Best super-hero movie since Superman II

Rating: 10/10 (8 May 2002)

Spiderman is the best super-hero film since 1980's Superman II. A lot of people here compare Spiderman to the Batman movies, but in actuality, Spiderman is very close in tone to Superman II and the second-half of Superman: The Movie, (although Superman II BADLY needs a special edition since it looks a bit aged).
In fact, it seems to me that Sam Raimi (allegedly a fan of the Superman movies) gave a nod to Superman when he had Peter Parker running, and opening his shirt to reveal the Spiderman costume, which Reeve did in the opening moments of Superman II and in his first "transition" in Superman: The Movie.
My only complaints about the movie was that the special effects were, at times, somewhat unconvincing and the musical score lacked the majesty of the Superman and Batman themes. However, the creators of the films were able to emphasize their energy on equally, if not, more important details.
I agree entirely with film critics who said Raimi and the writers were able to find the right dosage of action, drama, sympathy and humor in the story. And the result is a satisfying movie with good performances to match and mostly very good special effects to culminate with one of the best films to be based on a mainstream action-oriented character.
Tobey McGuire is to Spiderman what Christopher Reeve was to Superman. McGuire BECAME Spiderman. His transformation from a picked-on teenager to superhero was wonderful acting, and I'll be looking forward to his next outing as the wall-crawler.
Willem DaFoe was outstanding, as usual. I'd rank his crazed-interpretation of the Green Goblin to be up there with Jack Nicholson's The Joker. There are no lame performances in the film. Kirsten Dunst, although some say she didn't have a lot to work with, was wonderful as Mary Jane. Contrary to critics who preferred the second half of the film, I was more intrigued with Peter's growth and relationship with Mary Jane than when he engaged the Green Goblin in obligatory battle. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoyed the action, but we all know what super-hero movies are predictably about: good vs. evil. What makes them special and what sets some comic/action films apart from others are the characterizations between the kicking ass. It's the stuff that the very best super-hero films are made of: Superman I, Superman II, Batman Returns, X-Men and Spiderman are all examples of comic films that delivered the action, but also had interesting character relationships in between to bring us closer to the characters we like.
No doubt the iconoclastic film buffs will come out of the woodwork in droves and look for any reason to bash Spiderman, but make no mistake. If you're even a casual fan of characters like Spiderman and don't get too caught up in the hype, you should be in for a great time.