A very good movie

Rating: 9/10 (7 July 2004)

Not a fan of comic books I find that the movie adaptations are very entertaining (with the exception of The Punisher) and rather than be simple beat'em up flicks with no story and little talent, they are in fact quite the opposite, and this movie is no exception. While the concept of the weak rising to be strong is a very common theme, it makes a welcome change to what could have been a plotless action flick.
The characters in this movie are all likeable. They are quite human for movie characters, they are vulnerable and their appearances conceal their realities, Peter Parker may acquire superhuman strength, but is quite lonely, Mary Jane Watson maybe popular and pretty but comes from a broken home, and the Osborns maybe rich but there is little amity between them. They pursue hard to reach targets with Peter pining after Mary Jane, Mary Jane gets a drab start to her acting career, the Osborns try to understand each other but can't take the initiative, while corporate success for Norman Osborn proves elusive. In a movie it's a good thing to have sympathetic protagonists, and this movie delivers.
The actors are all well picked, and play their parts well. Tobey Maguire gives a good, sympathetic performance as Peter Parker, who you jusy feel sorry for, and I was happy to see him pound that Flash. Kirsten Dunst gives a good, sympathetic performance as Mary Jane Watson, and is cute too. Willem Dafoe plays Norman Osborn (who is sympathetic at first but then becomes a total jerk-wad) well, he is also very good as Osborns alter ego the Green Goblin, he's not an overblown villain. James Franco is pretty good as well, as Harry Osborn. Rosemary Harris plays a sweet Aunt May, and J.K.Simmons is amusing as Peter's employer.
The scripting is good as well, it's a solid story that doesn't detract from the narrative. It's well directed by Sam Raimi, with the story moving along at a steady pace (helped along by the good cast) with the special effects and action ,which are impressive to watch, complementing the story rather than the other way around. The movie doesn't forget that it is an action movie, yet balances the visuals and character interractions very well; combined with the scripting it proves to be an engaging flick. It also goes at just the right amount of time at two hours and one minute. There's also some funny moments such as Peter trying to release the web, and Harry's end of the conversation with MJ after the fair. I certainly got my money's worth at the cinema, and I have seen it repeatedly on cable, yet have not got bored of it.
In all it proves to be an entertaining, watchable movie. I would like to give it an eighrt and a a half, but since that's not possible I give it a nine out of ten because I enjoyed it so much. A very good movie. movie