review from a non-comic book geek.

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2002)

I've noticed that most of the reviewers below have wildly diverging concerns about this movie. I will divide my comments point by point, thereby preventing you from having to wade through comments that don't interest you. You're welcome.
1) Faithfulness to the comic: The film does a good job of capturing the mythos of Spider-Man while adapting the story to the 21st Century. I seem to recall Spider-Man having a much smarmier wit, but otherwise the story is faithful to the comics. The filmmakers were very liberal about changing biographical details, but only the most rabid comic book fans will care. (Besides, we all know that the hardcore fans are going to see it no matter how awful people say it is.) Grade: A
2) The acting: Tobey Maguire is a perfect Peter Parker. He plays the geek-cum-superhero perfectly; the role is henceforth his alone. Kirsten Dunst is very charming as his love interest, but Willem Dafoe's cackling Green Goblin is tiresomely cartoonish, even for a comic book character. A+ for Maguire and Dunst, C for Dafoe.
3) The script/story: The script focuses on the genesis of Spider-Man. As the movie rehashes Peter Parker's oft-told story, the script predictably has a very mechanical, cookie-cutter feel. It's a superhero movie; what did you expect? The script is serviceable, and that's probably enough for this movie. C+
4) The effects: Spider-Man is probably the most difficult comic book character to render digitally. Hey, it's easy to make a woman call lightning or a gay Englishman control metal; Spider-Man's body must constantly bend the laws of physics and human physiology. The Green Goblin, for instance, looks perfectly fine. Still, the effects are very distracting. B for effort, C- for results
5) The romance: ...is easily the most charming love story ever found in a comic book movie. Maguire and Dunst are adorable as a potential couple, and their romance was handled more carefully than in Raimi's earlier film, -For Love of the Game-. B+
6) The action: Often seems incidental, and never feels exciting. There is never any doubt who will win any of the battles, and some sequences are almost boring. C
7) Overall: Film adaptations of comic books don't require much to succeed. Stay faithful to the spirit of the character, include the requisite effects and action, and voila! Instant blockbuster. -Spider-Man- accomplishes this, but succeeds further with a very charming romance between Spider-Man and Mary Jane, both of whom are portrayed brilliantly by Maguire and Dunst. B+