Rating: 
Summary: Maguire Brings Spider-Man to Life
Review: It may be a story lifted from the pages of a comic book, but with some strong performances, a focused story and some great F/X, director Sam Raimi puts blood in the veins of one of the best superheroes ever to hit the big screen. And let's face it, right now the world needs just such a character; someone who can right wrongs, stave off injustice, assuage fears and give people a sense of security in a world seemingly gone amuck at times, and thanks to the magic of the movies we have him now. His name is "Spider-Man." Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is a normal, if not typical teenager; mature beyond his years, he would rather attend a science fair than go to a rave, he lives with his aunt and uncle (Rosemary Harris, Cliff Robertson) and has been in love with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), the girl who lives next door, since about the first grade. "MJ," however, doesn't even know he exists; except for an occasional "hello," they barely know one another. But though Peter doesn't know it, all of that-- Peter's life-- is about to undergo a radical change. On a field trip to a science lab, Peter is bitten by a spider-- not just any spider, but one that's been genetically altered. And when he wakes up the next morning, he finds himself changed; it's not exactly Kafka's Metamorphosis, but he does have new life and new energy, and beginning with his vision (he suddenly can see clearly without his glasses), he gradually discovers that he has certain physical abilities that do not necessarily coincide with the kind of changes consistent with a young man of his age. Like being able to spin webs from his wrists and climb up the side of buildings. And now all he has to do is learn how to control and use his newly found prowess, and decide what to do with it all. Which he does very quickly, when circumstances provide him with a motive and a personal agenda that leads him to become, as Peter himself puts it, "Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." With this film, Raimi takes a page out of the Tim Burton Book and gives us a character that is convincing and real, because he shows us the man first, and then the superhero. Like Burton did in the original "Batman," in which Michael Keaton played to the man, rather than to the "bat," Raimi takes Maguire down the same path, having him play to Peter, rather than the "spider." And it makes all the difference in the world. Instead of merely thrusting a full-blown superhero onto the screen, Raimi first develops a plausible storyline (screenplay by David Koepp) complete with a central character to whom the audience can relate, and once that is established it enables the audience to suspend disbelief and go with the flow when Peter emerges as Spider-Man. The F/X are incredible, and Raimi uses the stunning visual aspect of the film to great effect, but it would all be for naught without the solid core of believable characters he puts into place and then uses as a foundation upon which to build the spectacular. It's reality based, but imaginatively presented-- Raimi definitely knows what works and how to entertain and involve his audience, which he certainly does here. And this is arguably Raimi's best work yet. When it was announced that Tobey Maguire had landed the role of Spider-Man, you could almost hear the collective audible gasp of fans everywhere. Tobey Maguire? Spider-Man? !!! But-- as it turns out-- it was inspired casting, as Maguire is perfect as everybody's favorite web-slinger. In fact, hopefully he's been signed to a multi-picture deal, because now it is impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. Without question, Maguire IS Spider-Man. His appearance, the way he carries himself-- his entire countenance-- combined with his attitude and the subtle way he expresses himself, are all part and parcel of what brings Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life. Maguire, as he has demonstrated previously in such films as "The Ice Storm" and "The Cider House Rules," has a naturally pleasing and accessible personality that serves him so well in the characters he creates, and none more so than with his portrayal of Peter. He has the talent and ability to aptly convey that "ordinary person under extraordinary circumstances" scenario and make it believable, which is exactly what was needed to make this film successful; and Maguire nails it with a performance that is introspective and affecting, and it makes the character-- as well as the film-- work. Willem Dafoe also contributes to the film's appeal with his portrayal of Norman Osborn, aka, the "Green Goblin." Not since the Joker sparred with Batman has the screen had such a memorable villain; and again, Dafoe first plays to the man-- to Osborn-- and then to the "Goblin," which puts a real face on Evil and gives the character the depth that makes him more than just superficially "bad." Defoe goes that extra mile to make a Osborn real, and deserves credit for giving him real substance, rather than being satisfied with a one dimensional character that has nothing going on beneath the surface. The Goblin is a complex character, and Dafoe plays him perfectly. Kirsten Dunst had something of a challenge with her role of Mary Jane, as the character is somewhat ambiguous; on one hand, she plays a pivotal role in motivating Spider-Man, while her own part in the grand scheme of things remains uncertain until the end. And only then are we given a glimpse of the direction in which MJ may go, and it will be interesting to see how the character develops in the next installment, now that the groundwork has been ably laid by Dunst. In the final analysis, "Spider-Man" is a winner that is going to attract a huge following; this is one film that definitely has legs.
