Spider-Man

I thoroughly enjoyed "Spider-Man," which I saw in a screening. I thought the movie was very engrossing. Director Sam Raimi kept the action quotient high, but also emphasized the human element of the story. Tobey Maguire was very believable as the gawky teenager in the early part of the film and then, after his run-in with the radioactive, genetically engineered spider, as the athletic, acrobatic superhero of the title. His boyish glee at discovering his new superpowers was infectious and got a lot of laughs. I also didn't mind the changes to the "Peter Parker: The Amazing Spider-Man" comic book story that the film's writers made, e.g., having Spider-Man's web come out of glands in his wrists rather than being an invention of Peter Parker's. Especially good were Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson as Aunt May and Uncle Ben Parker, Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin, James Franco as Harry Osborn, and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson. And in a small but memorable role, J.K. Simmons ("Oz," Law & Order") as newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson was hilarious. Perfect casting. I also thought the special effects were very good. Although I could easily tell when Spidey was a computer-generated image (or a stunt double for that matter), it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the movie. However, I saw the movie with a six-year-old, who found the villainous Green Goblin -- superbly personified by Willem Dafoe -- very, very frightening, so I would advise against taking children younger than 10 years of age to this movie. "The Amazing Spider-Man" comic book was a childhood favorite of mine, and I can honestly say that Sam Raimi has done it justice! I'm going to go see this movie again (sans terrified six-year-old).

"With great power comes great responsibility".These words, spoken by Peter Parker's uncle Ben(Cliff Robertson)during their last conversation and which have become Spider-Man's motto, also perfectly represent the challenge Sam Raimi was facing when asked to bring one of America's most loved superheroes to the screen.

You can relax, fellas: Raimi's movie is definitely worth a look.Loosely based on the origin story and the Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. run, it's a fascinating mix of spectacular action and powerful drama, as it chronicles Peter Parker's(Tobey Maguire) transformation into a superhuman and the responsibilities deriving from said metamorphosis: while fighting crime to avenge his uncle's death, he also has to deal with his feelings for Mary Jane Watson(Kirsten Dunst) and his friendship with Harry Osborn(James Franco); add Harry's father Norman(Willem Dafoe), who's become schizophrenic psycho Green Goblin, and you've got a quite complicated situation.

Raimi's excellent at showing us the hero's pain, as well as the one he causes to others, and he gets terrific performances from the entire cast, particularly Maguire, Dafoe and Robertson.

On its own, it's a very good superhero flick, alongside the sequel, it's an absolute masterpiece.

Recommended even if you don't care about the comics.

Considered as one of the most successful superhero movies ever made, "Spider-Man" is a superhero film adaptation of one of Stan Lee's most popular Marvel comics, and becoming one of the first movies to score the highest opening weekend in the box office. There's no wonder, because this is an exciting and enjoyable motion picture. One of my childhood favorites, to be exact! This movie tells the origin story of Peter Parker, or Spider-Man, portrayed by Tobey Maguire, whom after being bit by a radioactive spider, he has gained extraordinary powers to climb walls, shoot web, and beat bad guys. But all that must be put to the test when Parker has to defeat one of the first villains of the Spider-Man universe, the Green Goblin, portrayed by Willem Dafoe. Although Maguire is somewhat bland in a few of his movies, I respected that he fit the role of Peter Parker perfectly, playing a shy kid, with no powers to either beat the bad guy or win the girl. Although given some of the corniest lines of dialouge in this movie, Kirsten Dunst makes an adorable portrayal as Mary Jane Watson, while giving a great chemistry with her co-star. But, Willem Dafoe seems a little miscast playing the deadly Green Goblin, feeling more like he's suitable for drama, instead of action. Rosemary Harris, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, and J.K. Simmons, round up the supporting cast, bringing some memorable performances on-screen, especially Simmons, who steals every scene he's in as J. Jonah Jameson, the angry editor chief of the Daily Bugle. There are few corny and goofy moments from here and there, but that doesn't stop the exciting momentum that this movie brings. Filled with impressive visual effects and a wonderful music score by Danny Elfman, director Sam Raimi perfectly stays true to the original Spider-Man concept, and delivers plenty of exciting action sequences that are both fun to watch, and stay true to the plot. Behind "The Dark Knight" and "The Avengers", "Spider-Man" is probably my third favorite superhero movie. I can watch this movie over and over again, and it's still a fun time. I was easily impressed with this movie, and it never disappoints to entertain. Everyone will find something to enjoy for sure. "Spider-Man", in my review, "a refreshing story, and exciting action".

I am not into action films particularly,(I'm 17) but this was a really pleasant surprise. This is a well-designed, well-acted and well-directed film, that is close to the comics, which my younger brother used to collect. I loved the music score by Danny Elfman, very like Batman. The special effects were excellent, especially with the scene on the bridge, and the direction from Sam Raimi was fast-paced and secure. But for me, the acting was the best aspect of the movie. Tobey Maguire was the biggest surprise. Usually actors playing comic book heroes are bland, but Maguire was not that at all. If anything he was very charming. Kirsten Dunst portrays the thankless role of the damsel in distress, and I must say, she is very impressive. J.K Simmons gets the most laughs as Jameson, but the best actor was Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin. He not only looked the part of the Green Goblin, but brought some welcome gravitas to the role. The story is sweet and sometimes poignant towards the beginning, though the only real complaints I have of this movie is that the script at times is a little uneven, and the film is a bit long. All in all, a satisfying take on the comic book hero. 8/10 Bethany Cox.

Having seen the trailers for this film I have to say that I didn't walk into the cinema with high hopes. The computer effects looked badly integrated, the Green Goblin's costume looked awful and comic book adaptations usually have such painful scripting and plotting. Thankfully I was wrong on most counts (The Goblin still looks rubbish).

As it turns out, this is probably the best super-hero film I've yet seen - certainly up there with Superman and Batman. People seem to automatically comment that the script and acting was bad because they expect it to be the case in these films; and indeed it usually is. But if you go into Spider-man without this prejudicial attitude you'll be pleasently suprised. The acting is generally great - there is never a time when anyone is not believable as their character and you think "Hey, that's an actor, not Peter Parker". The effects do look artificial but the pace of the movie means you don't have time to dwell on this and the script is fine! What do people want, Shakespearian soliloquies? That would sound incredibly out-of-place in modern day New York. There are few of the painful cliches or dreadful dialogue that plague films like The Phantom Menace and the catchphrases like "friendly neighbourhood spider-man" are fully in-keeping with the character.

The comic turns from J.J. Jameson hit the mark, the snarling facial contortions of Willem Defoe were suitably evil-looking (and the conversation with his mirror-image was a great touch). My only gripe was with the Green Goblin's costume. Very monotone green and not very scary.

All-in-all a great film that I wouldn't hesitate for a second in recommending.