Inspired and exciting example of the modern super-hero film

Rating: 8/10 (7 July 2017)

Released in 2002 and directed by Sam Raimi, "Spider-Man" stars Tobey Maguire as geeky teen Peter Parker, who is bit by a radioactive spider and acquires spider-like powers. Kirsten Dunst plays his wannabe girlfriend, Mary Jane, while James Franco plays his best friend and rival, Harry Osborn. Willem Dafoe is on hand as the schizophrenic Norman Osborn, who's also the Green Goblin. Cliff Robertson & Rosemary Harris play Peter's Uncle & Aunt while J.K. Simmons appears as newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson.
Although it was 2000's "X-Men" that ushered in the modern superhero film, it was "Spider-Man" that drove it home. The movie remains an exhilarating example of the genre and is markedly superior to the merely competent reboot "The Amazing Spider-Man," which came out just 10 years later. Compare the costumes, for instance, particularly the masks; there's no contest.
There are some flaws: The second half isn't as compelling as the first and the apartment fire sequence is eye-rolling in that there's zero smoke in the abode. Then there are changes from the comics, some which work great (e.g. scrapping Spidey's web-shooters in favor of intrinsic web-powers) and some which are just acceptable (e.g. MJ's noticeably different disposition). But such quibbles are made up for by the movie's overall mojo. Simmons nails it as the quirky & kinetic Jameson.
"Spider-Man" remains the second best Spider-Man film, second only to "Spider-Man 3" (2007), not including "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017), which I haven't seen yet.
The film runs 121 minutes and was shot in New York City & Los Angeles, as well as a few other areas in New York and Southern Cal, e.g. the cemetery scene in Valhalla, NY. The screenplay was written by David Koepp.
GRADE: A-