"With great power comes great responsibility"

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2017)

Spider-Man was released in 2002 and was directed by Sam Raimi. The film is about a high school kid named Peter Parker whose life changes completely when he is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains superpowers, going on to develop the alter-ego of Spider-Man.
What makes this movie stand out from other superhero movies is how much attention to human detail it is given; we're presented with relatable every-day characters which we begin to care for because of how much we identify with them and it becomes a story you can understand and doesn't seem out-of-this-world like many other superhero films. The director also understands how to balance the amount of time given to both the human side and the superhero sides of the characters. Tobey Maguire is perfect as Spider-Man and even though I think Tom Holland will do a great job in the new Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tobey is the true Spider-Man in my eyes. He captures the character of Peter Parker perfectly; awkward and quirky but a character you can identify with and relate to and therefore care for. His traits combined with Maguire's performance make him a very likable character and a great lead.
The relationship between Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter Parker was handled in a realistic, albeit very entertaining manner and there are multiple situations that many can relate to as they can put themselves in the positions of both of those characters and feel what they are feeling which makes their relationship one that audiences can connect with.
Willem Dafoe portrays the main antagonist of Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin. I loved his performance as Osborn and he was a fascinating, complex character, however I couldn't really buy the Green Goblin too well. I understand that the film is supposed to be comical and goofy at times and for the most part that aspect is handled well but I think they might have gone just a bit too far with this villain; his motivations for acting this crazy don't really make much sense and he literally says and does every supervillain cliché in the book. His costume also looks absolutely ridiculous and it's impossible to take him seriously, however this isn't something that holds the movie down too much.
I've also got to mention how amazing J.K Simmons is as J. Jonah Jameson; all I can say is perfect casting choice.
This film is a film that certainly has dated, however it isn't necessarily a negative point. When you watch it, you can instantly tell that it's from the early 2000s, whereas watching the other two you'll have a harder time working out what time period it's from. It's mainly the style of the film which has made it dated, the biggest reason being the character of the Green Goblin for me. Like I said, this isn't necessarily a negative point but something I felt should be said.
Conversely, the style is also something which makes the movie unique as what it is and gives it the comic-book feel, but not going too over-the-top (most of the time anyway). The style adds for plenty of humour which was refreshing to see and makes the movie even more charming.
Overall, I don't really have anything else to say about this movie and I thought it was really good, with a great lead character and a director who clearly understands the material. It's a film that has certainly dated, however it isn't necessarily a bad thing.
7.8/10