The Megahit Movies

by Richard Stefanik

  Spider-Man hurls above the streets of New York City, followed by two helicopters. The audience vicariously shares the experience of swinging among the skyscrapers high above the streets of New York City. This is a joyous thrill!

  THE END

  COMMENTARY

  One of the largest theater going audience is the 18-22 year old males. The Spider-Man 2 movie was made especially for them. ”There had never been a teenage superhero. There had never been a hero who had personal problems. And there had never been a hero who, even though he triumphed over a villain, would never achieve a full victory because there was always something that he regretted or felt guilty about. In fact, that guilt, that belief that he has to do penance as Spider-Man for not preventing the death of his uncle Ben, sets Peter apart from every other Lycraclad crime fighter. Revenge is a typical motivation, but I don’t think that there’s another comic-book superhero that is completely driven by trying to pay some debt, a debt that cannot be paid, as Spider-man is.” (Newsweek June 28, 2004 page 52)

  The B-Story dominates the A-Story in Spider-Man 2. In this movie Peter Parker’s inner conflicts are at least as interesting as his outer conflicts. Peter could never reveal his secret identity to his beloved Mary Jane Watson lest that knowledge put her in danger. He understood that he must hide his true self from his dear old widowed Aunt May, plus keeping it a secret from his best friend, Harry Osborn, who believes that Spider-Man killed his father. Peter struggles with ambivalence, loneliness, resentment, and jealousy. All the mental confusion and divided loyalties manifest themselves in comic book terms but still give us a superhero with doubts. Peter is a tortured young man with secrets, increasingly alienated from everyone he cares about, battles demons inside and out. He eventually learns that secrets need to be shared.

  Why does Peter have to be so weak? It essential to Spiderman’s character that Peter be a mild-mannered nebbish who gets stepped on character that Peter be a mild-mannered nebbish who gets stepped on 18 yr old boys in the audience will be able to identify with Peter and enjoy the fantasy of being Spider-Man. Having the audience care and have empathy for the protagonist is very important because the audience will experience the movie through the protagonist.

  Guilt is an important factor in Peter’s character. He feels responsible for the death of his Uncle Ben. Overcoming this feeling of guilt is why we have the fantasy scene of Peter talking to Uncle Ben in which Peter tells him that he doesn’t want the power, he only wants to love MJ.

  In Spider-Man 2 every character, even J. J. Jameson, has a story arc that makes us care for them. Jameson admits that he drove Spider-Man away, and that Spider-Man was always a hero. But his changed opinion of Spider-Man doesn’t last for too long. We even like the antagonist, Otto Octavius and are horrified by his transformation into the villainous Doc Ock. We are forced to care about Peter Parker because we realize that this is a guy who, no matter how good he is, is never going to get any respect. Despite the wonderfully done super heroics, the writers never forget that this is a story about people: more a drama of emotions than a reason to string together action. It is the story about characters confronting themselves. It’s a tortured coming-of-age story about love and fear, regret and loneliness.

  Why did the police have a problem finding Doc Ock when everyone else could hear him coming from blocks away? Why didn’t anyone report him when he bought all that high tech equipment? You would think the UPS guy would have been a bit suspicious delivering it to a sunken wharf.

  In popular Hollywood movies it is not the logic of the situation, or the plot that matters...but the emotional involvement of the audience with the characters. This movie is about the trials and tribulations of a young man who believes he has to give up love in order to be responsible. The film took its time working through the character arc. Peter had many more empathy scenes in this movie than in the first. It was only in the last thirty minutes of the movie that action dominates.

  What about the scene with the landlord’s daughter bringing cake and milk to Peter? It was there to show friendship, companionship, and to demonstrate that there was a woman attractive to Peter as Peter. He didn’t need to be Spider-Man to have someone fall in love with him

  Once Peter lost his love, he lost his power. No Mary Jane, no web slinging. But Peter had a great character arc. He goes from being Spidey, to giving up being Spidey, to learning that the city needs Spidey, and finally to winning the girl he loves and being Spidey again! The audience learns that you can fulfill your duty (being responsible) and have love, too! Everyone loves a superhero. That’s what Aunt May said, and it made Peter finally feel good about himself again, good enough to want to jump off a roof.

