The most "good-looking" "Spider-Man" in history, over-praised?
Author | Terrence Lee
Edit | Wang Yaqi
Title map | "Spider-Man: Across the Universe" (2023)
What happens when more than 200 "Spider-Mans" appear in the same world?
"Spider-Man: Across the Universe" gives the answer. Recently, the latest work of this "Spider-Man" IP was released, and the familiar superhero image of "Spider-Man" returned to the big screen again.
A still from "Spider-Man: Across the Universe" (2023).
This superhero, affectionately called "Little Bug" by fans, has been at the top of the Marvel character popularity list for many years. With comics, live-action movies, and the interpretation of three actors, including Andrew Garfield, the image of "Spider-Man" has long been deeply rooted in popular culture, and has become a common memory for generations along with those classic pictures.
With pearl jade ahead, the expectations borne by "Spider-Man: Across the Universe" have naturally increased. As the second animated film in the "Spider-Man Universe Series", it inherits the story of the previous "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and will continue to explore the boundaries and changes of this superhero image. Women, Asians, punk Spider-Man, etc. appeared one after another.
This raises new questions: in today's public opinion field, aside from its cool and gorgeous painting style and music, is the core of this "Spider-Man" truly embracing pluralistic values, or is it only a superficial exploration of identity politics?
When the superhero is a Geek high school student
"Spider-Man" Peter Parker doesn't feel like a superhero.
When it comes to American superheroes, the first thing that comes to mind is DC's Superman, or Marvel's Iron Man and Captain America. As superheroes, most of them are powerful and have cool moves. At the same time, the tragic life experience adds more thickness and charm to the character.
But looking at the role of "Spider-Man", he doesn't seem to be very close to these settings.
A still from Spider-Man (2002).
In the beginning, "Spider-Man" was not considered as a protagonist. He first appeared in the comic book magazine Amazing Fantasy in August 1962. Later, because it was popular with comic fans, the first "Spider-Man" comic with him as the protagonist - "Marvel at Spider-Man" appeared.
In the 60s, mainstream superhero comics were still creating powerful, noble and complex characters who were unattainable and very different from the lives of ordinary people. At this time, Stan Lee wanted to create a living hero with ordinary people's lives and troubles.
"I myself prefer the image of superheroes with flesh and blood and character flaws, and it would be miserable if they just flew around in the sky to save the world." In an interview, Stan Lee also confessed many times that among the comic book characters he created, he liked Spider-Man the most. He saw Peter Parker as a child. "He's a child, I don't spoil him, who to spoil?"
A still from Spider-Man (2002).
Stan Lee's favor made Peter Parker the darling of Marvel Comics. The success of the "Spider-Man" IP largely lies in the shaping of this unique superhero image. He was the first teenage superhero to appear in American comics.
Before "Spider-Man," superheroes appeared almost exclusively as adults. They are caught up in the battles and intrigues of the adult world, and they spend their days tug-of-war with evil forces. In these stories, teenagers are most involved as heroic assistants in bizarre stories, such as green leaves setting off red flowers.
Since "Marvel Spider-Man", Peter Parker has begun to carry out his own heroic story as the protagonist. Abandoning the traditional heroic narrative of bitterness and hatred to save the planet and the universe, Stan Lee creates a civilian hero character who is a high school student, a talker, and a Geek.
A still from The Amazing Spider-Man (2012).
Although Peter Parker has superpowers, he is not as anti-heavenly as Superman and Thor, nor does he have the "banknote ability" like Iron Man, and even the device for launching spider silk is made by Peter himself. In terms of scientific talent and flexible mind, Peter Parker is definitely the most Geek superhero.
Although cloaked in the skin of a superhero, the core of the "Spider-Man" series has always been an American youth story, so it is more approachable. In addition to fighting monsters, Peter Parker's daily life is no different from most American high school students, with fights, romances, and family conflicts in adolescence in school life.
As Stan Lee said, "Peter is still going through adolescence, and young people will resonate with him." He had to fall in love, save the world, and do his homework. ”
From parallel universes to vertical universes,
How to break through again in superhero movies
Since its birth, the "Spider-Man" IP has gone through 60 years, and its popularity is still high.
In 2011, the well-known film and game website IGN ranked 100 comic book heroes in popularity, and "Spider-Man" Peter Parker ranked third. Last year, IGN also ranked 25 superheroes in the Marvel Universe in popularity, with "Spider-Man" in fourth place, behind Captain America, Iron Man and Thor.
Under the high popularity, every new work of the "Spider-Man" series will become the center of film and television topics. For creators, under its unchanged core, how to do a good job of "old pots with new wine" has become a proposition that the latest work "Spider-Man: Across the Universe" needs to deal with.
A still from "Spider-Man: Across the Universe" (2023).
To discuss "Across the Universe", you need to first pull your attention back to the previous work "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse". Sony has created a new Spider-Man, "Little Black Spider" Miles Morales.
