The almost amazing Spider-Man.....

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2002)

'Spider-man' is an extremely entertaining movie. It is well cast, acted and directed. This movie thrives not so much on action, but on characters, which is the ultimate strength of the movie. I am thankful that there is a good deal of dialogue because otherwise this movie would have been a lot less.
Tobey Maguire is a perfect Peter Parker. His early relationship(and awkwardness)with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst)is played out to perfection. We get a character we can relate with, in Parker. This is the relationship that drives the movie very well.
William Dafoe also plays his duel role to perfection. This is also a credit to Sam Raimi. The Green Goblin is captured beautifully, and the Osborns are portrayed true to the comic book form. The relationship between Harry and Norman is very accurate. Actually, every relationship in this movie is very true to the comic book, and I appreciated that, and they could set up the next movie quite logically.
What I didn't like were some of the special effects. I understand that it is near impossible to capture the movements of such a character, and this movie made a very noble attempt. It is obvious, however, when they switch between special effects and the live action actor. The movements of the special effects Spider-man are much to quick, without gravity, and at times, specifically in some fight sequences, a little to bouncy. The same can be said for the Green Goblin. At times though, they are quite stunning.

The effects are good, but the best parts of the movie are when the characters interact without the use of the effects. The final showdown is specifically well done, and one of my favorite parts of the movie. Sam Raimi did a hell of a good job directing this movie, and I am looking forward to a sequel. 8 out of 10.