Shockingly Wonderful

Rating: 8/10 (3 May 2002)

I'm generally not one to bless the internet with movie reviews, but this one was simply too good to pass up. It makes absolutely no sense: the special effects failed to impress me, at points I felt that the story was moving too slow or too fast, the villain seemed more or less a modern rip-off of Jekyll and Hyde, the opening credits dragged a bit, and yet all the same I enjoyed every moment I spent in the theatre. There was something about the story that just made this movie untouchable, regardless of the blatant flaws. Was it Tobey Maguire's wonderful portrayal of a normal, naive guy who suddenly is blessed with something special? The Spider-Man experience as a whole? Or the intricately woven web of superhero action and a portrayal of a common boy in love with the girl next door...
I don't know. It could be all three of those. At any rate, I recommend this movie to both young and old, Spider-man fans and those who haven't ever opened a comic book. It's a worthwhile several hours that will have the audience yearning for the sequel (I, personally, cannot wait), and exiting the theatre with a thoughtful outlook on how and why the events in the film unfolded as they did. 8/10