Category: Spider-Man Franchise

Principal Cast : Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine, Zoe Kravitz, Kathryn Hahn, Lake Bell, Jorma Taccone.Synopsis: Teen Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities. ******** Arguably few comic book characters remain as popular or enduring as Spider-Man. Arguably few cinematic franchises have been as polarising and crowd-pleasing as that of the web-slinger’s silver…

Principal Cast : Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate, Melora Walters. Synopsis:  When Eddie Brock acquires the powers of a symbiote, he will have to release his alter-ego “Venom” to save his life. ****** I admit, I was among the cynical horde who decried Sony’s decision to push forward with its Spider-Man-free franchise when they were effectively forced to strike a deal with Disney-held Marvel Studios for the co-rights to the famous web-slinger. What the MCU didn’t get, however, were Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, of which…

An increase in character numbers, a surfeit of action, and plenty of Peter/Gwen angst makes for a jam-packed movie, a movie so jam-packed it cannot sustain itself outside of a couple of well made action set-pieces. Logic goes out the window, the film often disregards its own internal common sense at times, and much of the character development falls flatter than a squashed insect, making this Spider-Man adventure relatively hollow at the end of the day. Superficially exciting and most assuredly the definition of a “blockbuster”, a more detailed look into the film’s working uncover a raft of problems that make it merely another brightly colored turkey.

Lengthy, yet crucially fast-paced this revamp of the Spider-Man franchise delivers another version of the Origin Story, albeit in a fresh and invigorating manner. Garfield is wonderful as Spidey, Emma Stone is the definitive Gwen Stacey (sorry Bryce Howard) and Ifans’ performance as the tragic villain is solid back-up. Overall, a pleasant diversion and a great take on Spider-Man, and I can’t wait to see where they take this next.

– Summary – Director :  Sam Raimi Year Of Release :   2004 Principal Cast :  Tobey Mcguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina, Rosemary Harris, JK Simmons, Donna Murphy, Daniel Gilles, Willem Dafoe. Approx Running Time :   127 Minutes Synopsis:  Spider-Man meets his match in the evil Doc Oc, a former scientist who has four gigantic robotic arms fused to his back in an experiment gone wrong. What we think :   One of the best comic-book films ever made – certainly one of the best sequels of all time –…

– Summary – Director :  Sam Raimi Year Of Release :   2002 Principal Cast :  Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco, JK Simmons, Rosemary Harris, Cliff Robertson, James Manganiello, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Papajohn. Approx Running Time :   121 Minutes Synopsis:   Bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker wakes to discover he has mutant abilities akin to that of an arachnid: he can climb walls, shoots web fluid from his wrists, and has heightened strength and senses. As he learns to control his powers, he must also face down…

– Summary – Director :   Sam Raimi Year Of Release :   2007 Principal Cast :  Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Hayden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, JK Simmons, Dylan Baker, Willem Dafoe, Cliff Robertson, James Cromwell. Approx Running Time :   139 Minutes Synopsis:   Spider-Man must battle a villain known as Sandman, but also a dark version of himself known as Venom. What we think :   Tiresome, overburdened Spider-Man franchise entry has plenty to offer but very little substance or nuance. It’s all bloat, all overkill,…