It seems like such a foreign idea that there was a time before superhero movies. Before the dawn of the MCU, there were the rare one-off superhero films. Tim Burton’s Batman got the general public’s attention, Superman was able to spawn several sequels, but this type of film had yet to really dominate the box office like Star Wars. It could be argued though that the original Spider-Man directed by Sam Raimi was the bridge between standalone superhero movies and the super cinematic universes and box office spectacle that is so commonplace today. It helps that the film is a total blast, but there’s more to it than just that.
There was something magical about seeing Spider-Man brought to life so vividly on the big screen, something more free and wonderful and fun that other movies like Batman just hadn’t quite captured. Spider-Man is also one of the most relatable heroes to its own target audience. It’s unlikely that any billionaires went to watch Batman, or that any invincible aliens came to the planet to watch Superman. But to every youngster in attendance at the theater in 2002 Peter Parker wasn’t just some action hero, he was the audience too. This trend has continued with newer Spider-Man films (less so with The Amazing Spider-Man, but that’s another topic entirely), and continues to make fans flock to the cinema. None of the films since though can touch what the original movie created, making the original Spider-Man still stand at the top of the pack for a number of reasons.
When watching the older Batman movies, the caped crusader seems a bit… stiff. He wouldn’t acquire the ability to move his neck until The Dark Knight, but Spider-Man practically flew off the screen. Swinging around the city, executing flips with ease, and whooping with joy as he goes, audiences saw a perfect translation of web-swinging from page to screen. It felt like (and still feels like) the viewer was swinging along with Spider-Man.
Action sequences and fights in the movie weren’t just fistfights between people wearing fun costumes. Spider-Man uses his webs, surroundings, and acrobatic abilities interchangeably in a way that feels natural and fluid while also being easy to follow. Going back to the topic of costumes, where Superman somewhat appeared to be wearing pajamas and Batman seemed to be covered in rubber in earlier movies, Spider-Man and Green Goblin’s costumes look like the real deal. This level of detail to the design and movements of these characters further cemented the level of immersion that audiences experienced.
The world has seen what happens when camp goes too far and treats superhero movies like a giant toy commercial. Where Batman and Robin gave us George Clooney’s nipples, Spider-Man uses camp in ways that feel natural and inspired by comic book panels. But who was the influence behind this campiness? Sam Raimi, of course.
Having previously directed The Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, Sam Raimi showed a penchant for capturing thrilling sequences that were self-knowingly somewhat ridiculous but totally awesome. While there would be no characters with chainsaw appendages in Spider-Man, Raimi presented his shots and characters with a cheese that feels finer than a quality brie. Closeups on character facial expressions, slow-motion punches during an early “Spider-sense,” and pretty much everything having to do with the Green Goblin flirted with being over-the-top in ways that were pitch-perfect.
Speaking of the Green Goblin, much of the film’s later camp rests squarely on the shoulders of the film’s antagonist. Raimi really allowed Willem Dafoe to ham it up completely in scenes opposite his own reflection. On paper, the idea of villains arguing with themselves in a mirror might not sound that exciting, but when Willem Dafoe enters these scenes he completely absorbs the viewer’s attention. Just listen to his voice. It’s loud, but also a little ridiculous while still feeling like a figurative venom is dripping from his tongue with each word. It’s the reason that he’s still the most captivating villain a Spider-Man movie has ever seen.
There’s a reason that the upcoming third Tom Holland Spider-Man film will include J.K. Simmons yet again as J. Jonah Jameson; he’s downright iconic in the role. He plays the role so well that it almost seems like someone used some sort of fantastical machine to synthetically bring the actual character to life. His voice, tone, and ability to switch from outraged to scheming and sarcastic at the drop of a hat are all unforgettable.
He manages to steal every scene that he’s in, even when Spider-Man is on screen. He’s also a reminder that no matter where future installments in the franchise go, there are aspects of the original film that are so unimpeachable that filmmakers would rather lift a character directly than dare to try something new. After all, if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t need fixing, just like the incredible, original Spider-Man.
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