Raimi strikes perfect balance, remains true to original.

Rating: 9/10 (6 May 2002)

Finally, a hero saga that is true to the spirit of the original! This was a welcome surprise after a long, arduous development period with many high-profile directors attached to the project, including James Cameron. After seeing the great job that Cameron did with the character development in `Titanic', I had great hopes for this move, but became very concerned when he bowed out. I'm glad to say that Sam Raimi struck the right balance between action and character. He demonstrated that he `gets' why The Amazing Spider-Man comic book was so popular and why Stan Lee's and Steve Ditko's creation ushered in the second Golden Age of comics. It centered on a very relatable Peter Parker - who struggled with real issues - not some unreachable super hero. Raimi allows just enough Stan `The Man' Lee corny dialogue to satisfy any long-standing Marvel Comics True Believer, such as when Green Goblin taunts Spidey with, `I could crush you like a bug!' This is a truly satisfying movie, recommended to True Believers and Spidey novices alike. This reviewer predicts that `Spider-Man' will set the tone for super hero motion pictures just like the comic set the tone for super hero comics in the 1960's and beyond.