Earth vs. the Spider (2001)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, Max Enscoe, and Annie de Young
Directed by Scott Ziehl
Starring Dan Aykroyd, Amelia Heinle, Devon Gummersall, John Cho, and Theresa Russell

Features:

• widescreen and full-screen versions
  
• making-of featurette
  
• photo gallery
  
• trailers
  
• filmographies
  

Rating: R

Anamorphic: Yep.

My Advice: Rent it if you like monster movies.

Rent-a-cop Quentin, mild-mannered comic fan, works at a biological research center where the scientists are experimenting on spiders—creatures that are notoriously difficult to kill, fast, and strong. When Quentin’s partner is killed during a robbery, he decides that the answer is to inject himself with super-spider goo in the hopes of becoming a superhero like the characters in the books he so admires. The result is foregone—Quentin becomes Arachnid Quentin and starts out to stop crime… but can his animal nature be resisted for long?

The characterization of Earth vs. the Spider is surprisingly deep. We begin the movie feeling a bit sorry for Quentin, and only learn to pity him more as the film moves on. Aykroyd as Detective Grillo is the stereotypical hard-luck cop who has lost his partner and his nerve. However, in the hands of a veteran like Aykroyd, Grillo becomes more than pathetic comic relief. Too bad the rest of the actors weren’t as skilled.

The problem with Earth vs. the Spider is in the plot. It’s basically the origin of Spider-Man gone wrong. It’s interesting to consider what might have happened to our beloved Peter Parker had his transformation been more cosmetic than it was, but as it is, we just aren’t really made to care. Even the pathos generated by Aykroyd and Gummersall isn’t enough. In trying to be The Fly, Earth vs. the Spider fails to really be anything at all, even itself.

Don’t expect the science to make sense. No one ever addresses why or how Quentin’s human DNA is miraculously resequenced into more arachnid forms, nor do we every learn why none of this just kills him. After the initial scene, the scientists are essentially never seen again, which is a shame; you would think that once the transformation starts to go wrong, Quentin would present himself for treatment at the hands of the people who know what was in that goo, but he does not. Instead, he hides in his apartment and tries not to suck the fluids from the lovely lass next door.

The real star of Earth vs. the Spider is, of course, the special effects. Overseen by Stan Winston, viewers expect and receive plenty of realistic and sensational stuff. Quentin’s transformation is slow to start, but when it does, he’s not the only one disgusted and horrified by the changes in his body.

The extras are quite nice. The featurette, though short, is interesting, particularly to horror fans. The photo gallery is similarly appealing to fans, and the filmographies give you a chance to remember where you’ve seen that actor before. It’s also nice to have the full-screen and widescreen versions on one disc, instead of the studio promoting two different discs.

In short, if you appreciate interesting special effects or have a special place in your twisted heart for monster movies, then you’ll enjoy Earth vs. the Spider--just don’t expect much in the way of plot or, well, storytelling. It’s campy, it’s cheesy, and it’s a mediocre copy of some other mediocre movies...but it’s also good fun.