Sexy Spidey

"Spider-Man" is a flawed superhero movie, which has become more apparent with the passage of time and the deluge of superheroics in our culture since, but there is that kissing scene, which popularly remains the sexiest superhero moment filmed since Lois Lane spent a night flying with Superman in 1978. In the movies, at least, Spiderman is rather unique among superheroes for much of his narrative taking place in his teenage years, which consequently makes the acquisition of his superpowers analogous to the awkwardness and, later, joys of going through and coming out of puberty. All of that sexual metaphor comes to fruition in the scene where Spiderman recues Mary Jane from an attempted alleyway gangrape. The superheroic setup is perfunctory, and the settings accentuate movie romance, including rain to expose Mary's nipples and wet the kiss she performs on an-upside-down Spidey after undressing his mask. This is probably the closest a PG-13 superhero movie can come to a graphic sex scene. It gives an entirely new meaning to his web ejaculating, which, in this version, is a natural bodily process.

Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't work as smoothly. Despite the occasional swooping to follow Spiderman soaring between buildings, much of the camerawork is unimaginative, if not downright stilted, especially those silly-looking steady close-ups of the actors when they're flying about, which is especially unfortunate given that Peter Parker within the narrative is a photographer. Much of the action and CGI looks too cartoonish. The bullet-time photography and the way Spiderman sometimes bends over backwards or contorts his body in slow-motion clearly rips off "The Matrix" (1999). The post-9/11 scene of New Yorkers fighting back on the bridge and a shot of Spiderman in front of a huge American flag are too blatant. The Green Goblin costume is horrendous, and Willem Dafoe arguing with himself in front of a mirror is none too interesting, either. The acting is all over the place, from James Franco's brooding to J.K. Simmons playing a caricature, and Dafoe doing both. But, Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire did have that pining puppy-love thing down pat, and that helped sell the kiss.