  In the climax scene Spidey fights Doc Ock, with Mary Jane dangling again. Yes, the love interest is tied to a post once again. But this is a climax scene with a twist. Spidey fights Doc Ock, but it is the nasty little snake arms that are the real villains. Doc Ock is a pussy cat. The snake arms took over nice Doc Ock’s mind. They made him do it. Then we have the classic scene: “I’ll do it, I’ll sacrifice myself to save the world” speech delivered by the Doc to Peter. Doc tears down the girders. He’ll destroy myself because it’s the right thing to do! Then he looks back at Spidey woefully, “I wish it didn’t have to end this way...I really did like you a lot.” Then Doc Ock pulls down the fiery ball of fusion into the water and together they float so slowly away, redeeming himself by drowning in (and with) his sin. It is important to recognize that the protagonist does not kill the antagonist in the climax scene. The antagonist does himself in. This absolves the protagonist of any guilt for the death of the antagonist. Because Spider-Man was able to reach out to his higher nature, the audience gets what they want (kill the villain) but in an unexpected and emotionally satisfying way. A classic megahit movie climax!

  This leaves us with Peter and MJ. She sees him without his mask, as she bathes in the glowing amber of the nuclear ball of fiery fusion, and it is complete love at long last sight! But then the roof falls down on her and Spider-Man (Peter) again comes to the rescue. She now knows why he’s been skipping out on their dates and missing all her stage performances. But it is not over yet. They tell each other that they love each other. Peter then regains the strength to throw the metal roof away from them. It is amazing what the power of love can do!

  Peter picks her up and they jump over the rolling metal frame that would crush them both the death. But it is still not over yet. Together, inside the spider-web on the top of the girders overlooking the river they profess their love for each other. But alas, it cannot be, because Spidey must be Spidey, and a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do (which MJ says back to him later). Spidey “lets her down” easily into the arms of another man, accepts his fate, and jumps into the night sky, once again swinging away.

  Why did the writer and director write the story this way? How does the audience feel about the characters at this moment? They are on tenterhooks! Could it be that these two, who should end up together, wont? The audience can’t stand that thought! But there she is, in her white gown, in the church, with the wrong guy waiting for her at the altar. This increases the emotional tension for the audience. They deserve each other, they love each other. Can’t this somehow work out? It is more dramatic if, at the last moment, she runs to the man she loves, as they did in the movie, The Graduate. It is emotionally more effective to have the audience feel that all is lost then have the lovers get together at the very last moment. The emotions become more intense, and the ending is more satisfying, filled with relief! This is good dramatic structure if you want to make a popular movie.

  Spider-Man 2 focused more on the B-Story (relationships and character changes) than the A-Story (action, excitement, and thrills) which was the primary focus of the first Spider-Man movie. But the first movie grossed $404 million, while Spider-Man 2 only grossed $355 million. It remains to be seen which of the two will become the most popular movie over time.

  PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN The Open
ing Scene: Fog, a Ship, and a Young Girl at the bow. Elizabeth Swan is singing a song about Pirates. A sailor, Mr. Gibbs, warns her against pirates. Norrington and Captain Swan, Elizabeth’s father, engage in conversation. Suddenly, we see an umbrella in the water, then a boy on a raft, then a burning ship. This is the introduction of the antagonist: pirates! Captain Swan tells Elizabeth to watch over the boy. Elizabeth sees a Pirate’s Aztec coin on a chain around the boy’s neck. She takes it from him.

  The Unique Object has been introduced: the Aztec Gold Coin! The girl and boy introduce themselves to each other: Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner. Norrington then has Will carried below. Elizabeth keeps the Aztec coin. She then sees the pirate ship and the black flag.

  TEN YEARS LATER Elizabeth awakes from her dream. She opens a drawer and takes out the Aztec coin. Liz places it around her neck. There is a knock on her door. Her father, now Governor Swan, walks into the room with a present for Liz. It is a new dress. He wants her to wear it for the ceremony at which Captain Norrington will be promoted to Commodore Norrington. The dress is much too tight. Liz has problems breathing.

  Downstairs, Will Turner waits in the hallway. He tries to fix a wall lamp, but it breaks off in his hand. He hides the broken piece. He brings a sword to the Governor which will be a gift to Commodore Norrington.

