TITLE: Spider-Man
AKA: AUTHOR: David Koepp

ANALYST: Jennifer Derkitt

CIRCA: Present Day
ELEMENTS:
LOCALE: New York City

GENRE: Action

STATUS:

PREMISE:

After receiving a bite from a genetically altered spider, an unexceptional high school senior is transformed into the superhero Spider-Man, then is pitted against his first nemesis, the Green Goblin.

COMMENTS:

An excellent adaptation that encompasses the entire Spider-Man mythos, but one that could use a dialogue polish, and in one case in particular, greater characterization.

PROJECT RECOMMENDATION: Yes
WRITER RECOMMENDATION: Yes

SUMMARY:

PETER PARKER (17) is an outcast. He is picked on by the "beautiful people" at his high school. He is picked on by the geeks. He is picked on by everyone but his rich-kid best friend, HARRY OSBORN (17), and Peter's secret crush, MARY JANE WATSON (MJ) (17). Beautiful but sad, with a dismal home-life, MJ has been Peter's next door neighbor since they were six years old, and Peter has secretly been in love with her the entire time. During a class trip to Columbia University, Peter gets up the courage to approach MJ and ask to take her photo for the school paper. She obliges in the science lab, standing before a glass tank full of genetically engineered spiders. As Peter snaps the photo, one of the mutant spiders escapes from its glass cage and bites him. A deathly ill Peter later staggers home to his AUNT MAY and UNCLE BEN'S house, then spends the night passed out on his bedroom floor. The next morning Peter awakens, transformed. He is shocked to find that he suddenly has perfect vision when before he needed glasses. He is even more shocked to find six-pack abs when before he had none. Truth is, Peter has developed all the abilities of the genetically engineered super-spider that bit him: he is now able to climb walls, leap great distances, spin funnel-shaped webs, and react to danger so quickly that it borders on precognition or a spider sense. Kind of amazing, for a once boring high school kid.

After mastering his new powers through amusing trial and error, Peter must finally decide what to do with them. After noticing that MJ is attracted to rich boys like his best friend, Harry, Peter believes that wealth may help to secure MJ's love. So he begins to use his supernatural abilities for his own personal gain. Peter sews up a Spider-Man costume then enters a wrestling competition at Madison Square Gardens with a purse large enough to allow him to buy a car. During the fight, Peter quickly subdues a much larger and meaner opponent. But when he goes to collect his prize money, the FIGHT PROMOTER cheats him, giving him only a fraction of the promised purse. When, shortly thereafter, a THIEF robs the Promoter, an embittered Peter does nothing to stop the crime. But when Peter's beloved Uncle Ben is carjacked and killed by that same Thief, Pete realizes that his new powers must be used for good.

But just as Peter goes through his great personal transformation, so does Harry's father, NORMAN OSBORN. A business tycoon and military researcher, Norman is pushed to the limit when Pentagon brass threaten to pull funding for his newest inventions: a single-winged glider one rides like a magic carpet, and an inhalant designed to transform soldiers into super beings by increasing their strength by 800 percent. Fearing that the inhalant may cause madness, the Pentagon calls for more animal testing before human trials begin. But in an act of pure desperation, Norman decides to test his invention on himself. He steps into an airtight chamber then breathes in his inhalant's noxious green vapors. And, just like Dr. Jekyll before him, the experiment goes terribly wrong. Norman's personality splits in two and the murderous maniac, the Green Goblin emerges... to become the perfect nemesis for Peter's do-gooder alter ego, the Spider-Man.

While Spider-Man now uses his powers to catch criminals and save babies from burning buildings, the Green Goblin uses his powers to systematically eliminate anyone opposing him, including his own company's board of directors, who blatantly plan to oust him. In fact, he decides to take out the entire board in one clean sweep during the World Unity Festival Parade, not troubling himself that his son, Harry--and Harry's new girlfriend, MJ Watson--will be on a reviewing stand with them.

He swoops out of the clouds on his company's stolen jet glider, then lobs a bomb at the reviewing stand. The stand immediately crumbles, leaving MJ hanging on for dear life as she dangles five stories in the air. Harry is unable to reach her and Spider-Man is unable to help her as he battles the Goblin, who throws more bombs at the crowd while raking Spider-Man with laser blasts and machine gun fire. It is only when the Goblin draws too close to Spider-Man that Spidey is able to reach under the glider's wing to rip out a mass of wires. The Goblin careens out of sight on a disabled machine that's smoking and sputtering, just as the balcony holding MJ finally collapses. The girl plummets toward the ground as Spider-Man dives after her with one of his webs trailing behind him. He catches MJ moments before impact, then the two of them bounce up on the web, bungee-cord-style. With this act, Spider-Man does more than steal MJ's heart away from Harry--and secure a sweet thank you kiss from the girl he loves. He also makes it clear that the Goblin's only true opposition comes from Spider-Man.

