Spiderrific!

Rating: 9/10 (3 May 2002)

I thoroughly enjoyed this film! This is the best film based on a comic strip character since Batman and Superman! I was really anticipating it since the delays caused by the fall of the Twin Towers (which required some editing in the film, since they were prominently featured in some "swinging" shots and in the first trailer). I must say the wait was worth it, but I would not have minded seeing the towers. In fact, the WTC towers were used to catch some baddies in a helicopter (in the trailer) so I don't see how that is so devastating to the families and friends in NYC.
Overall, this film was excellent! Character development is good throughout. I would like to have seen Spidey do something about M-J's abusive parents, but that would require a whole new (sub-)subplot.
I could tell in a few spots where some computer graphics work was done--for example, in the beginning of the film, Peter is leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Here, the shadow looks *good* but still a little suspect. It's fairly obvious they used a blue/green screen for this segment, especially when he leaps higher, closest to the camera's POV.
A few of the medical / scientific terms and explanations in the beginning of the film were slightly awkward (and possibly incorrect?)
Another thing; what about Willem Dafoe talking to the mirror? His real-life jaw is moving, though the mirror image is talking to him, and not the other way around. Does he have split-personality? Is he schizophrenic? I wasn't quite sure if it was just voices/hallucinations, or a willful split-pers disorder. They did say the green goblin formula would make the test subject insane, so I guess that covers it sufficiently.
GO SPIDEY!