Spiderman (2002)

My first exposure to any superhero film was the Sony Pictures production of Spiderman in 2002. I was ten years of age and often cowered from any major scenes of violence on the screen during my pre-pubescent stages. It wasn't until the release of this film that I can say that I actually experienced the story of a superhero. It is through this blog post that I would like to document the emotions and feelings encountered as I witnessed my own induction into the viewership of the superhero genre. I am going to lay out the exact and freshest response of my impression as a 10-year old at the turn of the 21st century.

The primary aspect I remember when visiting the memory of watching Spiderman in theaters is the end credits. My memories are often emphasized by auditory cues, so I instantly connected with the song "Vindicated" by Dashboard Confessional as it played while the crowd evacuated the room. The lyrics from the chorus of this song go like this:

So let me slip away!

So let me slip,

against the current...

Listening to those lyrics in the dark theater is the first thing I think of when I hear that song on the radio or elsewhere. I use it as a mental bookmark.

I consider this movie as a major influence on my youth as I approached the teenage phase of life. Looking back now and viewing the film again, it is clear that the writers ably took advantage of Peter Parker's relatability as a character and created his personality in a way that led young viewers like myself to attach to his character and really sink into it. I loved and wanted to be like Peter Parker. Everything about him was so attractive, and without realizing it, I was slipping into the allure of Spiderman. For a while, Spiderman was my favorite Superhero; mostly because I didn't have any exposure to other superhero characters. Halloween: Spiderman costume with silly string wrist mounts. Backpack: Spiderman logo. I was so hooked, and I had no idea why.

The remainder of my formative years involved movie-watching of other superheroes such as Batman and the Avengers. None of these, however, had so much of an effect on me as Spiderman. After watching Spiderman, I became more familiar with the superhero genre through popular culture and other discussions. The hype over these characters prepared me for the films I would later watch, thus preventing me from falling under the same influence as Spiderman.

This class has involved numerous discussions regarding superheroes from all kinds of backgrounds. I admit that I was baffled at the immense popularity of some of the earlier comics, especially reading some ridiculously written stories on panels from the early 20th century. I realize now, however, that the superhero genre functions optimally as a beckoning to the adoration of young readers. Although it can be asserted that readers in today's population of comics fans are not mostly juvenile, it is certain that the primary audience of comic books from the 1930s and 40s were at that targetted age. If the effect of superheroes on children from that era was similar to Spiderman's effect on me at age ten, then I think I understand why the genre gained such popularity.