Excellent Summer Fare

Rating: 8/10 (15 July 2004)

* May contain spoilers *
This is a fantastic comic book adaptation! I believe it was Roger Ebert that said something along the lines of "...best comic book movie of all time..." and I honestly cannot dispute such a claim.
. ACTION- The action sequences were intense and they were quite well done. From the cafe scene to the gravity-defying fight scenes to the simple detail of the "rumble" signifying the approach of the villain, it is a seriously tight package from end to end.
. CAST- With the exception of James Franco (who, as Harry, is noticeably weaker than his cast mates), all players are more than solid. I especially enjoyed Molina's Doc Ock and J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. Who would've thought Vern Schillinger had such a talent for comedy?
. STORY- Although you *should* see the first movie first, it is certainly not a prerequisite. There is plenty of story to give you all you need to enjoy. And for a superhero flick, there is much more than a typical amount of stuff to consider from a philosophical standpoint: What would it REALLY be like to be Spiderman; not the 2 hours a day you're wearing the tights, but the other 22 hours? How would you earn a living? How do you deal with everyday situations? How do you get a bank loan? Do you sleep well? Again, this is all surprisingly interesting and quite well done.
. SUMMER CHEESE- I've seen too many complaints on this board along the lines of "what a lame line MJ used on Spidey" or "when Spidey was holding up that 50-ton wall, why didn't MJ move quicker." C'mon folks, it's a freaking Spiderman movie! I'd say without hesitation that the Cheese Level was right on the mark. The aforementioned 50-ton wall scene, the front of the train "is that all you got?" scene, the pizza delivery scene, most every scene with JJJ... And I found the scene with Hal Sparks simply hilarious. Citizen Kane it ain't, but I didn't pay to see Citizen Kane.
Parents, the PG-13 rating is about right, of course depending on the kid. The action sequences, as mentioned, are VERY intense and some of this will be quite scary for the typical child under 10 (in my personal estimation). No worry about language, nudity, etc.