***** out of 5

Rating: Null/10 (1 November 2002)

Move over Batman because there is a new hero in town and he is taking over. Finally after years of legal problems fans have been graced with a Spider-Man film and it was worth every minute of the wait. Peter Parker is blessed with the strength and sense of a spider after he is bitten by one on a school science trip. After discovering his powers he turns to professional wrestling for money but decides to use his powers to rid the city of crime after his uncle is killed by a car jacker who he could have stopped but instead let his ignorance get the best of him and let the thug get away. Sam Raimi has always been known for taking his films one step above everything else out there, not only making him perfect for this film but also making him on of the more talented directors these days. Raimi makes everything so big and beyond belief that the film is overwhelming from start to finish, never once loosing the attention of the audience even thought it runs over two hours long. You would also think that a film which uses mostly animated characters would be awkward and hard to take seriously, like in Blade 2, but it is done so well here that I had a hard time determining what was real and what was animated. The action sequences are huge and terribly enjoyable, Raimi's direction is so good that you will actually feel like you are soaring high above the city right behind Spider-Man and even thought these sequences move at a extremely fast pace, Raimi never lets the audience get lost in the excitement, unlike the terrible Rollerball everything is very easy to follow, making the end result dazzling to watch. The script is also very good in that it keeps everything you know and love about your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man but also can poke fun at itself, it almost raises itself to a point of satire when everyone is saying what they feel about Spider-Man and even includes that old rescue the baby from a burning building cliche, but is used with such style that you don't say "how cliche" you say "welcome back Spider-Man." Now I have never been a fan of Toby Maguire but it almost seems like he was born to play Peter Parker and Kirsten Dunst is at the top of her game as Marry-Jane, the sexual chemistry between the two just pours from the screen making this not only an exciting action flick, a great comic book remake, a suspenseful adventure but also a heart tugging romance as well. Let's not forget William Dafoe who is delightfully over-the-top as the Green Goblin. You can also look for cameos from pro wrestler Macho Man Randie Savage, Macey Grey. Raimi regular Bruce Campbell and if you look close enough you may just catch a glimpse of Spider-Man creator Stan Lee outside of Oscorp after it is attacked by Green Goblin. Ten years ago when Tim Burton (who draws many influences from Raimi) created Batman for the big screen he relied mainly on atmosphere and character rather and action making it great for fans of the Batman comics but being totally inappropriate for the younger audience who watched the Batman cartoons. Raimi also uses atmosphere (the entire film feels just like you are looking at a comic book and try not to picture Evil Dead while watching some of the more intense scenes) but he also kept in mind the younger audience who grew up watching the cartoons (myself included) and although it is probably to violent for the younger children, older kids and grown-ups alike can take a trip down memory lane while being thrust to the edge of your seat and marvel as the magical special effects unfold before your eyes. Sam Raimi has always been a honest filmmaker and even thought this film became a huge summer blockbuster, Raimi never set out to make a film just to rake in big bucks, he made a film for the fans that the fans will love, you can feel it in his direction, you can see it on the faces and hear it in the voices of all the actors involved. I can't wait until the next Spider-Man film comes out because if it is anything like this one it will be well worth my time.