Fantastic job across the board

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2002)

This is the first screen adaptation of ANYTHING that I can remember where every single actor flat out NAILED their characters. Tobey Maguire is Peter Parker, right down to the forlorn stare every time Mary Jane leaves him behind. Kirsten Dunst is, as always, excellent. Willem Defoe was the most pleasant surprise, though. Some great one-liners in costume are overshadowed by his perfect portrayal of Norman Osborn, a miserable man who has gained the whole world but forfeited his soul.
Big thumbs up to Sam Raimi, who in retrospect is the only one who could have done this film justice. His trademark kinetic camerawork captures Spider-Man's web swinging perfectly, and his obvious affection for the character is contagious.
Speaking of which, was it me, or did J.K. Simmons have a blast playing J.Jonah Jameson? Come to think of it, the whole cast and crew looked like they were having a blast making this movie. Must be why it turned out as great as it did.