Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark - Action Review

Sure, the story, music, sets and costumes were all great in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark but isn't it really all about the action? That's what people are really plopping down their hard earned greenbacks for.

Spidey action!

Well, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark delivers in spades! And it doesn't wait for Spidey to show up to deliver it!

Two early songs, "Bullying by Numbers," and, "Bouncing Off the Walls," feature some early action. Of course, "Bullying by Numbers," features Peter Parker being tormented by Flash and his bully squad. But Peter soon gains his spider powers and "Bouncing Off the Walls" has Peter literally jumping around the walls and ceiling of his room, exploring his new might. He then runs into Flash again, but this time it's a really cool live-action slow motion sequence that is meant to demonstrate Peter's increased reflexes and Spider-Sense power.

It's soon thereafter that Spider-Man swings onto the scene! That first moment when Spidey swings off the stage and over the crowd is a truly magical one. In what amounts to a montage, we see Spidey stopping petty crooks and criminals. Doubles are used to create the illusion that Spidey has super speed - one minute he's swinging across the theater, the next he's standing in the crowd, firing webs over their heads.

In the second act, Spidey uses the Sinister Six like appetizers before the entree. In a quick succession of scenes Spidey defeats one after another, leaving only the Green Goblin as the sole threat remaining.

Spidey and the Green Goblin tangle in mid-air.

The final fight sequence with the Green Goblin is shocking in its complexity. Spider-Man and the Green Goblin zoom around the theater in a complicated series of exchanges. I was awed by the mere fact that they could somehow achieve this feat without crossing and tangling their wires. At one point, Spidey actually lands on top of the Green Goblin. Of course, Spidey is victorious but the real winners are the audience that get to delight in this stunning action sequence.

The success or failure of this show depended solely on the strength of the action and at every turn it delivered.

1LR REVIEW - 20 out of 20! It's a Critical Hit!