, life is full of real life issues dealing with our various insecurities, frustrations, disappointment, poor relationship choices, and the difficult issues of death and dying. However this evening, I just wanted a break, I just wanted to go to a make believe world where the good guy wins and I could float on cloud nine.

The acting in the movie was pretty good, and all of the characters carried their perspective parts well. However, I thought there should have been more interaction between Peter Parker and Mr. Jamison, the cigar smoking editor of the Daily Bugle. When we finally get to the actions scenes Spider-Man leaps across the rooftops like a Mexican jumping bean, popping all over the place like the Playstation 2 video version of Spider-Man.

If you are a true Spider-Man fan, you’ll quickly recognize that editorial liberties Director Raimi takes when he turns Spider-Man into a mutant with glands on his wrist that shoot spider webs. According to the Marvel Comics Peter Parker built the web triggering devices himself.

Although the movie deals with some heavy issues, thankfully, the audience is spared any nudity, except the risqué scene where Mary Jane is in the rain wearing a wet T-Shirt. Despite the cliché’s sounding corny, the language in the movie mild; the harshest words I can recall are “hell” and the three-letter word for buttocks. Plus movie goes will get a full dose of violence and a death, so you might not want to bring the little ones.

Even though I walked away from this movie disappointed, my date (my wife) enjoy it. She gave me the look that said, “You are not romantic, this was a good movie.” She swears up and down, that she did not give me that look stating, “From a guy’s point of view I can understand why you did not like it but I think the movie, was okay.”

Our discussion about the movie finally ended with me stating, “I can understand Macho-Man Randy Savage’s cameo appearance in the wrestling scene, but why is Macy Gray making a cameo appearance?



Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older