An odd mixture of Burton's "Batman" and Donner's "Superman" that works.

Rating: 7/10 (19 May 2002)

*Mild spoilers ahead*
It's not really a surprise, is it? A superhero is a superhero is a superhero, after all.
Good thing is, this movie doesn't disappoint on many levels. It's a good movie. An entertaining movie. A nice departure from the moralistic / ultraviolent / depressive superhero movies of the last decade. And it does seem better than "Superman", but not quite as good as "Batman", which is a very, very good thing.
There are way too many parallels with those two movies, actually. It takes the strong, colorful, happy world of Superman, mixes it with the hero's search for belonging, and in the process makes Peter Parker's everyman character to be immediately identified with the viewer. He's not tall. He's not strong. He's not popular. Yet he wishes so much to be. He's a likeable intelligent, everyday man just looking to make sense out of his life. Then, it takes the dark philosophical conflicts of Batman. He carries a responsability he decided to bring upon himself. He is condemned to live a life he wouldn't have chosen in the first place. Once he finds some inner strength, he has to sacrifice his personal life for the good of others. That, the dark alley scenes, and, of course, the balloon parade (a scene which is lifted intact from Batman, except that now the scene is filmed in broad daylight - the parade, the ballons exploding, the aerial chase shootout). Curiously enough, this scene also features some shoots eerily similar to Louise Lane falling from the helicopter - except now, it's M.J. about to fall from a balcony.
There is a lesson in here for George Lucas, if he can swallow his pride for once. The lesson is, people like movies about everyday men leading extraordinary lives. Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Neo, "Jack" - they were all ordinary men who happened to be in the right place at the right time. And they all had a jolly good time with it.
As such, Spider-man is a very good, entertaining film which takes its cues from 2 excellent superhero movies. Hey, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right?