Perfect film

Rating: Null/10 (28 June 2002)

I wrote a long review and then everything crashed... but in the bottom line, the film is the best comic adaption ever.
The acting is superb especially by Toby and of course Simmons as Jameson (truly brilliant casting) and Dafoe (but nobody steals the show from the hero... unlike some other comic films). Kirsten Dunst is wonderful... one or two scenes I didn't like (their first re-meeting outside where MJ works was wrong somehow) but overall, it was excellent, the chemistry between them was perfect.
I ESPECIALLY liked the dialogue - don't believe what people say. It was exactly the opposite from SW 2 where it all seemed phony and badly acted. Here it was just right... if you could symphatise with the spirit of the comic, with the moral issues (and not be cynical about them but really appreciate the truths in those moral lessons and the situations), and identify with the way Peter feels towards Mary Jane, you'd love it. Some people just don't realise that this is the way it happens in reality too (admittedly, with a touch of a comic book feel), but this really happens. You fall in love so strongly with somebody and you can say those things, can feel these feelings, wanting to protect somebody... it's the truth and it's beautiful.
Slight drawback are the special effects - the swinging over the buildings do capture the spirit, but it's tiring to see the same CGI effects again. I want to see really good effects again, with mini models and hard work. Make it more real.... a bit of a shame.
Surprised me that nobody mentioned how inconsistent this is with the whole Gwen Stacy story but it really doesn't matter - Sam Raimi and the rest of the team somehow managed to capture exactly the essence into one film with hardly any faults. This movie tops by far (and I'm not saying I disliked the other comic films) X-Men, Batman, Superman.... they are all inferior because none of thems makes you really want to be in the hero's place - not because he kicks ass but because he's someone like you who... who you root for because it's right. You like Peter Parker FIRST, only then Spider Man. 9.5 / 10, five stars out of five.... this film is one of the best ever made. BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!
(Sequels - I'd really love to see Venom and Carnage, maybe in the third film. Can't see how they'll manage to fit the Lizard, Dr. Octupus AND Harry Osborn all in one film. I hope it won't turn out to be a disaster like Batman and Robin (yuck). I've read somewhere a suggestion to cast Gary Oldman instead of San Neil in the role of Dr. Octupus - go for it...)
Again, Top Notch. GO WATCH IT NOW (again).