Day: May 4, 2007

I’ve just GOT to get a t-shirt that says, “What the hëll is an aluminum falcon?!”

PAD

I had to pass on the Marvel screening Wednesday night because it conflicted with two bowling leagues of mine. So there I was doing a signing at Midtown Comics yesterday, along with fellow Spider-writer Roberto, and a fellow named Shane from Columbia pictures asked if I was interested in seeing a screening at 7 PM that evening.

Hëll yeah.

Did I like the film? Yup.

I didn’t quite like it as unabashedly as others, but when you’ve written the novelization of a screenplay, you can’t really enjoy the film the way other people do. For most viewers, the burning question is, “What’s going to happen?” Well, I knew pretty much what was going to happen, so I had instead my own sets of questions.

How were the ambitious action scenes going to play? Answer: Very well. The intercutting between live action and CGI has become nearly seamless; technically it’s light years ahead from the first film (which I have to admit remains my favorite.)

How were the scenes in the script that didn’t do jack to advance the plot going to impact on the film’s flow? Answer: Not at all, because they cut them all. (I was seated next to Heidi MacDonald and a friend of hers, Ken, and at one point Ken was muttering to me that the film was dragging. I muttered back, “Trust me: It could have been a lot worse.”)

How were the actors going to handle some of the dialogue that I felt was wince-worthy? Answer: Hit and miss. Some places provoked unwanted laughter from the audience. Other places worked very well, so kudos to them.

Since the script was a little fuzzy on it, how many times was Spidey going to lose his mask? Answer: I lost count. When it comes out on DVD you may want to turn it into a drinking game. If you really want to get hammered, you can toss down a shot whenever Venom loses his mask as well.

How in the world were they going to make the climax work, considering that some aspects were so filled with schmaltz that all it needed was Patrick Swayze to intone, “Nobody puts Spidey in a corner.” Answer: They changed it. Thank God, they changed it. I was really concerned that certain elements would have the audience cringing or howling. As it turned out, Sam Raimi or maybe a test audience or someone obviously shared my concerns because the filmed ending works much better.

Of couse, for those interested in seeing the original ending (with which I did the best I could; I think it actually works better in print than it would have on the screen) plus all the deleted scenes, it’s in the novelization. But see the movie first.

Have to say, for me, the acting standout in the film was Thomas Hayden Church’s Sandman. I wasn’t sure how it was going to play on screen, but as opposed to the somewhat over-the-top histrionics of the other “villains,” Church puts forward a perpetual sense of quiet desperation and even–believe it or not–dignity. Brilliant job, I thought.

PAD