"Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can..."
I saw Spider-Man 2 tonight at the dollar theater. It was only my second time seeing it, which can be considered a travesty when I've seen most movies like this, movies I've been waiting years to see, at least two or three times. Movies in that category include Jurassic Park, the Star Wars films, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy (I saw The Fellowship of the Ring a combined total of nine times- how's that for geeky).
I went to the movie by myself, which doesn't bother me and is a moot point. I wanted to see the movie again, but I also wanted to compare it to The Incredibles. Both movies have been hailed as "The greatest super-hero movie of all time". After seeing Spidey again, I must saw The Incredibles is the better film, but Spider-Man 2 is the more emotionally involving.
Whereas the Incredibles is about family, Spider-Man 2 is about destiny and coming to grips with oneself. Both films deal with questioning one's place in the world. Why am I here? Why was I given these gifts if I'm not allowed to use them (In Bob and Dash's case)? Why was I given these gifts if they only bring me pain (in Peter Parker's case)?
And boy was there a lot of pain.
So much pain that Peter fights his destiny and decides not to be Spider-Man anymore. He runs away from being a hero. And you know, being a hero is hard. It's scary, it's thankless. People always say it takes a great deal of courage to be a hero, but now I realize it's not because being a hero is dangerous. It's because being a hero will go unnoticed, just as the old saying says about good deeds goes. Obviously Spider-Man is very noticable, as are his heroics. But it's Peter's sacrifices that remain unseen. Who was it, Plato maybe, that said in The Republic (correct me if I'm wrong), that man is inherently bad. Man will not do a good deed unless it goes noticed, unless he gets recognition for it. The only reason man will do something good is to get credit for it. For if no one were to see you do something good, why would you waste your time doing it?
The great thing about Spidey is he puts such a human face on being a hero that it makes him instantly relatable. Who doesn't feel Peter's pain when he says to himself "Am I not supposed to get what I want?" How many of us ask ourselves this question when we realize the path our life is now headed is a different one than once thought? He's questioning his destiny, and it's at this moment that he realizes in doing the right thing he will have to give up his dreams and everything he's ever wanted. The girl he's always wanted, the life he's always wanted. And no one will ever know of the sacrifice he's making. That's what makes him a hero, and that's why we look up to him. How many of us would do the same thing? Because really, no one would know about it.
In the Incredibles, Bob Parr is wondering the same thing as Peter (Can I not get what I want most in this life?). Bob knows what he was put on the earth for, but his destiny is denied from him by the government instead of by his choices. He was given gifts and he's denied the chance to use them for good. If I was older, I'm sure I could relate more to Bob's metaphor for a mid-life crisis, but he seemed to me to be like a middle-aged Spider-Man, worried about placing his family in danger.
In the end, both films say it is a great disservice to not know oneself, to not know one's place in the world. Bob has nothing to live for when his powers are denied. Dash can't truly be himself because he's forced to hold back. Peter doesn't know if he wants to do what's best for himself or best for the world around him. Knowing oneself will make one's life easier to live. We can't deny ourselves or the world our gifts. Unfortunately, I'm at that strange place where my future is uncertain and I'm questioning my destiny, if such a thing exists. I know what I want, but it's the getting what I want that proves to be difficult and changes my perception on what I always thought my future would be.
Wow. I just got a sense of deja vu. And in the deja vu I told myself I was having deja vu. Weird. I must be thinking about this stuff too much.
MINI-INCREDIBLES REVIEW
The Incredibles is a great movie and the most fun I've had at the theater in awhile. It's got a wonderful retro/classic Bond feel to it when it comes to the design of the Parr's home, the vehicles, and the jazzy musical score. Dash and Violet's bickering is instantly relatable to anyone with a sibling, and the sacrifices Elastigirl makes in order to keep her family together will strike a chord with any parent I'm sure. This is what the Fantastic Four adaptation should have been like. It's coming out next year, but I can already tell it won't come close to holding a candle next to The Incredibles. It's probably the best movie I've seen all year. Give it the Oscar nod for Best Picture, not just Best Animated Film.
I hope it beats the pants off Shrek 2.
--Cbake
I went to the movie by myself, which doesn't bother me and is a moot point. I wanted to see the movie again, but I also wanted to compare it to The Incredibles. Both movies have been hailed as "The greatest super-hero movie of all time". After seeing Spidey again, I must saw The Incredibles is the better film, but Spider-Man 2 is the more emotionally involving.
