Spider-Man (2002) (Columbia Tristar)

Director: Sam Raimi
Actors: Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe
Poducers: Ian Bryce, Laura Ziskin
Writers: David Koepp
Composer: Danny Elfman

--Review--
Spider-man hit theatres May 3rd, 2002 and scored the highest weekend gross of all time with an amazing $114,844,116, and currently in 5th place for total domestic gross of all time with $403,706,375. How did this movie do so well?

One reason is definitely the fact that it was one of the most popular comic books ever, as well as a popular TV series. Director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, For Love of the Game), being a huge spider-man fan, saw this as his opportunity to create something truly amazing, as amazing as the web shooter himself! Some of his crew includes writer David Koepp, producers, Ian Bryce and Laura Zinskin, and renowned music composer Danny Elfman (X-Men, Batman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, T3…).

The movie starts Toby Maguire playing the role of the high school senior Peter Parker. One day during a field trip he is bitten by a genetically mutated spider and gains his spider-like powers overnight by a brilliant illustration of the spider’s DNA fusing with his own. He spends what seems to be the first few days discovering and experimenting with his newly gained super-powers. He can crawl on walls by gripping onto them with microscopic fibers that emerge from his fingers, he can sense things right before they happen, he has super-human strength, and of course he can shoot webs from his wrists. His romantic interest in the movie is Kirsten Dunst playing the role of Mary Jane Watson. He sees Mary Jane’s boyfriend with a cool new car so he decides to get one as well. He sees an ad in the paper for a reward given for spending three minutes in a wrestling ring with an undefeated wrestling champion. Before unable to be able to do it, Peter now realizes he has a better chance with his new powers. He decides to enter the challenge but knowing his aunt and uncle would disagree, he tells them that he needs to go to the library. His uncle Ben takes him there and in the car before Peter Gets out, he delivers the famous line “With great power comes great responsibility.” He wins the challenge but doesn’t get the money due to a technicality. He defeated the champion in two minutes but he needed to stay in for three. With a measly reward of $100 versus the posted $3000, he returns in grief and anger. Just before he leaves a robber comes and, at gun point, robbed the clerk of all of the money he made at the event. Believing that the clerk got what he deserves he allows the robber to pass with ease. When he gets back he discovers police cruisers and a group of people surrounding his uncle whom is lying on the floor and his car high jacked. Turns out that the person who shot his uncle is the robber he let pass earlier. From that point on he vows to fight crime, to ensure what happened to his doesn’t happen to anyone else; which is the setup for the rest of the movie.

To pull off all of spider-man’s web slinging action they had to rely on massive amounts of visual and special effects, which they pulled off marvelously, it all looks real, even in freeze frame or slow motion. And believe me; I have seen my share of crappy CGI. The action sequences were all original and exciting. They did a good job of grounding the whole story on our real world, like the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) being a military project gone wrong. All of the events in the film happen in a natural order, with every event triggering the next until we finally are left with the spider-man we all know from the comics. This has to be the most brilliant and well developed super hero genesis story I have ever seen.

Another reason the movie did so well is how the audience can really relate to all of the characters and sympathize with the conflict that occurs between the characters, especially when Peter Parker and Norman Osborn (Green Goblin) find out each others secret.

Personally, my favorite part of the movie is a tie between the climax where he’s fighting Green Goblin with his face mask all ripped off. I thought it gave Spider-man a more real presence. Normally his face is hidden, so it was nice to really see his emotions. The other part I liked was the last scene of the movie at the funeral when Mary Jane realizes who Peter Parker is. If I could change one thing, it would be to use more practical shots versus CG, because no matter how good the CG is it still ultimately looks like CG. Overall it is a great movie with a perfect mix of action, drama, and tragedy and I’m happy to give it 9 rings out of 10.

Reviewed by plastikimo (Ali Showkati)