Raimi does it again

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2002)

Big Hype, big promises, delayed release, Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker in a huge miscast...
I wanted it to be good, but didn't have great expectations.
Then two words like a beacon in the fog:
Sam Raimi.
In the best comic book adaptation to date, Raimi dispels every qualm I had about this film. It delivers on the hype, and Tobey Maguire was absolutely perfect. This is an amazing film in a genre that only the boldest attempt, and usually fail. Until now, I thought X-Men was the best adaptation of a comic book. Spidey blows it out of the water.
The film is thoughtful, true to its origins in most respects (the web glands, I thought, were acceptable), action-packed, and most of all, full of the subtle humanities that only Sam Raimi can bring to his characters. Congratulations to Sam and to Don Burgess and everyone on the cast and crew on a job well done. Your film reaches audiences on a level far more sophisticated than any other Marvel (or DC) adaptation to date. Your accolades are well deserved. It has been a long time since I have been to a film that ended in applause.
Thank you for a wonderful evening. I look forward eagerly to the second.