  Liz seesWill and tells him she had a dream about him. Will is tense. It is inappropriate for them to be familiar because of class differences. The Governor and Liz leave the house and ride a coach through the gates.

  Captain Jack Sparrow makes his entrance. He stands on the top of the mast and he rides into port on a sinking ship. He sails past pirates who have been hung. Near them is a sign: PIRATES BEWARE. Jack salutes the dead pirates. Jack rides his sinking boat up to the dock. He is approached by the docksman who asks Jack for his name and the docking fee. Jack does not give him his true name. Instead, he pays the docksman a few extra coins for his discretion.

  The ceremony to honor Norrington is taking place in the courtyard. Liz has a problem breathing because of her tight dress.

  Jack walks toward one of the British ships but is stopped by two soldiers. They talk about the Black Pearl being the fastest ship on the sea versus the Interceptor. The two soldiers continue to argue. Jack plays logic games with the soldiers about telling the truth and lying.

  Norrington and Elizabeth walk to the edge of the fort. She continues to have trouble breathing, faints, and falls off the ledge into the water. Jack sees this and jumps in to the water to save her.

  The Aztec gold coin hits the water. Winds howl. A storm starts up. This is the Inciting Event of the story. The Aztec coin hitting the water signals the cursed pirates on the Black Pearl. Now they know where the coin is.

  Jack saves Elizabeth. He sees the Aztec coin around her neck. “Where did you get that?” he asks. British soldiers surround them. They take Jack captive. Jack has a pirate “P” tattooed on his arm and a compass that does not point north. Norrington says, “Worst Pirate I have ever heard of.” Jack takes Elizabeth hostage. “This will be remebered as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow,” says Jack.

  Jack runs to escape but does so ineptly. He swings up on a rope which then spins him around in circles. This gives the soldiers below a chance to shoot at him. Jack hides in Brown’s sword shop. Brown is drunk and asleep on the floor. Jack cuts off his chains. Will Turner comes into the shop and fights with Jack because he threatened Miss Swan. This is a comic swordfight scene. Will throws a sword at Jack which sticks in the door next to his head. Jack struggles to pull out the sword. Brown hits Jack on the head and knocks him out. “This will be remembered as the day that Jack Sparrow almost got away,” says Norrington.

  Elizabeth is in bed and talks with her maid. The maid says that Norrington would be a smart match, but that Will Turner is a fine man, too!” Liz touches the Aztec coin. Suddenly, the flame on her candle goes out.

  The Black Pearl pirate ship approaches the harbor and begins firing on Port Royal. Jack is in jail when he hears the sounds of the guns. “I know those guns. It’s the Black Pearl.” Pirates from the ship attack the city. Two comic pirates lead the charge against the Governor’s mansion. They kill the butler and chase Liz around the house, finally catching her in the closet. “Parley,” says Liz. She wants to meet their Captain. A cannonball hits the jail wall. The other prisoners escape, leaving Jack in his cell. He tries to get the dog to bring him the key. Two pirates enter the jail and confront Jack. When a cloud passes away from the moon, the moonlight reveals the skeletal arm of the ghost pirate.

  Liz is taken to the Black Pearl. She meets Barbossa and his monkey. Liz negotiates with Barbossa. She wants him to leave the city. She threatens to drop the Aztec coin into the ocean. She tells him her name is Elizabeth Turner. “Bootstrap,” says one of the Pirates. Barbossa agrees to her demands. But when Liz wants to be taken to the shore, Barbossa tells her that was not part of the bargain.

  Back at the fort, Will goes to Norrington. He says that the pirates have taken Liz, and that they must go after her. Will says that Jack Sparrow knows the location of the ship.

  Will goes to the jail and confronts Jack. He wants to save Liz. Will does not want to be a pirate. He tells Jack that his name is Will Turner. Jack agrees to help Will save Liz. Will gets Jack out of jail. They plan to steal one of the British ships. They overturn a row boat and walk underwater toward the ship. They take control of the Dauntless. They are chased by the British sailors on the Interceptor. Then, Jack and Will switch ships and take control of the Interceptor! “That’s got to be the best pirate I have ever seen,” says a sailor standing next to Norrington.

