Good ride in special effects

Rating: 7/10 (5 February 2005)

** Here might be a web of spoilers **
Recap: Peter Parker (Maguire) is secretly in love with the girl next door, Mary Jane Watson (Dunst). During a school field trip a genetically modified spider bites Peter, and overnight he is changed. He now has superhuman abilities, but has not learned to control them. This proves to be troublesome, for example in school. When a robber then kills his uncle Peter decides to use his abilities to fight crime. However, the general public can't make up its mind if Spiderman is a blessing or a menace. And at the same time the Green Goblin starts to spread terror in the city, making a deadly enemy of Spiderman. When Peter then finds out that Mary Jane dates his best friend Harry (Franco) a really complicated situation arises...
Comments: A very nice first installment in this what now seems to become something like a series. Understandable her some focus has to be used to establish the background of Spiderman, stealing some time from the main plot. However with some small episodes the entire story is both easy and fun to follow. Now this is no philosophical movie, or reality based in any way. But it is a entertaining ride in special effects and superhuman abilities spiced up with a little love story. I will not remember it for actor performances, still there are very competent actors in it, especially Dafoe and Dunst. It's their characters that are given most room to develop. Yes, Maguire has the lead and his character does develop much, but most in the way of coping with his new abilities and adjusting to his new role. He does it well, but cannot be measured by the same means as the other characters. But most entertaining, as mentioned, the special effects and the possibilities they allow...
7/10