Review of Spider-Man (2002) by Stephen Z — 06 Aug 2014
If 2000's "X-Men" was responsible for launching the new era of comic-book movies, "Spider-Man" is responsible for bringing it to the mainstream.
Spider-Man is one of the most fun characters in comics, so naturally "Spider-Man" is a fun movie. The film is packed with high-flying action and lots of super-heroics. But "Spider-Man" is first and foremost a love story. Director Sam Raimi weaves a magnificent story, finding a nice balance between romance and crime-fighting.
The cast is also great. Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man brings the heart and wit needed to bring Spidey to life. Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson play Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and give moving performances. Willem Dafoe plays Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. His performance isn't ground-breaking, but is still pretty great. And finally the casting of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson is one of the best in any comic-book film. Talk about bringing a character to life!
Sure "Spider-Man" is a bit cheesy and breaks a lot of the laws of physics, but it's a comic-book film way ahead of its time. It is just a charming film. "Spider-Man" will entertain audiences, young and old.
This review of Spider-Man (2002) was written by Stephen Z on 06 Aug 2014.
Spider-Man has generally received positive reviews.
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