Whereas the Incredibles is about family, Spider-Man 2 is about destiny and coming to grips with oneself. Both films deal with questioning one's place in the world. Why am I here? Why was I given these gifts if I'm not allowed to use them (In Bob and Dash's case)? Why was I given these gifts if they only bring me pain (in Peter Parker's case)?
And boy was there a lot of pain.
So much pain that Peter fights his destiny and decides not to be Spider-Man anymore. He runs away from being a hero. And you know, being a hero is hard. It's scary, it's thankless. People always say it takes a great deal of courage to be a hero, but now I realize it's not because being a hero is dangerous. It's because being a hero will go unnoticed, just as the old saying says about good deeds goes. Obviously Spider-Man is very noticable, as are his heroics. But it's Peter's sacrifices that remain unseen. Who was it, Plato maybe, that said in The Republic (correct me if I'm wrong), that man is inherently bad. Man will not do a good deed unless it goes noticed, unless he gets recognition for it. The only reason man will do something good is to get credit for it. For if no one were to see you do something good, why would you waste your time doing it?
The great thing about Spidey is he puts such a human face on being a hero that it makes him instantly relatable. Who doesn't feel Peter's pain when he says to himself "Am I not supposed to get what I want?" How many of us ask ourselves this question when we realize the path our life is now headed is a different one than once thought? He's questioning his destiny, and it's at this moment that he realizes in doing the right thing he will have to give up his dreams and everything he's ever wanted. The girl he's always wanted, the life he's always wanted. And no one will ever know of the sacrifice he's making. That's what makes him a hero, and that's why we look up to him. How many of us would do the same thing? Because really, no one would know about it.
In the Incredibles, Bob Parr is wondering the same thing as Peter (Can I not get what I want most in this life?). Bob knows what he was put on the earth for, but his destiny is denied from him by the government instead of by his choices. He was given gifts and he's denied the chance to use them for good. If I was older, I'm sure I could relate more to Bob's metaphor for a mid-life crisis, but he seemed to me to be like a middle-aged Spider-Man, worried about placing his family in danger.
In the end, both films say it is a great disservice to not know oneself, to not know one's place in the world. Bob has nothing to live for when his powers are denied. Dash can't truly be himself because he's forced to hold back. Peter doesn't know if he wants to do what's best for himself or best for the world around him. Knowing oneself will make one's life easier to live. We can't deny ourselves or the world our gifts. Unfortunately, I'm at that strange place where my future is uncertain and I'm questioning my destiny, if such a thing exists. I know what I want, but it's the getting what I want that proves to be difficult and changes my perception on what I always thought my future would be.
Wow. I just got a sense of deja vu. And in the deja vu I told myself I was having deja vu. Weird. I must be thinking about this stuff too much.
MINI-INCREDIBLES REVIEW
The Incredibles is a great movie and the most fun I've had at the theater in awhile. It's got a wonderful retro/classic Bond feel to it when it comes to the design of the Parr's home, the vehicles, and the jazzy musical score. Dash and Violet's bickering is instantly relatable to anyone with a sibling, and the sacrifices Elastigirl makes in order to keep her family together will strike a chord with any parent I'm sure. This is what the Fantastic Four adaptation should have been like. It's coming out next year, but I can already tell it won't come close to holding a candle next to The Incredibles. It's probably the best movie I've seen all year. Give it the Oscar nod for Best Picture, not just Best Animated Film.
I hope it beats the pants off Shrek 2.
--Cbake
posted by Cbake at 10:56 PM
3 Comments:
I am Spiderman!!!!
Except for the web slinging, agility, superstrength and spidey senses. Also I was raised by my parents. Also I. . . ok lets just say I'm similar to spiderman. . .
The Incredibles will destroy Shrek 2 and tons of other moives. It is easily one of (if not) the best movies I have seen in a long long time. I almost hate the fact that it was animated, because otherwise, it would probably go down in history as one of the greats. I like animated films, but I have a feeling that the film elite might take exception...any thoughts?
Anonymous my ass...its Dave.
I agree with you that this movie is one of the greats, and I am being optimistic enough to think it *will* go down in history as one of the greats, just as Toy Story and Beauty and the Beast did before it. Beauty and the Beast has been the only animated movie so far to score a Best Picture nod at the Oscars. I really hope the film elite won't limit the movie to only going as far as Best Animated Picture. If they've let foreign movies go beyond Best Foreign Film (Crouching Tiger, Life is Beautfil), I hold out hope that they will recognize The Incredibles as being one of the best movies this year.
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