Review of Spider-Man (2002) by Trevor R — 21 Oct 2014

"Spider-Man" is the rare film with one of those structurally perfect, amazingly well-paced scripts that never wastes a single moment. The story takes its time to get to know Peter Parker (easily Tobey Maguire's finest performance) through a naturally developed sci-fi origin that never feels rushed to hit the next plot beat nor overly belabored-- it's just one great scene after another, each building on the last, dovetailing into an amazing, thematically-cohesive, emotionally cathartic final twenty minutes. Just perfect.

Raimi's direction is so right, deftly balancing weighty drama, teen angst, high adventure and campy comedy. Dafoe's nutso performance as Norman Osborne and The Green Goblin is just too much fun-- delightfully wild when it needs to be ("We'll meet again, Spider-Man!") without sacrificing some real dramatic heft at appropriate moments. JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson is also one of the most perfectly cast roles ever, and James Franco's particular set of qualities have never been better utilized. Although the fluffy central romance with a somewhat miscast Kirsten Dunst never feels fully earned, its ultimately tempered by Peter's final decision of self-sacrifice.

"Spider-Man" may very well be the finest superhero film ever made: an incredibly well-staged action picture, a delightful comedy, and a beautiful, timeless moral parable.