Rating: Summary: Spidey Rules!!! Review: I know very little about Spider-Man but I have always enjoyed the cartoon and the few comics I have picked up. Sitting down expecting great special effects, I was surprised by the plot, acting and special effects in the movie. I liked how the Rami put in the wrestling, just like Peter Parker in the comics. Toby was an excellent Spider-Man, very convincing as a person who is shy and sticks to himself. His infatuation with MJ was discreet but, still visible to all around. (kind of like Superman and Lana) The special effects with Spider-Man and the Green Goblin were incredible. Although they were not necessarily realistic looking they were pleasing to the eye and kept you at the edge of the seat. Great movie. Definetly a buy when it comes out on VHS/DVD.
Rating: Summary: Greatest Moviie of the Year Review: I was absolutely shocked at Ebert's review of this movie. His views boiled down to one thing . . . It wasn't realistic enough. How in the WORLD do you expect a movie about a teen with the abilities of a human spider to be "realistic?!"I have been a Spider-Man fan since the third grade and I absolutely LOVED this movie. I'm sure that people may think that I am biased. I disagree. A person who knows the ins and outs of the comics and who is a huge fan would be the BEST critic. If they messed anything up, we'd be all over it with various gripes. But this movie was spectacular. Tobey Maguire was the best choice imaginable for the hero. Willem Defoe was a spellbinding Norman Osborn/Green Goblin! And, though I thought the choice poor at first, Kirsten Dunst was a stellar Mary Jane. The only gripe that I have is the fact that his webs are organic, but the absolute awesomeness (is that a real word?) of this movie makes that one thing trivial. WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! I have . . . THREE TIMES!!!
Rating: Summary: Everything I expected Review: I'm not the world's biggest comic book fan but I don't exactly avoid them on purpose either. But I really looked forward to seeing Spider-Man on the big screen in a serious modern-era movie. And as far as super hero comic book characters turned into full length movies, this one didn't let us down. Fans of the old show will miss the opening song, but Danny Elfman more than makes up for the missing piece of nostalgia with his continuing creativity in the scoring of movies. Comic book perfectionists will complain about the slight changes that they made to the origins of Spider-man but to the average fan the changes are hardly noticeable. These few shortfalls aren't nearly enough to knock this movie down even a single notch. The casting was one of the best jobs that I've seen. Tobey Maguire took some time off from his more serious roles (The Cider House Rules) and could become THE nations next big super hero. Kirsten Dunst has really come into her own over the last couple years and has the potential to become a very serious leading lady. And the casting of William Dafoe as the "Green Goblin" was really the only way to go. Aside from Christopher Walken, nobody can look that evil just by changing his facial expressions. And even the small supporting roles added to the movie. Macho Man Randy Savage's appearance as wrestler "Bone Saw" made me and my friends laugh for quite a while. And the newspaper editor, while somewhat overacting, had the entire theatre laughing at once. The story itself doesn't really need a lot of explaining. It's a well constructed story of how a simple kid grows to become the city's newest superhero. A bite from a genetically altered spider causes changes in young Peter Parker's life. His vision difficulties fade and he discovers strange new powers, such as the ability to climb walls and spin his own webs. Peter Parker aside, William Dafoe's character and his transformation into the new super-villain The Green Goblin is a main focal point. Dafoe's collapse from the top of the corporate world was explained very well and acted beautifully. The story that evolves is a tangled web (ha-ha) of both actor's everyday characters and there respective alter-egos and the way all four personalties interact with each other. All in all, the movie is a well paced action flick with a little bit of love story thrown in. There are a few warnings that go with this movie. First, if you suffer from really bad motion sickness, I highly recommend motion sickness pills as a must have before watching this movie. The other warning that I give is for people who don't like computer generated effects. There are several shots in this movie that were obviously computer generated and although they looked good at times, some really looked fake. I understand that they were necessary elements but I heard a few people complaining about it as we left the theatre. And don't worry to much about it. None of the shots were as bad as the airplane crash in "Air Force One". Just a slight warning. Now on to the comparisons. As far as the other superhero turned movie star, nothing can come close to Tim Burton's "Batman" and the entire "Superman" series is phenomenal for the time period that they were made in. Compared to "X-Men" of a couple years ago, "Spider-man" was a much better movie. I can only hope that "The Incredible Hulk" lives up to it's predecessors. And compared to the other big Blockbusters