Didn't suck, didn't rule

Rating: 6/10 (3 May 2002)

I have been a fan of Spider-Man for more than 20 years, so watching this film while not being too critical over every detail meeting my expectations, was quite a challenge. To me, it was a roller coaster ride of kudos and de-merit points. Kudos on his costume, J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, the special effects of his webbing, the parade scene, and keeping somewhat true to the original story. Major de-merit points for the Green Goblin. He is my #1 Spidey villian and they made an atrocity out of him. Not only does his costume design bore ZERO resemblance to the original, it's also missing it's signature two-tone color combination of green AND purple.(For shame on you!) And Defoe's casting, along with Dunst, Franco, and especially Manganiello will always be a mystery to me. They look NOTHING like their characters. (That is, if you're like me, coming from the original Ditko/Romita Sr. versions) As for bringing these comic book characters "to life", I can't say they bowled me over with their performances. On the other hand, there actually were times were Maguire would look a certain way and I thought "Wow! That really IS Peter Parker!" For someone who could care less about these details, this is an exciting movie to watch, and I must give them credit for taking it seriously, instead of approaching it as a big summer blockbuster with no plot or meaning. The only sad thing is, is that it wasn't "special". Like when you watch Star Wars. Spider-man is a very special character, with a special story to tell, and this movie, although it gets a A for trying, just didn't hit that "special" mark.