Unfortunately, the Goblin quickly pieces together Spider-Man's true identity based on injuries Peter sustained the day of the parade. And when he does, all hell breaks loose for Peter Parker. First, the Goblin attacks the teen's sweet old Aunt May in her own home. Then he goes after MJ, forcing Peter to choose between saving her or a gondola full of children on the Roosevelt Island Tramway, as the Goblin drops both girl and gondola from the Queensboro Bridge at exactly the same time. But little does the Goblin know, Peter as Spider-Man is hero enough to save all. He spins a web rope, dives off the bridge after MJ, catches her, then grabs the gondola's severed cable, stopping its fall. Spider-Man's body stretches to its limit as he hangs from the bridge clutching MJ and the gondola with one hand and his web rope with the other. When the Goblin starts slashing at Spider-Man with razor sharp blades incorporated into his green suit, ANGRY NEW YORKERS--who watch from the bridge--begin pelting the Goblin with chunks of debris, causing the villain to retreat. This gives Spider-Man time to lower MJ and the gondola to a bridge piling and safety. But seconds later, the Goblin flies by on his glider and lassos a rope around Spider-Man's waist, dragging the teen away.

As the super beings pass over a condemned small pox hospital on Roosevelt Island, the Goblin cuts the rope binding Spider-Man, causing him to fall through the hospital's roof then through several rotted floors. When an unconscious Spider-Man finally comes to, the Goblin's glider is already circling him. A monumental fight ensues, and when the Goblin discovers that he is about to lose, he tears off his mask, exposing his true identity while begging for mercy. Exploiting this major distraction, Norman then uses a remote control to send his unmanned glider hurtling toward Spider-Man's back. At the last moment, the webbed wonder contorts himself into a nearly impossible position, and the glider misses him, impaling Norman, instead.

To save Harry from learning that his father was a madman, Spider-Man places Norman's body back in the Osborn penthouse in hopes that it will appear that the tycoon was killed in a simple burglary attempt. Unfortunately, Harry catches Spider-Man in the act. Harry concludes that Spider-Man must have killed Norman in cold blood, then vows revenge, neatly setting up an antagonist for subsequent installments in the Spider-Man franchise. And as for MJ and Peter... while facing death on the Queensboro Bridge, MJ realizes that it is the kindly Peter Parker, and not the rich Harry Osborn or even the gallant and heroic Spider-Man she loves. And although Peter has won his greatest desire, MJ's heart, he realizes that because of his Spider-Man alter ego, anyone he loves will be in great danger. So, after a final kiss, he walks away from MJ. But with that kiss, MJ realizes who Peter Parker really is: The Amazing Spider-Man.

COMMENTS:

SPIDER-MAN is similar to BATMAN in that it is a rousing and inspirational tale of a loner who accepts his responsibility to humanity, and his own unique gifts, to become a truly extraordinary force for good--and in this way, it succeeds. Its writing is somewhat careless, though, as more attention could be paid to its structure, characterization, and dialogue.

SPIDER-MAN'S structure is somewhat flawed. Almost half the script is spent in the first act, where Peter gains then learns about his new powers, eventually deciding to use those powers for good. Some pairing down of this act is advised, although a light touch is suggested. The first act is entertaining enough, and its plot points vital enough, that it could remain slightly longer than the accepted norm.

Although SPIDER-MAN'S dialogue is quite natural, it is also often lackluster, to the point that memorable and pithy trailer moments will be hard to come by. A polish aimed at punching up the dialogue is highly recommended.

The dialogue between Peter and MJ is especially uninspired, and often feels repetitive. The characters bump into each other frequently in their daily lives, pass a few words--usually about Harry or grabbing a cup of coffee sometime--then go their separate ways, with nothing said to either further their relationship or explain what Peter saw in MJ in the first place. If these meetings aren't punched up or reduced in number, they could easily make the finished picture drag.

Although virtually all the characters in SPIDER-MAN are well rounded, one character is not so fully developed. Mary Jane Watson has no complete story line, no achievements all her own, and no arc. She is simply pretty window-dressing. She starts as a poor kid picked on by her parents, she gets passed around from one rich young man to another, then, after a barely touched on attempt at an acting profession, she ends up working at a greasy spoon. She develops no further from there, and is left to languish at the diner right to the end of the story. Her only change comes from her newfound love for Peter, which simply isn't enough. In a script that so carefully follows the progression of Peter Parker, wimp, to Peter Parker self-actualized superhero, MJ's lack of growth is truly disappointing.

SPIDER-MAN'S other plot points could also use some work, especially in the script's third act. Peter Parker is a bright young man. How does he think he can deposit the lifeless body of Norman Osborn back into his penthouse while making it look like Norman was killed by a would-be robber? The tycoon has just been skewered straight through by a jet-propelled rocket glider, causing a wound that would be impossible for an ordinary robber to inflict. The conclusion of the Peter/MJ storyline isn't terribly satisfying, either. MJ is in danger throughout the entire second and third acts--before she even realizes that she loves Peter--simply because Peter loves her. At the story's end, Peter still loves her, but feels he can't be with her to keep her safe. Won't MJ be in danger whether she and Peter are an item or not, as long as his feelings for her continue? By walking away from her, Pete really accomplishes nothing.

SPIDER-MAN'S premise is a good one. The story of the superhero's genesis is accessible enough to have wide appeal, while also benefiting from a built-in audience in the form of diehard fans of the Marvel character. A very high budget and a great deal of CG would be required, however, and should be considered before moving forward with the property.

Keeping the above points in mind, SPIDER-MAN is an exciting and engaging read, with enough nostalgia and reverence for the Marvel character to keep even a diehard fan satisfied. It definitely merits a writer's recommendation.