Rating: 
Summary: Spider-man gets the 'Hollywood treatment'
Review: An avid fan of Spider-man for the past two decades, I had considerable expectations going into this movie. The good news is that Spider-man is not that bad. In fact, after the first hour I was prepared to surrender the comic book movie crown previously held by Richard Donner's Superman over to the web head. But, like a John Carpenter movie, Spider-man begins well and runs out of steam at the end. Peter Parker, a gangly science nerd with brainpower to spare and meek social skills, gets bit by a genetically engineered spider with enhanced abilities built into its genome. As a result, Parker finds himself mutating into a spider-man with the proportional abilities of the spider that bit him. Now the hopeless geek that nobody respected suddenly finds incredible powers at his command. This part of the film is done particularly well. As the truism goes, power corrupts. Peter employs his abilities to clobber a boy that frequently bullied him, Flash. It only begins there. In order to impress his childhood sweatheart he decides he needs a car. The best way to obtain one? Beat up guys as a wrestler and collect the prize money! Inevitably personal tragedy teaches Parker that with great power comes great responsibility and he decides to use his powers to help the innocent people of New York City. Spider-man is born. This is kept perfectly in line with the comic and won't disappoint any true believers out there. The problems begin when the villainous Green Goblin confronts Spider-man. From this point on Spider-man eschews any type of innovation and resorts to the simple 'good vs. evil' plot. And that simple formula becomes ridiculus culminating when Goblin decides that Spider-man is the only other person on the planet that is his equal and tries to lure the web slinger over to the dark side. I kid you not, the dialogue and even the physicality are a direct lift from Empire Strikes Back. It's scenes such as these that truly interrupt the flow of the film and they only increase in number towards the end of the movie. This could have been forgiven had the battle segments been spectacular. Instead they are a mix of outrageously overblown CGI and sub-par stunt work that are both unispired and lifeless. Perhaps the reason they are so inert is equally inert Danny Elfman score(Batman)that fails to energize or even create a mood. But all is not lost for Spidey, Tobey Maguire and Willem Defoe (Parker and Goblin respectively) give showstopping performances that overcome the plot's shortcomings. Maguire is the perfect Parker conveying both emotional frailty and boyish charm. Defoe is his match as the schizophrenic Green Goblin, a man consumed with the need to remove all obstacles to his success. Supported by a fine cast of costars you can't help but enjoy Spider-man even if you do experience a constant feeling of deja vu. I can't wait for the sequel and I suggest everyone who appreciates a healthy dose of fantasy see the movie. Only don't expect any surprises along the way. Spidey might not have any new ideas to spin, but his web is in the right place.
Rating:
Summary: A Review of Spiderman the movie from a comic fan.
Review: I have just seen the movie Spider-man and came away impressed. First, there are many things to like about this movie. Tobey nailed Peter Parker and Spidey(would have liked to see a little more of his trademark sarcasm when in costume though). Dafoe was perfect for the Goblin and all of the cast nailed the dominant personality traits of their characters as they are portrayed in the comic. The scenes of web-slinging were the best. Childhood fantasy put on film. It was great to see all the little kids walk out of the theatre pretending to shoot webs.
The hardest part for them to do must have been the costume. They hit that one perfect also. The goblin costume was less than perfect, but I guess the alternative was a rubber mask(or a tranformation ala' Dr. Jeckyll?) They strayed from the comic on some issues, but going in you knew they would. The obvious one is the web shooter. Another is the contaminated spider itself. I understand the sacrifice of the web story for the sake of brevity and believability, but the irradiated spider story would still work.
Things I didn't like( also known as nit picking). Macy Gray? If it was on T.V at that point, I would has changed the channel. Kirsten Dunst. She could be a super criminal. Butterface. Also time to get somebody new to do the musical score. Elfman made the intro and music too similiar to Batman. Spiderman is young, hip and hopeful, not dark and brooding. He made himself sound like a one trick pony. Kudos to Sam Raimi!! I'm out.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfection?
Review: Forget about Superman. Forget about Batman. The Spider-Man comic to screen adaptation lays waste to all the others. Spider-Man was SWEET! I was raised in the Marvel Universe where Spider-Man was and is the number one hero. For all us web heads out there who have been waiting 30 years for this movie, our time come. This ride was better than reading the comic books. Your imagination is what makes reading so special. Sam Raimi has taken your imagination and dreams of the web-slinger right out of your head and put them on the big screen. This movie could not possibly have been done any better that it is. Go out and enjoy... and see it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Better than X-Men
Review: I had my doubts about this movie but I was surprised by how good it actually is. Tobey Maguire does a great job as Peter Parker. I like the way the movie takes it's time in letting the audience get to know Peter and how he's a nerd at school, his feelings for MJ, and how he gets and develops his powers. It's not like in "X-Men" where all the sudden you have 7 different characters on the screen and you have to learn all their names, powers and attitudes all at once. "Spider-man" has great character development in it. Great special effects too. It's a little cartoony but perfect for a comic book movie. The first time Peter crawls on a wall is REALLY cool! The only let down in this movie is the Green Goblin. He's a real drag. You just can't wait for them to cut away for more Spider-man scenes. The Goblin is boring. He looks stupid too. The Green Goblin does not look anything like that in the comics. He looks like a Power Ranger villain in this. He's just stupid. Magneto in "X-Men" was a FAR greater villain. But I LOVED this movie just for Spider-man alone.