Rating: 
Summary: You either love it or hate it!
Review: What I said above is true. I had better expectations for this. But all in all it was okay. It could have had more action, it could have been longer, it could have had less Tobey Maguire crying! But enough of the negative. "Spider-Man" is a movie that has good special effects, great acting, great supporting cast, great villain, but there's one problem, the 2 hours and 1 minute length, just wasn't good enough. I mean the Batman movies were almost 2 hours and 20 minutes, I'm sure there could have been more Spidey to be shown. I just recently finished reading the novelization of the movie, and I noticed tons of things that were taken out. Such as, Peter has a notebook that he writes things to his parents, in hopes that they can see what he's writing. In the beginning of the novel, a bunch of rebels speed through a cemetary in a Corvette (or similar car), in which Spidey scares them. Plus, in the book, the Green Goblin's mask talks, not Willem Dafoe, looking at himself in a mirror. Oh well. Here's a list of the positives: 1. Fantastic effects
2. Spectacular soundtrack featuring Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, and Sum 41
3. Good acting, Tobey played a good Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst was a good Mary Jane
4. Okay time length (Note to Sam Raimi: MAKE THE NEXT ONE 2 HOURS AND 10 MINUTES) This is a good movie. I enjoyed it. This is a movie that is for girls also. If you are a girl and you liked "X-Men", then check this movie out, you will like it. And don't watch it, just to check Tobey out, becuase that means that you HAVE NO LIFE! I will be owning this on DVD when it comes out. Hopefully those scenes that I listed will be put back in!
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING! A web well spun!
Review: Wow! I can't even describe it! This movie had you rolling in your chairs laughing and on the edge of your seat in suspense! Toby played an excellent Peter! Couldn't have asked for a better guy. Defoe was absolutely amazing! The Goblin freaked me out! What a stunning performance! The only drawback was the immobile mask on Goblin's costume. All in all, YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE!!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic movie.
Review: My family and I went to see the new Spiderman movie, and we all really enjoyed the movie. I am not really into comic book movies and the Superman movie series really did not impress me, but this movie got my attention and it held me during the whole movie. Sam Ramie really did justice to Peter Parker, and all the other characters. I will not tell you what the movie is about, you will just have to see the movie and enjoy it for it is. My family also enjoyed the movie so I know its a keeper. Found out that a sequel is in the works. I also enjoyed small appearences by Lucy Lawless, Ted Raimie, and Bruce Campbell all the stars of the Hercules and Xena series that were hits. See this movie, you will be glad that you did.
