There is no denying that many superhero films right now are in a dire state. The industry is plagued by tiresome multiversal storytelling and a sheer lack of creative freedom. The 2000’s however was the complete opposite. At the forefront of it all; is Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy.
A darker age for superheroes:
Watching MCU and other studio slop now has just elevated how good we used to have it back then. These films have had childhood impacts across man Gen Z lives, and have aged like the finest of wines. A real grounded character story with class morals and family connections at the centre of it all. There are no intergalactic battles or no 31st variant after our lead dies. There’s just New York City and human emotion.
Standards have just been dropping and dropping over the years which is why so many people are now finding comfort again in these films. Franchises have been born, died, and made billions, but will never top what Sam Raimi managed to achieve with this trilogy. It is very welcoming now when superhero films achieve an excellent level of filmmaking standards like these films as such. Just like what Matt Reeves achieved with ‘The Batman’. Disney and Marvel Studios lack the trust and intelligence to let the vast majority of their directors shine in full force. Even a director like Raimi, who directed the second installment of Doctor Strange, was held back. At least he managed to squeeze an ounce of visual juice into that film. On top of the non-existent creative control, many of the MCU directors just don’t have what Raimi has. The special eye for the camera work and artistic ability to spice things up. It is exactly what is missing.
A brighter future:
Rejection of these soulless works is starting to grow however. The MCU has seen bomb after bomb in the past few years, until Deadpool and Wolverine. Whilst they have been keeping the box office alive in the past and perhaps keeping cinemas open, they aren’t doing anything for cinema itself. The cultural impact these films used to have is no more. Nostalgia is such a disease-ridden within many MCU films, but as that takes hold, many are instead coming back to Raimi’s films. The films of their childhood.
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Web-swinging perfection:
It is such a scary contrast putting Maguire’s and Holland’s iterations up against each other. Unfortunately for Tom, seeing the way they write his character only makes Tobey’s version stand above the rest even more. Tobey and Raimi just created the definitive superhero and the definitive Spider-Man. A perfect exploration of the inevitability of one’s fate, with grounded character work at the forefront. The MCU struggled to strike the perfect Peter Parker and Spider-Man balance that Raimi and his writers nailed. They treated as this connected being, like an extension of Peter’s character that had woven thematic impact on him mentally and physically. Tobey’s relationship with MJ is reflected in his power struggles brilliantly. Something that the MCU struggles to achieve.
One of the best character moments comes with a change in an almost identical sequence in both 1 and 2. Two simple scenes of rescuing someone from a burning building with one significant outcome in the second. He fails to save one person. A destroying piece of reality that he is imperfect. The struggle for power is reflected in his character, but it is something that he learns to embrace. Visual storytelling seems to be something the MCU and many other studio superhero projects are allergic to.
The musical touch:
Raimi’s films also take advantage of the one thing Marvel Studios seems to neglect the most. Music. I’m not talking about your Guardians soundtracks or any random song, I’m talking score Music. Composed and timed to perfection. Danny Elfman is most famous for his Batman theme in Tim Burton’s adaptation of The Dark Knight – the best Batman theme of them all. There are shades of that score in these films just like many of the greatest composers. Aside from the image, music might be the next most important aspect of film. The train sequence in Spider-Man 2 is perhaps the best example of this. The raw level of emotion that Elfman’s magic adds to this scene is second to none. Coupled with the genius “He’s just a kid” line, Raimi and Elfman bring this reliability and grounded nature straight back to the forefront of a massive superhero fight sequence.
For something like the MCU, the music score is often so unimportant that does hurt it. For example, both Black Panther films take great advantage of Ludwig Goransson’s genius. A unique and well-used piece of score that changes several scenes drastically (for the better). They just need to keep that level of music usage going. Don’t let anyone ever undermine the importance of music in a film.
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A fitting conclusion:
Spider-Man 3 has always been one that has divided fans and critics alike. An unfortunate amount of studio interference took hold of the villain aspects in the film, leading many to see the end result as messy. Quite frankly, it is a pretty perfect mess. A conclusion with loads of thematic payoffs from revenge to forgiveness. Venom plays as this struggle of character that Peter has to battle with. Struggles with identity, with his powers, once again, reflecting his connection and relationship with MJ. In its wake it has spawned many iconic moments, the most notable of which being Bully Maguire – a hilarious scene by the way.
Maybe in the future studios will start to realise that money is never the most important thing. But as of now, that looks to never change. Early signs of some creative display are being shown with their 2025 Fantastic Four film, but nothing is ever going to touch Raimi’s trilogy. That is unless decides to make another. Spider-Man 3 ended in a pretty perfect way; but if he feels it is right to continue, I can only back that. Over 20 years on since the greatest origin story ever. What a time to be alive.