  Jack and Will argue while sailing away on the Interceptor. Jack tells Will that his father was a pirate, Bootstrap Turner. Will cannot accept this. He refuses to become a pirate. They sail toward Tortuga, the Pirate City. There Jack wakes up Gibbs, who is sleeping with the pigs. Jack tells Gibbs that he wants to go after the Black Pearl. He says that he has the child of Bootstrap Turner.

  On the Black Pearl, Liz is invited to wear a new dress and dine with Barbossa. If she refuses, she will have to dine naked with the crew. Barbossa and Liz have dinner. He offers her a green apple which she fears is poisoned. He tells her about the cursed Aztec treasure, and that the only way to end the curse is to return all the pieces. Liz has the final coin. Liz stabs Barbossa and tries to escape. She runs out onto the ship deck and in the moonlight sees that all the sailors are ghosts. She screams in terror. Barbossa confronts her and says: “You best start believing in ghost stories, because you are in one!”

  Gibbs recruits a crew for Jack Sparrow. They are a bunch of inept rejects. When Jack approaches Anna Marie, she slaps him and accuses him of stealing her boat. He admits to doing so. They sail away in the ship. They get caught in a storm. Jack’s compass does not find north, but they do find Tortuga.

  The pirates take Liz into the cave where the Aztec treasure is hidden. Jack sails his ship through the sea of sunken boats. Gibbs tells Will the story of the mutiny of the Black Pearl, and how Jack was left to die on a deserted island.

  Barbossa takes Liz to the Aztec treasure chest. Will and Jack enter the cave. They watch Barbossa and Liz by the treasure chest. The monkey sees them. Barbossa cuts Liz’s hand and drops the gold coin into the treasure chest. To see if they are now mortal again, Barbossa shoots one of the sailors. But he does not die. They discover that Liz is not the daughter of Bootstrap Turner. The curse is not broken! Cut her throat. Spill all her blood, yell the pirates. Jack walks toward Barbossa. He is surrounded by pirates. “Parley,” he says.

  Liz and Will escape with one of the coins. They leave Jack behind. They reach the ship and want to get the others to save Jack, but Mr. Gibbs reminds them of the Pirate’s code: those who fall behind are left behind.

  Barbossa decides to kill Jack, but Jack tells him that the girl’s blood will not work, although he knows whose blood will. Liz and Will are together in a love scene. Liz gives Will back the Azte
c coin and tells him that she took it off him when he was saved years ago. It was a gift from his father. It is Will’s blood that the pirates need to end the curse. Will is the son of a pirate: Bootstrap Turner.

  Jack and Barbossa negotiate. The Black Pearl gives chase to the Intrepid. Barbossa throws Jack into the brig. The ships engage in a battle. The Aztec coin drops below deck. Will goes for it, but the monkey grabs the coin. Water fills up the cabin, and Will is about to drown. Jack chases the monkey to Barbossa. The monkey’s name is also Jack. The Intrepid is blown up. Liz thinks that Will is dead. Will comes onto the Black Pearl and demands the release of Liz. Will puts a gun to his head, and threatens to kill himself if Liz is not set free. If he dies, the pirates will live with the curse forever! Barbossa accepts.

  Once Barbossa has the Aztec coin, he makes Liz walk the plank. She gives him the dress back, then she is knocked into the water. Jack is also made to walk the plank. Before him is the island on which he was marooned before. He is given only one gun with one bullet. Barbossa thows it into the ocean.

  Liz and Jack swim to the island. Jack tells her that he was saved by rum runners after lying on the beach drinking for three days. That night they drink rum together near a fire. Jack tells Liz that the Black Pearl means freedom to him. They drink to the Black Pearl and to Freedom!

  The next morning Jack awakes to see Liz burning up all his rum. She is making a big fire with billowing smoke in order to attract any British ships in the area that are searching for her. Jack runs down the beach and sees a British ship approaching. Norrington and Liz’s father save her and capture Jack. Liz persuades Norrington to search for Will, as a wedding present.

  The comic pirate tells Will about the death of his father, Bootstrap Turner. Barbossa killed him because he did not like the mutiny that took the Black Pearl away from Captain Jack Sparrow.

  British soldiers in row boats sail with Jack toward the Pirate’s cave. Jack makes a plan. Liz is locked in the ship’s cabin by her father. Jack then rows into the cave alone.