Good start if not entirely perfect.

Rating: 7/10 (3 April 2020)

Sam Raimi did give me a good time with my favorite web-slinger, so pointing out flaws in this first Spider-Man movie are mostly cosmetic or nit-picky.
The set-up for Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man was more or less a by-the-book of his iconic comicbook origin by being bitten by a genetically altered spider and after that taking it to the wrestling ring to earn cash and facing the tragedy losing a loved one.
That was well done and showcased how Peter Parker becomes a somebody instead of a nobody even if the romance with Mary Jane never really felt genuine to me. And that's probably my biggest gripe with the movie, because outside the standout performances from J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson and Willem Defoe's dual role as Norman Osborn and Green Goblin, the acting was only servicable.
James Franco seemed bored most of the time as Harry Osborn and Tobey Maguire was pretty bland as Peter Parker, but actually convincing as Spider-Man.
And that Goblin costume! Oh boy, how not scary can you be! It would have been so much better if Defoe had some make-up or effects turning his face green, because when you see him switch between Norman and the goblin in the mirror, you see some facial expressions to make your skin crawl. With all the brilliant special effects used in the movie, don't tell me they couldn't have done that.
So yes, I have some problems with Spider-Man, but overall I had a good time with great action scenes and a couple of standout performances.