Rating:
Summary: SPIDER MAN GETS MOVIE GOER,S CAUGHT IN HIS WEB
Review: WELL LET ME TELL YOU,IF WANT TO SEE A COMIC BOOK COME TO LIFE,AND YOU WANT TO SEE IT DONE WRIGHT TRUE BELEIVERS,THEN THE WEBBED WONDER,SPIDER MAN IS FOR YOU,THIS MOVIE PACKS FANTASTIC ACTION,WITH A STORY OF A YOUNG MAN THAT LEARNS WITH HIS NEW FOUND SUPER POWERS COMES A GREAT RESPONSIBILTY,SPIDER MAN IS SUPRISINGLY A WARM TOUCHING STORY,ABOUT A YOUNG MAN COPING AND DEALING WITH LIFE LIKE THE REST OF US,TOBEY MAGUIRE AKA SPIDERMAN GIVES A WARM TOUCHING PERFORMANCE AS THE YOUNG HERO,AND KIRSTEN DUNST HAS A GREAT CHEMISTRY YOU CAN FEEL WITH MAGUIRE,ITS DEFINITLY A DONT MISS,IM GOING TO SEE IT AGAIN
Rating:
Summary: Maybe the most faithful "comic book" movie of all time
Review: For starters "Spider-Man" is probably the most faithful translation of a comic book superhero to the big screen. Throughout the movie I kept thinking, yes, this is in "Amazing Fantasy" #15, that is from the cover of "Spider-Man" #39, and that is what "really" happened to the Green Goblin. Go back and look at "Batman," "Superman" or any other comic book film and you will find that beyond the basic plot of their origin, you will not find anything reminding you of specific issues or great moments from the actual comic books. On this score I believe the credit goes to director Sam Raimi, but there is always the possibility David Koepp's screenplay might have had something to do with it (note: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko get credit for creating Spider-Man but John Romita, Sr. deserves some credit too given that much of his artwork is invoked by the film as well). Of course there are differences, because film is a different medium from comic books (feel free to quote me on that one). Some of the changes result from a desire to provide an appropriate rationale for Spidey's powers. This means we get a scientist providing expositionary details during the visit to the lab where the spider (now genetically enhanced rather than radioactive) puts the bite on Peter Parker. While this works for the ability to cling to walls and the good old spider-sense, I am less sure about the natural web spinning ability. I mean, on the one hand, the invention of his special web fluid was how we knew Peter was a brilliant young scientist, while on the other, how does the web go through the costume? No, this is not "No Prize" worthy, but it does bug me. My thoughts on other changes: Yes, it was good to forget about Gwen Stacy, go right to Mary Jane Watson and completely ignore Betty Bryant, given the history of Peter Parker's love life. However, having MJ have a crush on Spidey smacks too much of Superman and Lois Lane for my taste, although since she is a high school senior they were right to tone down her sexuality from the bombshell Peter finally encountered in the comic. The Spider-Man costume looks a lot better than I thought it would and I certainly understand why the Green Goblin goes heavy metal. However, the yellow eyes on/off was a bit bothersome, although, again, I understand why you do not want two characters with giant eye blanks trying to have a lengthy conversation. My biggest complaint with the film would be that the computer generated sequences of Spider-Man web-slinging through New York City just do not seem real. Granted, it is really hard to get a feel for watching somebody do that (compare it to Tarzan going through the trees in the old Johnny Weismueller films versus the Disney cartoon), but maybe they can do something in the future films. Similarly, some of the fight sequences when Spider-Man takes on a gang seem (ironically) rather cartoonish and, again, I wonder if it is because this is computer generated action. The casting is fine, although Rosemary Harris never looks as frail as we all remember Aunt May. Tobey Maguire tends to keep things a bit too sedate with MJ after his transformation, but there is undeniable chemistry between him and Kirsten Dunst at key moments in the film. Willem Dafoe does some of his best acting opposite himself (you will see), and James Franco does a nice job of reinventing Harry Osborn for the modern world. Special kudos to J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, who only has a limited number of scenes because he steals every single one of them. Look real quick to spot Stan Lee in this film. "Spider-Man" is one of those films you give 4.5 stars, because it manages to surpass expectations in some key regards while still needing to be improved in some other areas. However, the basics are all here for extending the franchise and I have to think that the second time around they will fix all of these "problems." Ultimately, the faults are not of the comic book story but of the filmmaking, and who would have ever thought that would be the case? The main thing is that even hardcore Spider-Man fans are not going to be bitterly disappointed by this film.
