Spider-Man: Lotus

The cinematography, CGI, and most of the acting in this amateur project aren't totally bad, but It's all over the place, and the pacing doesn't help at all. I mean, I sat through over an hour, and I still couldn't figure out where the heck it was heading. It wasted so much time on those pointless flashbacks and cheesy lines. Plus, there's barely any fight scenes, except for this quick two-minute bit where Spider-Man's just taking on some generic bad guys and Shocker. Just go rewatch any other Spider-Man movie; that'd be a better use of your time. I kept an open mind, even after hearing all the stuff about the people behind this, but I honestly ended up wasted my time. It's not a good Spider-Man movie or a good movie at all. Nothing really makes this one stand out; so why do I, or anyone for that matter, have to sit through two hours of just talking? Can't believe they used all that donation money for this garbage.

I went into this film ignoring the controversy. I hadn't kept up with it, I simply watched the film to judge it as a film. And, as a film, it blows. This movie is nightmarishly boring, horrendously paced, abysmally written, with so few redeeming qualities that I'd argue that this film should've never been made in the first place.

Gavin is a lifelong spider-man fan, as am I, and that is part of why I am so appalled by the sheer lack of passion felt within this project. It feels like chewing on a Popeyes biscuit with no drink and then having sand as a chaser.

I enjoyed two scenes in the entire bloated two hour film. The scene where Flash and MJ talk, and the final swing. The scene where Flash and MJ talk worked for me because I think it captures Flash's character quite well. Even with that though, the writing is still more interested in telling rather than showing, and beats you over the head with its messages.

The only scene I can call 100% good is the final swing, which is genuinely great and I give all the props to the visual effects team.

Outside of those two positives, this film was utter drivel. For a film with such an arrogant inception, it utterly fails to provide a film even remotely as good as the MCU trilogy, it can't even manage to be better than most fan films I have watched. "The fan film to end all fan films." Was Gavin's goal, and it once again shows the arrogance behind this movie.

I came into this, hoping for a decent time, instead I came out of it profoundly unfeeling, and with a sour taste in my mouth.

Do not watch this film. There is nothing in it that makes it worthwhile.

This movie is is just plain boring while i like some things about it the acting is bad and I felt it could have been handle better, and not to mention that with the racism and supposed grooming allegations against the green goblin actor I feel like every day this movie gets worse and worse. Also Harrys drug addiction is probably one of the worst adaptations of it as its only shown when peter goes to the apartment looking for harry and when Mary jane finds harry at his fathers grave after he had been walking around then has a conversation with her that was stupid. Unfortunately this movie overall is just terrible.

I will not, in this review, be addressing the controversy surrounding the people behind this film and their recorded racism/sexism. Because even going in to this film without any potential bias against it, it still fails.

Spider-Man: Lotus is a movie. Many dismiss criticisms of it under the pretense that it is a small student project and not an actual movie, but I adamantly reject that notion. It has a budget of $25,000. It has a runtime of two hours (meaning it's not even the shortest Spider-Man film). With the status of being a feature length indie film with a respectable indie budget, there comes expectations; it is very much within reason to expect this movie to be well-directed, well-written, well-shot, and above all, economic in its production. Spider-Man: Lotus is none of these things.

This movie is unpleasant on the eyes; the directing is deeply uninspired, shots being comprised almost always of very drab imagery that do not grab one's attention. Similarly, the movie is also unpleasant on the ears and brain; the script only shows slight potential just once or twice, and the entire runtime is a plodding chore to get through with a motionless story that numbs the senses at its best infuriates at its worst.

When Spider-Man: Lotus was first announced, the filmmakers affirmed their fans that they were going to work within the confines of their budgetary limitations by shooting a drama first and foremost; the typical hallmarks of what makes a superhero movie would not be a priority. This is not what they did. There are still two superhero-y fight/action scenes in the movie; they are both distractingly terrible. These, along with a few other severely misguided creative decisions, chew through much of the budget that should've been used in other, smarter ways.

Spider-Man: Lotus is not a good film. At best, it is still very much subpar. It had all the tools and ingredients necessary to be an incredible version of itself, but it used them either incorrectly or not at all. To those that still feel this is all too much to expect of a film of this size, here are some other movies whose budgets were at or below that of Lotus:

El Mariachi (1992) with a budget of $7,000

Primer (2004) with a budget of $7,000

Paranormal Activity (2007) with a budget of $15,000

Resolution (2012) with a budget of $20,000

Creep (2014) with a budget of $0

One Cut of the Dead (2017) with a budget of $25,000.

At a staggering budget of $100,000 USD, Spider-Man Lotus enters the indie fan film arena with anticipation riding high. However, despite its financial prowess, the film struggles to translate its substantial investment into a polished and coherent cinematic experience.

Cinematography, takes an unexpected tumble here. Struggling with inconsistent color choices, shaky camera work, and odd moments where characters lose focus, the film fails to capitalize for visually captivating shots.

The editing further compounds the film's challenges, as it's plagued by puzzling continuity errors. For example: MJ knowing where Harry is after months without seeing him or even knowing about Harry's drug problem, since went missing right after his father died. Or Green Goblin knowing the place where Uncle Ben's Killer was arrested. Even Goblin's motivation left to be desired too.

Knowing that this is a indie movie, the GCI is expected to be weak. The diference between the work of the initial artists and their successors is evident, casting a shadow over the overall visual consistency of the production.

The soundtrack, while initially promising with its impressive score, falls short in execution. The music's placement disrupts rather than enhances the flow, and an unfortunate tendency to overuse the music detracts from the film's quieter moments. Given the substantial budget, the film could have better leveraged its soundtrack to create a more immersive experience.

The cast's performances exhibit a wide range of skill, with some shining and others faltering. Surprisingly, the "uncredited kid from true blood," Warden Wayne, delivers a performance lacking emotional depth and conviction. In contrast, standout portrayals by Moriah Brooklyn, Maxwell Fox-Andrews, Mariah Fox and Jack Wooton breathe authenticity into their characters, holding the best scenes in the movie (scenes where Spider-Man is not in!).

The pacing emerges as another obstacle, with prolonged dramatic segments and recurring scenes that detract from the narrative's flow. The film's attempt to juggle multiple storylines results in rushed resolutions, leaving some arcs feeling underdeveloped. The Harry and MJ subplot stands out as one of the film's more cohesive elements. If the movie had condensed its runtime to about an hour and centered on Peter Parker's process of coming to terms with Gwen Stacy's death, ultimately connecting with "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man", the story would have found a more fitting and engaging balance.

In conclusion, my expectations for this film were elevated, particularly considering the manner in which it was being approached with a distinct sense of professionalism, reminiscent of mainstream productions. However, it regrettably falls short in delivering a straightforward narrative centered on overcoming challenges during trying circumstances.