An Entertaining, Superb and Well Executed Superhero Movie

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2017)

Bryan Singer's "X-Men" have started getting audiences excited for the modern superhero movies, but when Sam Raimi released his first "Spider Man" outing the expectations bar immediately shot to the stratosphere. Raimi delivered on his promise of an exciting and action-packed film about Marvel Comic's famous web-slinging superhero.
We are given the basic origin story of how teenage Peter Parker gains his famous powers after a radioactive spider bites him, but we are treated to an engaging narrative as the newly minted hero must contend with his most deadly adversary in the wicked Green Goblin while also contending with normal teenage drama such as an at-times contentious friendship as well as harboring feelings for his pretty neighbor.
Stepping into the web-slinger's famous costume is the well cast Tobey Maguire who deftly manages to play both the nerdy Peter Parker and courageous Spider Man with equal flair. Despite being nearly thirty years old at the time of filming, Maguire's youthful appearance convinces the audience that he resembles a teenager and not a mature young man. Even when inhabiting Spidey's famous suit, Maguire displays a youthful machismo mixed with some naivety as Peter is still coming into his element as a superhero but proves himself as fearless when confronted by his emerald-clad nemesis, the Green Goblin. While other more seasoned young actors were considered, the gamble to go with Maguire paid handsomely as he carries the weight of both average New York teen and crime-fighting legend in harmonious tandem.
On the opposite side of the board playing the villainous Green Goblin and his unstable alter ego, Norman Osbourne, is the wickedly delightful Willem Dafoe in one of his most insane roles. When the film starts and Norman is running his successful company, Dafoe portrays a fatherly wisdom for young actors Tobey Maguire as Peter and James Franco who plays Norman's son, Harry, but also shows early signs of the soon-to-be shattered psyche that will doom Norman to the corruptible power of the Goblin persona (the result of a lab accident where Norman tests a power-enhancing drug on himself and kills a fellow scientist in his mania). Once the transformation into an unstable madman begins to take effect, Dafoe fully embraces the insanity and goes as over the top as possible, utilizing his vocal talents by using a lighter vocal tone for the tormented Norman while using his trademark gravelly sounding voice and a cackling demented laugh for the wicked Goblin, without becoming a cartoonish impression of the famous super-villain but as a calculating and dangerous adversary who strikes fear into everyone around New York. Added to the excitement of watching the actor in action is that instead of having a stuntman do the brunt work of maneuvering the Goblin's glider and engaging in fisticuffs with Spider Man is that Willem Dafoe performs his own stunts (the actor himself stated the fact in numerous interviews and the filmmakers backed Dafoe's statements).
A talented supporting cast rounds out the compelling characters with Kirsten Dunst as Peter Parker's longtime neighbor and love interest, Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Peter's best friend< Harry Osbourne who happens to be the son of his mortal enemy, Rosemary Harris as Peter's beloved Aunt May and cliff Robertson in the role of Uncle Ben (who sadly doesn't make it to the halfway mark of the film as comic book fans know well) and in a scene- stealing role as hot-headed and grouchy boss of the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson, is J.K. Simmons in what is one of the character actor's most iconic roles.
The film's action sequences are well choreographed and executed from Peter Parker's first attempts to use his enhanced spider-like abilities to the infamous introduction of the Green Goblin at an Oscorp party to the dynamic final confrontation between Spidey and his emerald nemesis where the fists fly and ass-kicking just draws the attention in and doesn't relent till a victor is declared. The filmmakers use as little CGI as possible except for Spider Man's web-slinging across the city since director Sam Raimi is known for using practical effects in his films.
The narrative of the film as mentioned before sets up the main action with the origin of Spider Man when Peter is bitten by the radioactive spider on a field trip with his class and we are given Green Goblin's origin as well with Norman Osbourne's ill-advised test of his company's drug on himself that causes him to become the demented villain we love to hate. The story then shifts into the main plot of how Spider Man comes to learn what he must do as a hero to protect his beloved city and loved ones.
A truly masterful superhero film that really ushered in the modern superhero craze.