Rating:
Summary: Anyone please help me
Review: Does ANYONE know what Spiderman said to ms. Dunst when they were sitting in the hospital when she went to visit his aunt...it was really deep and very sweet....any help would be greatly appreciated....thanks
Rating:
Summary: Incredible . . . just, wow
Review: Wow. That sums it up. Just wow. I've been a Spider-Man fan for years and this movie just blew me out of the water. The special effects were amazing. The scenes where Spidey was swinging through the city were intense, exactly how it should be. The movie was casted perfectly . . . Tobey Maguire was the prefect Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst the perfect MJ, Willem Defoe the perfect Green Goblin. The movie captured the Spider-Man essense a lot better than I think anybody thought it would. Yes, some things were changed, for example it was a genetically altered spider instead of a radioactive spider that bites Peter Parker, but all the changes were made to keep up with the times. I saw the Spider-Man first day, having to scramble for late night tickets after all the earlier shows were sold out. The atmosphere was great, first day, everybody excited about the movie, and it lived up to the hype. The movie had something for everybody, since it wasn't an full-blown action movie, neither was it an all-out drama. Many of the scenes are hilarious because they're supposed to be funny and other scenes just got me laughing because I was giddy with excitement. Without giving away too much, I like how the movie focused a lot on Peter Parker's life and not just the Spider-Man side of the story. It tells the story of how an ordinary person, Peter Parker, nerd and school paper photographer, becomes thrusted into extraordinary circumstances. The story almost becomes believable and with the incredible special effects it makes the movie the best adventure escapist film ever. Walking out of the theater I felt how Peter Parker felt and I wanted to be Spider-Man. There was one thing that struck me as wrong, however. The Green Goblin's suit. I know I just finished saying how the story had been tweeked to correspond with modern day life, and I guess the Goblin's techno suit is one of those tweekings, but I didn't like it. I think they should've kept the original mask, costume and cape of the original Green Goblin. But never mind my haggling, just go see the movie, it's definitely worth your money. Add your eight bucks to the [money] it made first weekend (that's a record you know).
Just go see Spider-Man. Now.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Like a Good 2002 Superhero Movie
Review: This movie is sure to keep your blood pumping! The effecs they put into this movie are intense! The story plot is an enchanting love story. If anything, this probably this summer's box office hit! I would't recommend it for kids under 9 years of age. But that's just me. Hope you go and see it! It would be a CRIME if you didn't!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Spider-Man! Amazing Movie!
Review: What can I possibly say but WOW! This movie is truly a dream come true for a long time Spider-man fan like me. Not only was the movie made but the movie was made RIGHT! Many directors and artists in Hollywood claim to be fans of comic book heroes, but when it comes time for them to actually put it together they fail miserably. But not here. Sam Rami is a TRUE Spider-man fan-- and he did what a true fan would do. He stayed true to the source and to the material. He captured the essence of Spider-man and his history. He didn't decide to pretentiously add his own mark like Tim Burton did with the laughable Batman movie. Rami stayed true to the comic. This is the Spider-man I read about month for the last 13 years. I really did not think that anyone could top the X-Men, but Rami has and I don't just mean because of the special effets. I also mean in terms of the plot and character development. This is not a long drawn out movie filled with pointless violence. It is a well plotted story that moves effortlessly from point to point. Who would have thought that so much could be fit into two hours? And the end, I won't give it away , but who on earth would have thought that it would have ended that way. Instead of going for the same old boring cliche Hollywood ending--Rami tacks on an original one which hints towards the future. Tobey Maguire was not my first choice to play Peter Parker. But boy does he deliver! I understand that he worked hard to get this part and boy does it show! He plays Peter just the way he was portrayed in the book! Kristen Dunst also was excellent,I did not think that she could pull off the part of Mary Jane. She's a lovely girl but not the super-model that MJ is in the comic book. But I was pleasantly surprised with what was done with the character. After being disapointed with the unseeminly endless rubish that Hollywood has produced lately I am now, in the words of Mr. Stan Lee, a true believer. Thanks Sam Rami for not butchering a character I consider to be like a brother and restoring my faith that there are film makers out there who actually care about film making!
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