It's No Superman Or Batman, But It Ain't Bad!

Rating: 7/10 (2 August 2006)

I enjoyed watching this on DVD a lot more than seeing it at the theater. I also enjoyed the sequel a lot more than this movie, although this has its moments if you can get past the stupid teen romance. The latter is especially unneeded and overdone at the end of the movie.
Willem Dafoe is an interesting villain and a decent choice for the role since his resume is dotted with strange characters over the years. One wonders if he - like Johnny Depp - ever plays a "normal" person.
This film is very good in the sound effects department if you have a surround system. That was one reason I enjoyed it more at home. Big screens make you lose sharpness in a film, too.
Tobey Maguire plays a likable "Peter Potter" (Spiderman) while Kristen Dunst is annoying as girlfriend "Mary Jane Watson." It was kind of interesting to see '60s movie-TV star Cliff Robertson again, as Peter's "Uncle Ben."
This is not up to Superman or Batman standards, but it will do for a diversionary two hours of super-hero fun. It still entertains, which is the whole idea of it in the first place.