Spectacular

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2004)

My family and I were completely blown away by this movie. I've
read where this movie is better than the original, and I absolutely
agree with this. The only concern I have is for young children. We
took my 2 year old to this movie, and she was scared by some
points, but not many at all. My 8 year old loved it completely, so it
was fine for her.
This is a movie with heart, and excellent far above par
cinematography. I mean it, the filming is just streamless and
breathtaking at points. The way the camera captures the actor's
expressions, and then pans out as if impacted by the blow of the
actor's emotions...wow! Whoever did the editing and overall
cinematography just did an outstanding job. And Mary Jane and
Peter Parker! There were scenes where I literally cried. I'd
watched Dunst in an interview where she called the filming
"beautiful" and I for one agree with her. Sam Raimi [with his friend
Bruce Campbell once again making a great appearance] really
seemed to balance the ironic/funny interludes of life with the raw
emotion of Parker's sacrifice of his life and hope and happiness
and dreams...all because he has made a choice to save others. I
love the part where others literally support the character of Spider
Man. And I love the ending where the statement is made about
"who saves Peter Parker?".
Just some lovely moments in this film. That's what lifted this
movie from the simple action/adventure hype of the Summer
draws. This movie has those too, by the way.
But what the other action/adventure movies don't have is the heart
and great character development that this film brings brilliantly to
the big screen.
I've always admired how Stan Lee intricately developed his
characters, drawing us into their fictional lives and personal
stories...along with the fights with the villains of course! And Sam
Raimi continues this tradition wonderfully.
I gave this movie a 9 out of 10. I would recommend it for anyone,
with special consideration given to the very young [i.e., think twice
before taking a toddler like we unwisely did]. The movie moved
along at a brisk pace, and was wonderfully written.
We cannot wait for Spider Man 3!