On the level of epic storytelling

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2002)

Peter Parker(Tobey Maguire) is lonely, insecure, and is in love with Mary Jane Watson(Kirsten Dunst), a girl he has had a crush on since he was six. One day, while on a field trip to a laboratory where they are studying arachnids, Peter is bitten on the hand by a genetically altered spider that had accidentally gotten out of its cage. Peter goes home in a daze over what has just happened. The next day, he finds himself mysteriously buffed up and no longer needs to wear glasses. So off he goes to school to endure another day of torment by his peers. Just as he is about to start eating lunch, a weird feeling comes to Peter, just as Mary Jane is about to slip in a puddle. Peter catches Mary Jane and her lunch just in the nick of time. After he continues eating, Peter accidentally shoots a string of web from his wrist. While trying to hide the webbing, he accidentally pulls a lunch tray and it hits one of his tormentors in the back. Peter then hauls a** out of the cafeteria. The guy he hit in the back follows Peter, looking for a fight. Peter is able to miraculously overcome his opponent with the use of his new found "spider-sense". On the way home, he begins running and running and finally leaping from building to building and then spinning and spinning. Peter decides to keep his new abilities secret, but when a thief that he could have stopped kills his beloved Uncle Ben, he then decides that he is going to use his abilities to fight crime. It seems that his abilities could not have come at a better time, as he now has to square off against the mysterious and deadly Green Goblin/Norman Osborn(Willem Dafoe).
"Spider-Man" definitely is the movie to see this year. The hype surrounding this movie is unbelievable. When I went to see this movie yesterday, the theater was packed. Everybody cheered when Peter beat up that one guy and when he tracked down the man who killed his uncle. It seems to me that this movie affected everyone in the theater the same way. There is a very wide range of emotions to be experienced when watching this movie. Some of the emotions I'm talking about like happiness, loss, grief, and good triumphing over evil to name a few. Sam Raimi of "The Evil Dead" fame is the perfect director for this film. Some of the comic elements that he uses in some of his earlier films are highly present in this film. You should also be on the lookout for Raimi favorite Bruce Campbell in a small cameo as a ring announcer.
This movie succeeds because of two key things: smart casting choices and epic storytelling. First off, Tobey Maguire IS Spider-Man! I must admit, that I followed some of my friends when they said that Tobey Maguire could not play Peter Parker. I found out yesterday that is not true. He is Peter Parker, he is Spider-Man. He owns that role. Much as Christopher Reeve played the part of Superman and Michael Keaton was Batman before him, Tobey Maguire will take his place in superhero history as Spider-Man. He is a very good actor in this movie. The scene where he visits Aunt May in the hospital or the ending scene in the cemetery where he talks to Mary Jane about their relationship all go to show how good he can act. Although I have not payed that much attention to Kirsten Dunst, I must admit that she was perfectly cast as Mary Jane Watson. She really has that girl-next-door kind of charisma that is required for a role like hers. Willem Dafoe easily plays one of the best comic book villains of all time as Green Goblin. He's basically torn by grief from loosing his company and from pursuing a life of crime as Green Goblin. The scene where he talks to the Green Goblin mask is one of his best scenes.
The costumes for Spider-Man and Green Goblin are some of the most fantastic costume designs and make up effects I've seen since "Dick Tracy". This movie deserves to get an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design and Best Make Up.
The action sequences are some of the best I've ever seen for a superhero movie. The web-slinging scenes, whilst being computer animated, are extremely convincing, largely because they look so real. The scene at the party where Spider-Man and Green Goblin meet for the first time is probably the best action scene in the movie.
"Spider-Man" deserves all the praise that it is going to receive, no doubt. I love this movie. I really want to go see it again, but I know that I probably won't be able to. This movie will blow you away, it'll make you want to cheer and it'll make you want to cry.
I give "Spider-Man" a big 10.