Truly depends on how you judge it.

Rating: 6/10 (30 June 2002)

I'm not going to expend time and verbiage in attacking this film; I haven't the time or inclination. Yes, it is indeed poor in many respects, but I did enjoy it, unlike such "blockbusters" as "Blade II", "The Fast and the Furious" and "The Mummy Returns".
Let me concede no vested interests here; I am no "Spiderman" fan of yore. Never read comics or seen the cartoon I don't think. It strangely eluded me really; maybe slightly before my time. I can, I feel, offer a fairly objective view here. Firstly, if anyone judges this movie by a yardstick of realism they would be very foolish. If they were to judge it by a measure of how good a film it is then they would be perhaps more understandably unwise. While I'm setting up the view that it must be viewed as a comic book interpretation, it should be said there have to be grounds for judging bad dialogue etc. on its own terms. An example would have to be the almost painfully two-dimensional and near comatose "emotional scenes" and particularly Kirsten Dunst's performance. There are comic book characters, and there are, well, very bad displays of acting. "I'd like to learn how to act?" I think she pallidly says at one point early on; well, the words seem apposite for Dunst herself. It is a swollen, perhaps thankless performance for an admittedly limited role. Maguire, well, very one-note and not all that impressive, especially as the film wears on. Willem Dafoe, and particularly J.K. Simmons as Jameson give far better ideas of how these sort of larger-than-life creations should be played... J.J. Jameson is an absurd, amusing character pitched at the right level; "They gotta be giving names to these weirdos now!" etc.
It is often very difficult to tell whether the film is intentionally or unintentionally funny. The absurd haplessness of Parker's first Spider-Man costume is surely meant, as are certain touches of dialogue. A bizarre bit is where Dafoe, as Norman Osborne, launches a broadside against "MJ", or Mary Jane as she is belatedly known later on in the film. Something like "you should do what you want with her and then broom her!" I must say I laughed, as did my cohorts. Very odd wording and a plain absurd tone to it. Also, what was that Aunt of Parker's doing cropping up all over the place later on in the picture. She seemed to have insinuated herself into Mr Osborne's family. This isn't commented upon at any point. What was she doing frankly!? Dialogue like "With great power comes great responsibility" and Parker's beleaguered description of why he likes MJ really does make one laugh and not I suspect intentionally. And have I touched on the completely unnecessary and ludicrous advertising of having Macy Gray just tacked in there...? ;-) Oh, yes and the ludicrous, hackneyed scenes with Cliff Robertson's Uncle Ben and the ultimatum offered by the Green Goblin - "The girl or the kiddies!!!!" My word, the "Green Goblin", eh? Seemed a rum sort of villain, having little or no specified aims other than to be a madman, torment Spiderman and perhaps - but it is left very vague - get back at a few businessman...! What of the scene where the scantily-attired Dunst is "accosted" by these men doing weird dog impressions...?! Reminded me of a scene with Bobby Briggs in the "Twin Peaks" pilot episode... Very odd tone here, with a rape very much implied.
Some moments perhaps jarred a little, with the cartoon violence - perhaps itself questionable if this is targeted at younger audiences - all too numbing. The change in a late scene to realistic bloody violence just doesn't feel right somehow; both depictions of violence here have their problems and jar with each other.
While as you can see, I have much to question in this film, I must emphasize that I did enjoy the damn thing. It's better thought out and has more of a modicum of intelligence about it than the "Blade II"s... Be wary of high expectations; this is hack work, and not always as well done as it could be, but it is at least fun to watch.
Rating:- ***/*****