Swinging into Action

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2005)

"Spider-Man! Spider-Man! Does whatever a spider can!" You know the song; you know the costume; you know the name. The comic book is brought to life in Sam Raimi's wonderfully fulfilling movie adaptation of the web slinger. Fans should not be disappointed with Peter's younger age: it's modern, right? Everything's hectic when you're a teenager, and you don't need to be a superhero to feel that way. Tobey Maguire makes a wonderful Peter Parker and an "amazing Spider-Man." He certainly makes the viewer feel Peter's dilemmas of his role conflicting life. But with every hero, you'll find a villain, and Willem Dafoe rises to the occasion playing the green clad rogue. He gives an outstanding performance as he allows the viewer to explore his inner psyche. Of course, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco didn't disappoint playing Peter's closest friends. You feel at the end of this movie, a sequel or two is something to highly look forward to with the high standard that is set.