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Feb 24, 2009

Burning Questions: Spider-Man

A weekend trip to Vegas left me with little time for blogging (though Mrs. Fletch and I did manage to watch 90% of the Academy Awards - yay us!), but I do have one movie-related query that ran through my little head this weekend.

Despite our posh accomodations (and 42" LCD) at the Flamingo, somehow, someway, the Harrah's offshoot manages to be missing something that every Motel 6 around the country likely has - HBO. This left me clamoring for any films, and TBS was left to foot the bill with multiple airings of Spider-Man. Of course I've already seen the film a number of times, but that didn't stop me from catching it a couple more go 'rounds. This time, though, I caught something I hadn't thought of previously:

During the climactic battle with the Green Goblin, Spider-Man has the Goblin down for the count. The little green man is begging for mercy, but simultaneously using buttons on his suit to control his dagger-wielding glider. He gets it positioned behind Spidey, the glider hovering with the daggers ready to spear, then, after Spider-Man refuses to help him, says "Godspeed Spider-Man" before signaling the glider to come in (fast) for the spearing kill.

Of course, Peter Parker's spidey senses tingle to let him know what's coming; he does a backflip over the glider and it heads straight for its master - the Goblin. My question is this: with the speed and force with which the glider was moving, and the length of the daggers that protruded from the front of it, even if Spider-Man hadn't averted it, wouldn't it have speared him and continued forward to spear the Goblin anyhow, as he was directly in front of Spidey with only a brick wall behind him?


17 people have chosen wisely: on "Burning Questions: Spider-Man"

The Cheap-Arse Film Critic said...

Their out on this is that, if Norman hadn't been distracted by Spidey's sudden movement, he would have used those same controls to stop the glider, or just moved out of the way.

Anonymous said...

You're applying logic to a summer blockbuster. Stop that.

Doug said...

It likely would have impaled them both if Spidey was a bit slower. But, I don't know if the guy who was conversing with his reflection really had the cognitive capacity to think beyond the next step at that moment.

Anonymous said...

Spidey was able to use his body to stop an elevated train with help of his webs one movie later. That suggests he's pretty solid, so maybe the daggers would've just bounced off him.

Did you at least have one of the rooms in the Flamingo with the TV embedded in the bathroom mirror? I think I knicked myself shaving while watching Plinko.

Fletch said...

Cheap-Arse - I can't see how that would have been possible. The glider was moving extremely fast. More likely is the argument that Doug makes - that perhaps he wasn't thinking his entire plan through at that moment. Or, better-case scenario, the glider spears through Spidey and only knocks Spidey into the Goblin, but the force and motion of the glider is slowed to the point that he walks away relatively unscathed.

Shane - I know, I know - it's a character flaw, and a chief reason I'm unable to enjoy the dumber blockbusters (The Incredible Hulk, anyone?). Spider-Man is good, but I just couldn't let this little nugget slide.

Tank - yes, we had a GO room. 26th floor. Awesome strip view (looking out on Caesar's and the Bellagio) and the embedded mirror along with the big screen. I approve heartily of this room despite (or because of???) the pink surroundings.

Reel Whore said...

This plan was concocted by the same man who thought Spider-Man wasn't fast enough to save both a falling cable car and his dame Mary Jane.

Knowing this, the Green Meanie should have considered the outside chance that Spidey was fast enough to avoid the glider but some people, villains especially, never learn.

Anonymous said...

Reel Whore, concerning your comment about villains never learn, it is the same principle that makes them explain their entire evil plot before killing off the hero. Thus when the hero escapes, they can foil the villain's plans because they now know everything that he is doing.

Mikey Filmmaker said...

Haha. Never thought of that.

RIPE Creative said...

Will you be doing a separate blog post about MGM's snotty response to your Oscar's query?

Farzan said...

Interesting observation Fletch, but I noticed that a long time ago. I thought the spear was moving way too fast for Spidey to react in time.

Doug said...

They don't call him the Amazing Spider-Man for nothing!

Anonymous said...

Maybe they'll address these flaws in the movie in Spiderman - The Musical!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7909772.stm

Doug said...

Yes, but then the burning question will be: Would the Green Goblin really have been able to pull off that high-note as his flier with 3 foot blades plunged into his body?

Rol said...

Yeah, but Norman Osborn is mad as a guppy in a fire engine.

Patricia Perry said...

I don't have an answer to your Spider Man question, but I've experienced that "What, No HBO?!" feeling in Vegas myself.

They don't have HBO at the Bellagio either. I was staying there the night the final "Sopranos" episode aired and it was KILLING me that I couldn't watch. I guess they figure people should be in the casino gambling rather than watching TV.

Kyle said...

It's a shame the glider couldn't kill Spider-Man 3.

Fletch said...

RIPE - I wasn't planning on it, but yeah, when we asked the MGM if they would be having a viewing party or anything like that for the Oscars, we got looked at as if we had three heads. How dare we actually think that one of the two Hollywood-themed casinos might actually show the Academy Awards. Thankfully, we were at a restaurant at Planet Hollywood when the show was on, and they were airing it. So yay to PH.

Pat - That's just beyond weird. If they're not gonna have HBO, they might as well just take the TVs out of the room altogether. It's not that I need HBO that badly, but if every other hotel room in the country has it and your posh hotel doesn't, isn't there something wrong with this picture?

Kyle - indeed. Good call...