Decades in one film

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2002)

The writers of the film did an excellent job of taking decades of Spider-Man lore and putting it into a one-film package. The comic love interests of Gwen Stacey (who the Green Goblin killed in the comic book) and Mary Jane Watson are combined into one character. Updating the original tale from the '60s to the '00s is done seamlessly. Willem Dafoe takes the same energy he put into his Oscar-deserving role in Shadow of the Vampire and transforms the Green Goblin into the best comic-book-turned-movie villain ever.
But the most important feature, and what made Spider-Man stand above all other comic creation, is the portrayal of the superpowers as a curse; that Parker is, in the end, a tragic hero. Parker is real, unlike the playboy Bruce Wayne or the why-is-it-that-no ono-recognizes-me-with-glasses Clark Kent. We relate to his regrets, his unrequited love and his loyalties. And that's far more important than any special effect or action shot.