Almost as good as the grand-master of them all, 'Superman'...

Rating: Null/10 (28 May 2002)

He zips through the air with ease. He extends his sticky webs from out of his wrists. He climbs up walls without any effort. He protects the good citizens of New York from the bad ones. He's none other than your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Spider-Man is a grandiose motion picture, full of imagination, humor, suspense, and some great high-flying adventure.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire, The Cider House Rules) is a nerdy student who is trying to make his way out of high school with the help of his best friend, Harry Osborne (James Franco). Peter is completely in love with the girl next door, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), but tries to hide it. During a school trip to a laboratory, Peter gets bitten by a genetically enhanced spider while partaking in some innocent flirtations with Mary Jane. This spider passes on its traits to Peter. Peter becomes able to see perfectly without his glasses, he's in perfect physical condition, he can climb walls, he can jump great distances, and he is able to shoot webs out of his wrists. Peter transforms into Spider-Man to help fight crime in the streets of New York. Meanwhile, Harry's father, Norman (Willem Dafoe) is testing a new formula on himself. When the experiment goes awry, Norman is mutated into the psychotic Green Goblin, who only wants to wreak havoc on the city. Can Spider-Man stop the evil Green Goblin before he destroys the entire city?
Most movies that are out right now are busy trying to pile in the special effects, the stunts, and the action, but Spider-Man also makes sure to take its plot into consideration. The film doesn't throw endless fight scenes and battles at us. It only gives us fight sequences when they are needed and, more importantly, when they are necessary. There is no fight sequence that is in the film that shouldn't be there.
It's obvious that David Koepp was meant to write the film's screenplay. He's an extraordinary writer, who knows what to give the audience and knows when to tease the audience. He has knack for writing incredibly suspenseful scenes, such is evident in his other work, Jurassic Park and Panic Room. Koepp reaches deep inside every character and pulls out his emotions. He adds drama and romance in between all of the action that occurs throughout the film. We see how Peter uses his powers in everyday life, and how he explores and discovers what he is capable of. Director Sam Raimi chooses to use cartoonish special effects to depict Spider-Man flying through the streets of New York and beating up criminals. This adds a comic book atmosphere to the movie. This is a comic book movie, but Raimi also adds a level of realism to the characters and their surroundings.

Tobey Maguire is the absolute best choice to play Peter Parker. He captures every essence of the character. Maguire, in fact, is geeky and nerdy. A stronger actor couldn't have possibly matched the quality of Maguire's performance. Willem Dafoe is also an excellent choice for the Green Goblin. Dafoe is scary enough in real life, but here he comes off as terrifying.
Spider-Man is first-class entertainment. The film spins a web of thrills, chills, laughs, and exuberance.---------8/10