Spider-Man Strikes Back

Spider-Man Strikes Back is a 1978 American live-action superhero film that had a theatrical release abroad, a composite of the two-parter episode "Deadly Dust" of the contemporary television show The Amazing Spider-Man, released on 8 May 1978. It was directed by Ron Satlof, written by Robert Janes and stars Nicholas Hammond as the titular character, Robert Alda, Robert F. Simon, Joanna Cameron, and Michael Pataki. The film was preceded by Spider-Man (1977) and followed by Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge.

Spider-Man Strikes Back
British theatrical release poster
Directed byRan Satlof
Produced by
  • Ran Satlof
  • Robert Janes[1]
Screenplay byRobert Janes[1]
Based onSpider-Man[1]
Starring
CinematographyJack Whitman[1]
Production
company
Charles Fries Productions[1]
Marvel Television
Distributed byColumbia Pictures Television
Release date
May 8, 1978 (Europe)
December 21, 1978 (Worldwide)
Running time
93 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States[1]
LanguageEnglish

Plot

At the New York State University, one of Peter Parker's tutors has accidentally given three students all the materials they need to create an atomic bomb. The students use the plutonium to try to build a bomb in order to illustrate the dangers of nuclear power. While Peter Parker tries to find out what's happened, the police suspect him of the crime, and Peter has to deal with an attractive journalist named Gale Hoffman, who is determined to get an interview with Spider-Man after his well-publicized rescue of a suicide jumper.

In order to make their point, the students steal some plutonium from the lab. Spider-Man appears on the scene in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the theft. But Spider-Man is seen by security guards and, naturally, is blamed for the theft. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, villain Mr. White reads a newspaper report of the theft and deduces that it was the students rather than Spider-Man who stole the radioactive material. He plans to relieve the students of their ill-gotten gains. He departs immediately for the United States with his monstrous henchman, Angel.

White has his henchmen steal the plutonium so that he can obtain his own version of the weapon. Spider-Man is forced defeat this scheming villain in order to stop him blowing up the World Trade Center. White kidnaps Peter, in an effort to locate the plutonium. When one of the students involved in the theft is admitted to hospital with radiation poisoning, Peter changes to Spider-Man to track down the plutonium. But White and Angel get there first. In the ensuing fight, Spider-Man has hurled off a twelve-story building and plunges, seemingly to his death. He saves himself from his death dive by forming a net with his webbing. But in the confusion, White and Angel escape with the plutonium.

J. Jonah Jameson, the owner of The Daily Bugle, discovers that White has fled to Los Angeles and arranges for Peter Parker and Gale Hoffman to travel to the west coast in search of White. Mr. White demands $1,000,000,000 in return for not setting off the plutonium bomb in a heavily populated area. The authorities assume, wrongly, that he means New York. In fact, White plans to set off the bomb in Los Angeles at the time the President is giving a speech there.

Spider-Man finally tracks White to his lair and learns of White's plans. He locates the bomb and defuses it at the last second. But White escaped, and vowed that he and Spider-Man will meet again.

Cast

Release

The film was theatrically released in European territories on 8 May 1978.[2] It received a VHS release in 1980.[3]

Critical reception

From a contemporary review, Richard Combs of the Monthly Film Bulletin declared the film was a "cut-price Superman" finding that Nicholas Hammond as Peter Parker was a "good-natured earnestness one associates with Clark Kent, rather than with the gauche, spotty adolescent of the original character" and that the plot concentrates on the stunt-work with "sleek but unexciting villainy of Charlie's Angels is also lacking the stylistic wallop of the comic strip".[4] The film has been noted for its low budget and lack of technical effects.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Sequel

Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge, a composite of the two-parter episode "The Chinese Web" of the contemporary television show The Amazing Spider-Man, screened in European theaters on 3 February 1981.

References
  1. Combs 1979, p. 101.
  2. https://www.filmposter.net/en/spider-man-strikes-back-original-release-german-movie-poster/ https://archive.today/20180719221606/https://www.filmposter.net/en/spider-man-strikes-back-original-release-german-movie-poster/
  4. Combs 1979, p. 102.
  5. "Spider Man Strikes Back" Review - Time Out https://www.timeout.com/london/film/spider-man-strikes-back
  6. https://thedissolve.com/news/3920-spider-man-strikes-back-gave-the-world-a-tv-sized-/ https://archive.today/20180719220805/https://thedissolve.com/news/3920-spider-man-strikes-back-gave-the-world-a-tv-sized-/
  7. https://thestopbutton.com/2017/11/03/spider-man-strikes-back-1978/ https://archive.today/20180719221103/https://thestopbutton.com/2017/11/03/spider-man-strikes-back-1978/
  8. http://filmcriticsunited.com/spidermanstrikesback.html https://archive.today/20180719222023/http://filmcriticsunited.com/spidermanstrikesback.html
  9. http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/awfully-good-movies-spider-man-strikes-back-video-339 https://archive.today/20180719220139/http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/awfully-good-movies-spider-man-strikes-back-video-339
  10. https://www.cbr.com/every-spider-man-movie-ever-ranked/ https://archive.today/20180719225258/https://www.cbr.com/every-spider-man-movie-ever-ranked/
  11. Hardy, Phil (1984). Science fiction. Morrow. ISBN 9780688008420. spider-man strikes back.
  12. Maurice Speed, F.; Speed (November 1979). Film Review: 1979-1980. ISBN 9780801526329.

Sources
  • Combs, Richard (May 1979). "Spider-Man Strikes Back". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 46 no. 544. British Film Institute.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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