Although he has a different background from Peter Parker, he is also living an ordinary American high school student life, facing the troubles of family, love and further education, and needs to face the troubles and contradictions brought by the triple identity of heroes, students, and children.
The breakthrough of "Parallel Universe", in addition to the cool and changeable art style, also introduced the concept of "parallel universe" popular in recent years into the movie, allowing 6 Spider-Men with different images from different universes to appear on the same world line.
A still from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018).
Among them, there are female Spider-Man, Shadow Spider-Man, "Spider-Man" and other peculiar existences. This move exploded in the entire superhero world.
Even in previous years, the Marvel Universe created by Marvel in the movie made the audience addicted and raised the excitement threshold, but the setting of the parallel universe is still a fresh and interesting gimmick, and the story of different time and space intertwined still has great appeal.
After its release 5 years ago, "Parallel Universe" has received a lot of praise, the well-known film website IMDb has a score of 8.4, and the global box office of nearly 400 million US dollars has proved its success.
Spider-Man comics / Erik Mclean on Unsplash
By the sequel "Across the Universe", Sony played even more crazy. The 6 Spider-Man in the previous work were not enough to watch, and the main creators directly let more than 200 Spider-Men in each parallel universe appear on the screen at the same time, opening a parkour-style Spider-Man brawl.
Among them, the cat cat Spider-Man, the dinosaur Spider-Man, and even the most fashionable meta-universe Spider-Man are loudly announcing to the audience in front of the screen: Who said that Spider-Man must be human?
"Spider-Man can be anyone." Stan Lee's interpretation of Spider-Man has been jumped and boldly realized in "Across the Universe".
Is it pluralism, or is it politically correct fawning
Marvel and Sony, who like to add "Easter eggs" to movies, are no exception this time, still playing with feelings in "Across the Universe".
Continuing the emotional killing of three generations of Spider-Man in the same frame in the live-action movie "Spider-Man: Homeless", different forms of "three spiders in the same frame" still appear in "Across the Universe".
"Spider-Man: Homeless" (2021) stills.
When Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, appeared in the "Web Incident", fans are expected to smile and instantly get the hidden thoughts of the main creators.
In addition to this fan-oriented "sugar-coated cannonball", in fact, in the current public opinion environment, "Across the Universe" still has a lot to play.
I have to say that Hollywood is too good at pleasing audiences. Disney next door took the risk of choosing black actors in The Little Mermaid, putting them into a white Christian culture story that explored soul issues, which was criticized for excessive political correctness.
"Parallel Universe" and "Across the Universe" have a similar approach. As Peter Parker's "successor", the Afro-Latino Miles came from a minority family in Brooklyn, New York.
A still from "Spider-Man: Across the Universe" (2023).
Undoubtedly, he belongs to another minority hero in the Marvel Comics world, but the film does not show his personal identity political dilemma, nor does it have much pen in racial culture and fate. Everything was just like a symbol on Miles.
In addition to "Little Black Spider" Miles, the female Spider-Man Gwen, anarchist punk Spider-Man, Indian Asian Spider-Man, etc. in the film are all products created by Hollywood under the issue of identity politics.
Their images refer to different aspects, but most of them are also reduced to background panels, showing some playful memes and politically charged jokes. Everything seems to come to an end.
A still from "Spider-Man: Across the Universe" (2023).
If whether to please the audience in terms of political correctness is a matter of opinion, then how to continue to seek a breakthrough in the framework of super-British films is an indisputable proposition. Even with a high score of 9.1 on IMDb and a high box office worldwide, some viewers still have criticism of "Across the Universe".
In addition to the more gorgeous and more experimental pictures than the previous game, the core of the story still falls into the trap of superhero movies, that is, fatalism.
Before the trolley problem, Spider-Man chose to fight fate, which was originally a return to personal heroism, but weakened in the routine of traditional heroic narratives. Coupled with the constant appearance of American preaching and chicken soup in the film, the superhero movie model that has been criticized in recent years has added some tedium and hollowness.
A still from Spider-Man (2002).
4 years ago, the well-known director Martin Scorsese was asked in an interview with "Empire Magazine" how he thought of Marvel-style superhero movies. He uses a metaphor to compare them to "theme parks," referring to their repetitive, hollow and boring problems.
Martin then explained in the New York Times what cinema is, at least what he sees as real cinema: "Cinema is about revelation, aesthetic, emotional and spiritual revelation. It is an art form. ”
This problem is the sword of Damocles hanging over the superhero movie. "Across the Universe" is no exception. When the fatalism, personal heroism, and American youth stories in movies are no longer fresh, or even boring and old, whether the "Spider-Man" series can continue to satisfy the audience is a question.
Proofreader: Yang Chao
1. Martin Scorsese: "Why I Say Marvel Movies Are Not "Movies"
2. The Paper "Interview with "Marvel Father" Stan Lee: Love Spider-Man the Most