The movie is part comic-book wonder, part warmed-over "Superman"

Rating: 6/10 (27 August 2002)

I know popcorn-epics like "Spider-Man" can't dwell over every little detail, but director Sam Raimi is so hectic and insistent on pushing this thing along, he loses the narrative punch in the F/X muddle. The movie is a big, loud, dumb entertainment, colorful on a certain level and lots of fun at the beginning--revealing a sneaky sense of humor--yet it becomes more staid and familiar as it progresses. Yes, Spider-Man is a super-hero and we need to see him using his powers for the good of the nation, but Raimi loses the beguiling magic inherent at the beginning while constantly pushing forward with 'bigger and better' ideas. The obligatory hammy performances are here, but Tobey Maguire is curiously low-keyed and oddly charming in the lead. **1/2 from ****