Finally, a summer blockbuster that has some substance.

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2002)

I think that Spiderman, much like Lord Of The Rings, is one hyped movie that actually delivers on its hype and then some. As everyone has said, Tobey Maguire is perfect as Peter Parker. His Peter Parker has a lot of depth and anguish to it, and it made me care about what happens to him. I usually don't like Kirsten Dunst much, but I thought she nailed the character of Mary Jane. And I give credit to the filmmakers for not casting a supermodel actress to play Mary Jane, because they have done so in the past (Rebecca Romjin-Stamos as Mystique in "X-Men") and they could have very easily done it in this movie. I'm really happy that Sam Raimi was chosen to direct, because he has the campy background (Evil Dead...enough said) in order to pull off some of the more implausible scenes without breaking a sweat. He also knows how to portray superheroes with emotion and poise, no matter who they are (see Darkman). This movie has quite a few similarities to Darkman (in a good way). The action was very cool, and I'm sure they will have more in the sequel, but I'm glad they didn't overload on it. It kept the movie from being shallow, because too many action movies rely on action than on story. The humorous subtext is there, the costume is there, the performances are there, and the great special effects are there. All in all, it was a very entertaining movie not just because of the action, but because it had a story that a viewer could identify with, and it had a love story that people can believe. It is the best movie about a superhero since Batman, it's a great movie to take the kids to, and it's full of old wisdom and glory that many modern actioners are devoid of. The sequel cannot come fast enough. Overall, an entertaining and fulfulling time at the movies.
I give it a 9.5 out of 10 (I deducted half a point because I wanted more action).