Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can....
Yeah, we all know it. From the 60s cartoon, to the 70s TV Show, to the 80s Amazing Friends, the 90s Animated, the MTV, the new, and the comics, we know Spidey.
The first Spidey Trilogy was solid, inspite of Batman villain overload syndrome in 3. So, I'm taking a shot at the second trilogy. Don't be alarmed by the seeming overload as it all works together in the end.
First up is 4. Read it, enjoy it, critique it, and, if you know how to get it to the peeps with power and responsibility to do our heroes right, forward it!
Spiderman 4 {A Hunting We Will Go}
We load up the Spiderman Mythos in the first 30 minutes with non-stop action, witty banter, and lots of slinging and swinging!
In the first 30 minute block of the movie, we witness six five minute battles featuring Spiderman taking down Spidey Rogues Scorpion, Rhino, Shocker, Electro, Vulture, and Hydro Man physically and verbally.
At the end of the 30 minute block, we go to a scene at a newspaper stand where a shadow is cast over the papers and a gloved hand reaches out to take a Daily Bugle. The camera zooms to the pictures of the six with the headline "Wall Crawler Belongs With This Sinister Six". A gruff and almost familiar voice says "Sinsiter Six indeed."
Next, we move to EU where Peter is with Prof. Conners, his new assistant Gwen Stacey, Dr. Miles Warren, and young Prof. Michael Morbius. They are having a press conference. After the conference and questions about regeneration technology, funding, safety, and such, they head into the lab, leaving the press outside closed doors. They are there to witness and help with Conners test of his Regeneration Chamber on himself, much to the dismay of EU but with great and mysterious financial backing. Warren and Morbius are there because if it works, the technology would advance their own research greatly, and, as result, having been trying to get a good look at Conners notes.
The experiment begins and seems to be going well. Sadly, there is an explosion and Conners is recovered from the chamber after the fire is put out with extinguishers.
Peter visits a groggy Conners in the hospital and discuss what may have gone wrong. Peter eventually leaves. Conners turns the tv on gets very angry over a news feed about a mad scientist experiment gone haywire at EU. He becomes enraged, blaming Morbius and Warren for messing things up. He is overcome with pain as his missing arm regrows and he transforms into the Lizard! In the hallway, nurses and doctors rush to Conners room following a scream, roar, and crash only to find Conners gone and a huge whole in the wall of the 5th floor room!
To the Daily Bugle, where JJ is in a closed door meeting with an international figure that JJ identifies as Mr. Kravinoff. JJ is negotiating a bounty with him to hunt down and unmask Spiderman once and for all. As they shake hands following settling on the price, Robby busts in to tell JJ NYPD just got Cassidy! JJ smiles and says "Now that's real heroes taking down real villains, not costumed freaks destroying the city."
Nighttime at EU and Peter, Gwen, Morbius, and Warren are going through the lab. Though the chamber is intact, most of the controls and wiring is destroyed. Peter 'senses' a need to leave, leaving the two scientists alone. They start going through Conners notes when Gwen politely collects them from them.
Outside, a shadow moves near a lab window. Inside, Morbius and Warren discuss their own goals, regenerative curing and genetic enhancement. Suddenly, the wall busts in and Lizard charges the two men, roaring and shouting, "Betrayers! Jealous! DIE!" Lizard throws both men into walls and roars over a cowering Gwen before Spidey swings in to begin a brief but nice battle that sees Spidey thrown through a wall and Lizard escape into the sewers. Spidey digs himself out, checks on Gwen and the scientists, and heads into the night, unaware of Lizards escape route or the pair of eyes watching from a nearby rooftop. Gwen looks around and wonders aloud "Where'd Pete get to?"
Atop the roof, the figure speaks into a recorder. "Kraven the Hunter log entry. While a Spider is certainly easy bounty, I have found a two legged Lizard may be my true hunt. Whether trouble follows the Spider or he follows it is unclear."
Switch to Peter walking exhausted into his apartment where MJ is waiting for him. She tells him of the news on tv he just missed of Prof Conners missing from the hospital and a huge whole in the wall of Conners room. Peter collapses into a chair and tells MJ "I need a vacation." He tells her about the accident and the giant lizard. MJ is concerned and wonders if the moster took Conners. She goes on and tells him about how acting class has been going and of an opportunity to study overseas with a Shakespeare Troupe. They then talk about their future. Aunt May stops by with dinner.
