Spider-Wars

By Richard Ferrara
Special to the Daily News

The summer's first blockbusters are arriving — along with all the hype that inevitably comes with them. This year everybody's talking about the big-screen debut of the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man, which hits theaters today.

"Spider-Man," however, won't have the spotlight to itself for long, and the competition is no lightweight.

The second installment of George Lucas' prequel series, 'Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones," is due for release May 16. It's going to be a box-office battle of classic heroes and special effects. But does Spidey have what it takes to topple Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the whole crew?

"Spider-Man" is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker and alter-ego Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane, and Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblm. The movie draws from the original comic book series for its storyline, telling of Peter Parker's transformation from average Joe to superhuman after being bitten by a radioactive spider. Laden with action and special effects, the film has all the makings of a blockbuster. But can it hold its own against the legacy of George Lucas?

It may not be a fair matchup. According to Entertaiflment Weekly, the box-office analysis firm ReelSource predicts "Spider-Man" will gross somewhere between $225 to $250 million, while Episode II" will make at least $350 million. Considering the fact that "Star Wars: Episode I" grossed over $430 million in 2000, that doesn't seem like a bad estimate.

Other factors may give "Spider-Man" a fighting chance. It is generally known that "Episode I" left many fans with a bad taste in their mouths. More than a few left the theater shaking their heads and harboring angry vendettas against Jar Jar Binks, the movie's widely reviled computer-generated character.

It also should be remembered that Spider-Man has been around much longer than the "Star Wars" movies. 15 years before (the first) "Star Wars" opened in 1977, legendary comic creator Stan Lee introduced his web-slinging superhero to the public in the final issue of "Amazing Fantasy" in 1962. That's given Spider-Man plenty of time to gain name recognition, and many longtime fans have been anticipating a blockbuster rendition of the comic book for years.

Local collector Steve Farshid is one of those fans. He has been collecting comics for almost 20 years and has become a kind of comic guru. His collection includes such milestone Marvel comics as "Amazing Fantasy" No. 15 (the first appearance of Spider-Man), and “The Amazing Spider-Man" No. 1.

Since the announcement of the movie, Farshid has seen his Spider-Man comics nearly double in value.

"Oh, I’m absolutely more excited about ‘Spider-Man,’ " Farshid said. "First of all, because I grew up with Spider-Man comics. Second of all, because Jar Jar Binks destroyed the first movie. This new round of ‘Star Wars’ is more hype than quality. I think that's apparent when you’ve got 'NSync cast in there as Storm Troopers."

(Lucas had given the popular boy-band small roles in the movie, but later retracted the decision due to protest from fans.)

Farshid pointed out that "Spider-Man" may just do for Marvel Comics what "Batman" and "Superman" did for DC Comics in the movie industry.

"Marvel can't compare to the movies that DC has produced — 'Batman,' ‘Superman' and those sequels," he said. "I think that if they do it right, then ‘Spider-Man' can be the platform that launches Marvel into the movie industry."

In the local retail market, signs seem to be pointing toward a greater interest in "Spider-Man."

“I think Spider-Man actually is going to make a bigger impact," said Mike Miller, who works the counter at Suncoast Motion Picture Company in Coastland Center. “When 'Episode I’ came out everybody was waiting for it, there were tons of people in the mall. The release date this year — nothing. Right now the interest seems to be in Spider-Man."

Miller attributes the lag in fandom to disappointment in the first "Star Wars" prequel.

"The newer ‘Star Wars,’ even though they're cool and they’re filling in the story, it's just missing something that the older ones had. And Jar Jar Binks is probably the all-time worst character. He's tough to listen to."

It may be true that "Episode I" could have been more effective in stoking the fervor for the next prequel — even Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, called the movie ‘flat' in a recent interview with Film Four Web site. However, fans disappointed in the first "Star Wars" prequel may have a prize in store for them with “Episode II."

The buzz regarding rough cuts of the film has so far been positive. And, much to the relief of his many cynics, Jar Jar Binks role apparently has been reduced to little more than a cameo.

"Thank the sweet Lord," Farshid sighed.

At the Hollywood 20, advanced tickets for "Spider-Man" are already selling quite well. Tickets for “Attack of the Clones” haven't started "selling yet, but it may be too early to compare.

Regardless of which film is deemed bigger or better in the end, both  movies have a history behind them, as well as an enormous following. The odds are both will collect their fair share, which means it could be another big summer at the movies.