Better Then Expected

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2002)

This post may have spoilers in it, so please be careful when reading.
I went into the movie not expecting much. I am not a big fan of Toby McGuire (Spiderman) nor of Willem Dafoe (Green Goblin), so my expectations were low.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. The story was good, and the action was well done. I was able to suspend my disbelief for most of the movie, which is rare with action movies. In other words, no superhuman feats were thrown about recklessly, beyond what we are expected to take for granted (Spiderman's incredible strength and agility).
There are a few (rather small) problems that I encountered. First, although movies tend to stray from the original (a comic in this case), I am a little surprised at how they modified how Peter became Spiderman. He was bit by a spider - nothing more. Yes, I know the spider was genetically altered, but what happens if others are bitten by the spider? Will there be dozens of Spidermen out there? It just would have been nice if the event was truly unique.
Second, the romance was a bit overdone. This could have been trimmed a bit with no real loss. Third, I still can't get over the actors they chose for the role.
Outside of that, however, was a movie which featured some great action sequences, a good blend of comedy, and a not so subtle hint at a sequel. I'm sure to catch the next one.