The Amazing, The Spectacular, The Ultimate: Spider-Man

Rating: 10/10 (23 June 2008)

"Spider-Man" 2002
I remember the first time that I saw the first "official" theatrical trailer for "Spider-Man" which featured the music by E.S. Posthumus called "Pompeii", which the trailer ended with in the climactic "Nineveh". From then until its release, I knew that my boyhood dreams were about to come true. This is personally one of the few highly anticipated films that I saw on its theatrical release that not only met but ultimately surpassed all of my expectations, successfully re-channeling my childhood romance with this iconic character & taking his epic tale to even greater heights. "Spider-Man" tells the tale of Peter Parker, a mild mannered teenager who constantly seeks acceptance from his peers & ultimately dreams of one day gaining the courage to confess his love to Mary Jane Watson, who is the girl of his dreams. But his life takes a remarkable turn when he is bitten by a genetically enhanced super-spider while on a high school field trip. He miraculously gains superhuman powers that reflect that of a spider's abilities. He finds that he is able to, strangely, shoot webbing from his wrists, detect in coming danger, climb walls, & has superhuman strength and flexibility. After accepting his powers, Peter then seeks to use them for personal gain. But when he fails to stop a criminal that later murders his beloved uncle, he learns a tragic yet valuable lesson: "With great power comes great responsibility." Peter then vows to never let what happened to his Uncle Ben happen to anyone else & becomes Spider-Man!
"Spider-Man", unlike many comic to film adaptations, succeeds in revealing the true essence of the man behind the hero's mask. It also grabs the heart of its audience by presenting Peter Parker as an ordinary person at heart as it captures his everyday struggles to live an ordinary life while protecting the streets of New York in the guise of this iconic hero. Toby Maguire is terrific as Peter, as he nails his nerdy yet charismatic charm as well as Spider-Man's confident personality & amazingly mirrors his phenomenal physique. Ultimately, "Spider-Man" delivers in its story telling, special effects, & well choreographed action sequences. Five stars, & two thumbs up.