Review of Spider-Man (2002) by Tyler B — 12 Oct 2013

"Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Remember that Pete. Remember that.".

Ever since his debut in the Marvel comics, Spider-Man has endured as one on the most popular superheroes of all-time. Once Marvel's 2000 surprise hit X-Men showed that the superhero genre hasn't died off, Marvel decided to finally bring their most popular hero to the big-screen, which is what they've been trying to do since at least the 1980's. and at one point, a version almost made by visual genius James Cameron. The film that became Spider-Man, made by horror director Sam Raimi, not only became a ginormous smash at the box-office, but it finally showed that superhero films can truly be excellent films. And Raimi's Spider-Man is that film.

During a field trip to a Columbia University Lab, nerdy teen Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is bit by a radioactive spider and overnight, develops spider-like abilities, such as shooting webs from his arm climbing up walls, and senses upcoming dangers. Originally, Parker uses his new powers for his own good, such as participating in boxing matches, but after the tragic death of his uncle (Cliff Robertson), Parker decides to use his powers for good, creating a spider suit and fighting crime, calling himself "Spider-Man". But Parker's newfound fame comes to the test when insane weapons manufacturer Norman Osborne (Willem Dafoe), as the villainous Green Goblin, starts to threaten the safety of the people of New York City, even going as far as attacking Parker's friends and relatives. Parker has to fight it all out in order to save the day.

The film also features James Franco as Parker's friend Harry, who's father is the Goblin himself, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane, the girl Parker falls for, Rosemary Harris as Parker's Aunt May, JK Simmons as newspaper boss Jameson, and there's small appearances from Bruce Campbell as a boxing announcer, Randy Savage, or the "Macho Man", as boxer "Bone-Saw" McGraw, and Spider-Man creator Stan Lee is seen during a key action sequence at a city festival.

What makes Spider-Man work is Raimi's fantastic fast-paced direction. The origin story is told at a brisk pace, the characters are developed appropriately, and the action sequences are well-made without being a borefest. Some of the moments, such as Parker becoming Spider-Man, the death of the uncle, and Parker's web-shooting abilities, are told in true perfection, something Marc Webb failed to grasp when making his reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.

Tobey Maguire is fantastic as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He manages to show his geeky side without overdoing it, manages to be an awesome superhero, and showcase emotional triumph in scenes of tragedy, such as the uncle death scene. Andrew Garfield may have been a good Spider-Man, but Maguire is still the best Spider-Man in Hollywood! Willem Dafoe is incredible as the Green Goblin. People have complained over the Goblin costume, but I didn't mind at all; I actually thought it was pretty cool. As for Dafoe, he brilliantly pulls off both sides of his personality, the tough negotiator of Norman Osborne and the evil, sinister psychopath of The Green Goblin. Definitely a huge standout in the movie. While I'm not the greatest James Franco fan, Franco was enjoyable here as Harry without being truly wooden in the part. Kirsten Dunst is perfect as the love interest Mary Jane, and is much better than Stone in the reboot! Her chemistry with Maguire is excellent, particularly in the famous spider-kissing scene, which I would rank as one of the greatest on-screen kisses in the history of film. JK Simmons is a true scene stealer as Jameson, the biased news boss who believes Spider-Man to be a criminal, and is very funny ("If they say he's famous, I'll make him INFAMOUS!"). Rosemary Harris is emotionally convincing as Aunt May, and in his small part, it's Cliff Robertson who's the heart of the whole film as Uncle Ben. Robertson is truly incredible here as the uncle and with his small part reminding how great of an actor we really was, he will be truly missed,.

The visuals were another amazing factor. Sure they can feel dated compared to The Amazing Spider-Man, but I'm still very impressed, with Spider-Man in the air and the fight sequences between Spidey and the Goblin. The climax between the two is bloody and very intense and suspenseful, possibly the reason why it got a PG-13 rating instead of the PG rating it should of got, but either way, I felt the scene to be supremely awesome in every sense of the word awesome.

Raimi uses composing regular Danny Elfman to score the film, and like his memorable superhero score for Tim Burton's Batman, Elfman's Spider-Man theme is filled with a heroic sound and filled with emotions. The score also features moments of emotional touch and a moments of cheer in moments of triumph. While I wouldn't say it's as memorable as his Batman score, Elfman succeeds in another incredible score.

Forget The Amazing Spider-Man! The 2002 Spider-Man is truly "The Amazing Spider-Man", filled with incredible visuals, an amazing Danny Elfman score, fantastic direction from the brilliant mind of Sam Raimi, and some mesmerizing acting performances all around, particularly Tobey Maguire as Parker, Willem Dafoe as the Goblin, and Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben. This Spider-Man is truly a superhero masterpiece.