Switch to an abandoned warehouse where a figure in shadows is speaking to a figure in dim light. It is the gruff voice that picked up the Daily Bugle. They discuss a vague plan, assurances, payment, timetable, and doing whatever is necessary. The dim lit figure leaves and the shadowed figure slings a dart to a wall. On the wall, the dart nails a pic of Spidey between the eyes. Around the Spidey pic are pics of Green Goblin, Jameson, Peter, MJ, Gwen, Conners, and Norman and Harry Osborne. In red letters above the pics is scrawled "CONNECTION???????"
Switch out to Peter on photo assignment at an arraignment of a criminal. It's Cletus Cassidy. Bail is denied. As he is led away, Cassidy sees Gwen speaking with her Police Captain dad. He gives a sinister smile as he is led out of the building, the Staceys unaware of his evil glance. Peter stops to talk to Gwen as a police officer leaves the courtroom and walks between them saying "Pardon me" in a voice that sounds familiar, as in the dim lit figure's voice from the warehouse. Mr. Stacey invites Peter out with him and Gwen to dinner. Peter tries to get out of it to no avail. At Peter's apartment, MJ watches the window as the sun begins to set while talking on the phone with Aunt May. She hangs up and goes to the window, looking worried.
At a restaraunt, the Staceys and Peter await their order when Capt. Stacey gets a call about some kind of animal rampaging the EU campus. He leaves and Peter excuses himself. "Gotta take pictures" he tells Gwen, leaving her alone. (Bruce Campbell waiter cameo here.)
Switch to EU, where Lizard is rampaging through buildings, sending everyone running. The police are helpless as bullets and tazers seem unable to stop it. Police get people to safety as the Lizard rampages and roars "Smell them! Kill them! Find them! Traitors! Jealous!" Suddenly, Spidey swings in and a massive battle ensues. The battle heads to central park. The battle is followed by a lone figure in the darkness.
Spidey finally sends Lizard through a huge tree, rendering him unconscious. As Spidey stands nearby exhausted, Kraven confronts Spidey face to face. "First the bounty, then the trophy!"
This leads to another battle. Spidey is sent into a central park pond. As Kraven waits Spidey to surface, Lizard rises. Kraven turns his attention to the Lizard. It is a short battle that sees Spidey save Kraven's life. They join forces and battle the Lizard. The battle spills into the sewers.
We switch to EU. Gwen is gathering Conners' notes and realizes that some are missing. She shrugs it off as a figure enters the lab. Its Cassidy. Gwen doesn't recognize him as they have a conversation. Cassidy switches his glance from her to some strange dancing liquid in a jar in a glass lab cabinet. The scene switches out with them coming face to face and Gwen smiling nervously and Cassidy smiling deadly.
Spidey, Kraven, and Lizard exit the sewer near EU. Using a street sign and sewer hole cover, they knock Lizard out. They fall to their knees exhausted. Kraven informs Spidey "Fine. Trophy first, now, the bounty." As Kraven rises, Lizard reverts back to Conners. Niether can believe. Spidey is in shock. Kraven wonders what is happening. Spidey nods his head and says low and to himself "The experiment." This distracts Kraven enough to allow Spidey to get the first blow in. They fight across campus, ending outside the lab where Spidey gets the upper hand and gives Kraven a complete webbing, attaching him to the side of a building.
Spidey 'senses' something and turns to the lab, just missing a fleeing shadow. Capt Stacey comes up to Spidey and congratulates him and asks him about the webbed guy. Spidey says "He was hunting. He found trouble." Stacey informs him Cassidy has escaped and is believed to be in the neighborhood but they found Conners across campus unconscious, possibly attacked by the monster. Spidey points to Kraven "There's your monster."
An officer yells in a familiar warehouse voice to Capt Stacey from the lab to come quick. He and Spidey race over and in. What they find is horror(this may push PG-13 a bit).
Gwen, brutally murdered, sliced, and bloody!
Written in blood near her body "Why little Spider I am GREEN with envy! GG"!
As Capt Stacey breaks down, the officer that called them over quietly leaves into the night. He looks over his shoulder and smiles, noting aloud to himself "A chameleon's work is never done."
In the lab, Capt Stacey is an emotional wreck as his officers stand around, unsure of what to do. Spidey only stares in unknowable emotion as the movie ends panning from Gwen's body and the message to focus and fade on his masked face.
To Be Continued
Watch for Spiderman 5 {Total Carnage} coming soon!