already this year, this was way better than "The Scorpion King." And although I haven't seen "Star Wars Episode 2" yet, my friends weren't to thrilled with that either. So if you don't mind sitting in crowded theatre's "Spider-man" should be your choice for this summers earliest must see movie. The Breakdown: 1. Plot-9 (well constructed story, well in tune with the comic) 2. Characters-9 (took a lot of time to develop almost every character) 3. Flow-9 (just a few lulls for a 2 hr. movie isn't that bad) 4. Atmosphere-10 (well constructed scenes as well as Danny Elfman's music is a big plus) 5. Cinematography-9 (excellent all around effects with a few minor glitches) 6. Entertainment Value-10 (2 hrs. just flew by) 7. Replay Value-9 (well worth seeing twice) 8. Casting/Character Depth-9 (doesn't get much better) 9. Relevance to genre-9 (great comic book turned movie, not quite as good as Batman) 10. X-factors-9 (they actually left Spider-man's costume alone instead of a stupid looking latex muscle suit- bravo) 92/100
Rating: Summary: Was it as maddeningly irksome as Episode II? Review: *Warning: Spoilers Abound* After sitting through this movie, mixed feelings kept flooding in me. Needless to say, at 12:20 a.m. I decided to call it a night and crash out. I drove home, crawled into my bed (not in a Spider-Man fashion, mind you), and I wondered, I pondered, and I wondered some more. Was I fully content with the movie? Was it as maddeningly irksome as Episode II? But ultimately, what did the comic-to-film adaptation of Spider-Man warrant score-wise? Unquestionably, it left an impact on me, confirming me to get off my kister, get all fired up, and subsequently ripen a review. The initial rating would have maybe landed on a 2 or 3-Star rating at best, but as slumber began taking its toll on my eyes, I heard the exceptional musical score reemerge into my eardrums, I remembered those number of ridiculously amusing scenes instigating an outburst of guffaws throughout the audience, and when I began to visualize the incredibly nimble Spider-Man slinging throughout the golden Manhattan, my first impulse dramatically altered. Despite its enjoyable instances, the flaws began to supplant the finest moments. The Green Goblin's costume comes across an unworldly and outlandishly getup that'll probably never see a light in the distant future. I'm not a big fan of Spider-Man comics, but for the sake of comic book quibbles I have to admit that Gwen Stacy should have been implemented in the film, because after all she was Parker's first love. Was she not? Moreover, Kristen Dunst just doesn't cut it, she doesn't portray the highly sophisticated Mary Jane Watson. Although the scene where Parker is figuring out how to work his web-shooting was hilarious, why did Stan Lee and his gang give a thumbs up to revise the original method of Spider-Man using web cartridges? I'm not too big of a fan of comics but when stories begin to get modified for the "rules of Hollywood," I get infuriated. However, in spite of the cases that I categorize as flaws, they are all MINOR. Most importantly, Spider-Man retains the tone of the pages where he originated. The movie is not supposed to be dark and isn't. It takes itself seriously when the situation calls for it, thus it closely correlates with the comics. The day after Peter Parker was bitten by the genetically enhanced spider (by the way, it actually doesn't skitter away in the Spidey pages, it fell lifelessly to the ground after it sunk its incisors on Parker), was a excellent scene as Parker invests time to master his powers and simultaneously worsens his relationship with his Uncle Ben. The wrestling match was just as brilliant, as Macho Man was ill-equipped for the totality of Spider-Man's fleetness and his chain of gut-wrenching kicks. Full of sarcastic humor, "your friendly neighborhood Spider-man," digs up all the glory for accomplishing an extraordinary adaptation on the big screen. The movie stirred up excitement, engrossment, and overall kept me satisfied for spending serious dough on costly tickets. Even though I thought a 3-Star rating would do the justice, my comic book fancy and sensibilities were bursting in elation, and I was finally decisive to give the wall-crawler the whole package. That's right. Forget that 4-Star rating at the top, this movie merits all of them! It's not easy to pull of such a feat in which Spider-Man has pulled off, Marvel rips up the competition and I'm roaring in delight! I was repulsed by the corny X-Men, I loathed all the Batman movies when Keaton retired as the Dark Knight, and lastly I absolutely detested the Superman Saga, but for the first time, I have fallen for a comic-book-flick that nearly meets all my expectations. As for the sequel, I pray that it won't revolve around the Legacy of the Green Goblin, but of Spider-Man's more sinister villains such as Venom, but for that to happen is next to impossible because of all the background story and not to mention a trip to the cosmos. Maybe the return of the Goblin won't be so bad after all, but as history repeat itself, sequels frequently drop below the achievement repute of its predecessor, yet only time and the fortitude of those behind the future design of Spider-Man 2 will tell. Let's all hope it reaches Terminator 2 status, and not moldy Episode II baloney.
