Very good superhero movie

Rating: 8/10 (6 July 2004)

"Spider-Man" is an exceptional superhero movie that's good fun. As far as superhero movies go, it's not as good as "Batman" and the first two "Superman" films, but it falls right behind them.
"Spider-Man" is based on the Marvel comic books about nerdy teenager Peter Parker, who gets bitten by a mutated spider and then slowly turns into the crime fighting hero of the title. The movie's special effects run hot and cold throughout, and the story could have used a little tightening. But still there's much to enjoy here. The action scenes are exciting and held my interest. Tobey Maguire is very good as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, and he gets terrific support from a very good cast. Director Sam Raimi has come a long way since directing "The Evil Dead", and I think he'll be a major directing force to reckon with in years to come. "Spider-man 2" is proof of that.

**** (out of four)