Enjoyable, if flawed, super-hero flick

Rating: 10/10 (5 July 2002)

*Spoiler I have to admit that I had my reservations about Spider-Man when I went to see it for the first time, in fact, it was really only my sister's recommendations of the film that managed to get me into the cinema. As a long-term, if occasionally disinterested, Spidey fan I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the film, starting with the excellent opening sequence. I must also give praise to Danny Elfman's musical score, which really heightened the emotional tension and un-natural atmosphere of the film, just as it did in Batman. As Peter Parker, Tobey Maguire was as good, I think, as anyone they could have gotten for the role and I can't think of anyone who could have portrayed Peter better. Yet as Spider-Man, I was a little dismayed about his comic delivery, although to be fair the comic material in the script was rather poor. As for the rest of the cast, I thoroughly enjoyed Kirsten Dunst's performance as Mary-Jane, although I didn't like it how the script-writers turned her character into some helpless damsel in distress who needs to be saved all the time. James Franco portrayed Harry Osborn excellently, really making the audience feel for an average, under-achieving teen who has been lumbered with a genius father who feels ashamed of him. Willem Dafoe WAS the Green Goblin, I thought he was perfect as the schizophrenic Norman Osborn, although I didn't like the Green Goblin costume, finding it too reminiscent of "Power-Rangers" for my tastes, I would have preffered the Green Goblin to resemble more closely the comic-book character, perhaps if the human enhancers Oscorp were developing had been organic instead of some robotic-armour. That aside, the only snivelling little complaints are as follows:
1.) How come Mary Jane has to slog her guts out as a waitress when she has a millionairre boyfriend?
2.) On that note, why does Peter have to risk severe injury wrestling to save enough money to buy a car? why doesn't he just ask his super-rich best friend Harry if he can loan him some money to buy a car?
3.) Isn't it a tad strange how Peter Parker and Norman Osborn both have their little "accidents" at exactly the same time? That said, Spider-Man does seem to establish himself before the Green Goblin.
Anyway, who cares what I think?, the film is still the best super-hero film to date and well worth the admission fee.
Fortunately enough I don't have to worry about that since I own the film on DVD having bought a rather dodgy copy from the far east from an even dodgier store-owner, and let me tell you! the English subtitles are sooooo Cool/Bad!(e.g With Gay Power comes Gay responsibility) and Mary-Jane now wants an "axe" instead of "act". Anyway, I should stop babbling, 8/10.