Rating: Summary: best of 2002 so far Review: this movie was AMAZING. i loved the day i saw it. the plot was amazing and so was the directing. some of the speical effects was pretty cheesy but most of it was amazing. the acting and cast was very well done. it will difently give episode 2 a run for its money in the oscar race. i recomend to buy this movie the day it comes out.
Rating: Summary: Entertaining adaptation of a classic hero! Review: As a boyhood collector of the Spider-Man comics, I was going to judge this one with a critical eye. But as the movie began, I didn't bother with nit-picking and searching for continuity flaws (there are a few, but they make little difference to the casual viewer). Seeing Spidey swing through the concrete jungle of New York City was exactly how I'd imagined it seeing those drawings on the comic pages. What's more, Tobey Maguire's Spiderman shows a little of the classic Peter Parker witty banter. I look forward to a lot more wisecracks in the sequel. In the comics, Peter's crush Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst, who's great in the role) grows up to be an actress/model so its great that the film sows those seeds for future Spider-man movies. Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn/Green Goblin was played with equal parts menace and insanity. I never though such a character could be so imposing on the big screen. In the comics, the guy wore green tights and a carried a handbag! The story line is more or a less faithful adaptation of the classic Spidey fable, right down to the famous Spider-man maxim "With great power, comes great responsibility". The film-makers have taken a few liberties with the origins of Spider-Man but overall the movie was nicely presented into the 120 minutes. This is a fun movie you can take your kids, or grandparents to see.
Rating: Summary: thank you for not ruining spider-dude Review: excellent film...as i have now just seen it for the third time i can truly say this is an excellent film..tobey macquire was a sound choice and fits the role perfectly. i believe CLAIR FORLANI would have been much better suited for the mary jane role, but kirsten dunst is adequate.Throughout the entire movie the writers/director manage to keep you well interested (albiet three times) while keeping a brisk pace,and yet doing a fine job of following the origins of spider-man (for the die-hards) needless to say this has already made my list for dvd's.and i can't wait for sequels.
Rating: Summary: Spider Man Kicks ... Review: I really didn't know what to expect from this movie being that I havn't been too impressed with any action/fantasy movies released in the past few years. I took my son to this movie and was very impressed with it. The acting is good and there actually is a story to follow. Not to mention incredible special effects. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD!!
Rating: Summary: stupid! Review: The whole dang thin was so fake! I can't believe other people like it! Go see STAR WARS instead!
Rating: Summary: Entertaining and true to its source. Review: I highly recommend Spiderman. Hollywood did something right for once and Sam Raimi was the director to do it. Tobey Macguire is perfect as Peter Parker. A bright but somewhat shy and insecure orphaned teenager being raised by his aunt and uncle. In fact it's doubtful anyone could have played the role better than he. The action scenes are well done but the movie is at it's best while it shows Parker coming to grips with his powers while at the same time coming to grips with being a teen. Raimi stays true to the original Marvel storyline with great effect. William Defoe is very good as the Green Goblin. Some have claimed his role is less than stellar but I disagree. In typical Marvel fashion even the bad guys has some humanity as in the last scene featuring the Green Goblin (I won't give it away). The absolute best supporting role is that of the newspaper editor played by J.K. Simmons. If Macguire's own role wasn't so well done he might have stole the show. Cliff Robertson does a fine job as Parker's uncle and Kirsten Dunst is the love interest MJ. All in all this is a surprisingly entertaining flick. Highly recommended.
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