Rating:
Summary: SPECTACULER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: this movie is the best. lots of action! recommend it for all.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Fun
Review: This movie is just that, pure fun. Now, as a once avid reader of the comic books, I knew the story already, but I won't spoil it for people who've never heard of Spider-Man before. Even though it was a moderately predictable movie for anyone who's read the story, it doesn't take away from the fun. What DID take away only minimally was the obvious product placement. I mean, Pete practices aiming his webs on a Dr. Pepper can, come on. And when the Green Goblin attacks the people at the festival, they always show wide shots of him going around all of the billboards for Cingular, Samsung, and so on. I mean, come ON guys. But, what are you gonna do, right? The acting and script are on par with the comic book, and that means that it's moderately lame. But, then again, you're not gonna see this movie for acting, you're gonna see it for ACTION, and this movie's got boatloads of it. Trust me when I say this, the Cinematography is EXCELLENT. Especially when Peter's chasing the robber. Absolutely brilliant. And I am very pleased that they didn't change Spidey's costume, but the Goblin's costume is...very blecch. People will not be disappointed with this movie, not even fans who've been reading Spider-Man for 30 years. Thus movie's pure fun and you'll want to see it over and over as much as you can, which is exactly what those people with the product placements want. But, again, what are ya gonna do?
Rating: 
Summary: Good and Bad
Review: The acting is great. The computer animation is awful. Every time Kristen Dunst comes on screen, the camera focuses on her chest...
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Adaption
Review: After seeing the Spiderman motion picture for the first time (certainly not the last) I must say that I am impressed. The casting of this film was perfect and offered a refreshing spin on the characters of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson especially. The movie truly shines in its adaption of the origin story, capturing aspects of the tale that I honestly thought had no hope of getting screen time. I was amazed at the way the origin story was pulled off and how it was added to. The character alteration of MJ was actually a mix of Peter Parker's girlfriends throughout the series. The resulting character is excellent and we end up caring for MJ and her conflicts. Thus it may be said that Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst were brilliant in this film. The one disappointing aspect of this film was the character of the Green Goblin. Dafoe is not to blame for this flaw though. As you may already have guessed, that rediculous looking costume and helmet did the character in. Throughout the Goblin scenes I could not help but laugh at soem of the things that should have been dramatic. If anything marred this film, it was the Goblin storyline and how poorly it was brought into the film. It had potential, but that terrible costume and a rushed feel made the plotline a low point in the film. But when the film is good, its great. Highlighted by a great romance plot (the real plot in my opinion), and a bevy of amazing webslinging scenes, the movie is highly entertaining. So in conclusion: THE DOWNSIDE:
1.) the Green Goblin scenes 2.)A few tacky scenes that are meant to be dramatic, but end up looking rather ridiculous. 3.) Scenes with Uncle Ben kind of cause the mystery behind his character to dissolve...but it would not have worked without him (a little gray area, here) 4.) The ending seems rushed and is only slightly disappointing THE UPSIDE:
1.) Tobey Maguire in the best portrayal of Spiderman and especially Peter Parker I have seen. 2.) Kirsten Dunst as a very likeable MJ 3.) A very well adapted Origin story 4.) great action scenes 5.) J. Jonah Jameson is hilarious. 6.) When the comedy is good, it is charming and entertaining. 7.) The final scene, although slightly rushed, leaves you anticipating the next film in the series. All in all, this was a great movie and one that will draw a returned audience. I know I'm planning to see it again tomorrow. It may now be said that Spiderman is the film series to watch for. As much as I love Batman, that particular series is awful. Now Spidy should prepare to take his throne as king of superheroes.
Rating:
Summary: SPIDERMAN Sticks It To 'Em!!!
Review: I just got back from seeing the movie and it got standing ovations from evrybody at the end credits. (Including me!) I'm not a heavy Spiderman fan, or of comic books in general. (Heck, I've never really even touched a comic book before.) But I watched all the 90's Spiderman cartoon's and played the PC games and that's enough to know how the comic books go and judge the movie...and it was right on! The story was well written, the acting was top-notch, and the web-slinging effects and fighting scenes were the best I've ever seen in a movie. People who are hardcore Spidey fans should like it too, since the movie goes by the book...the comic book that is! (Except for how Peter develops his web-slinging abilities. Instead of web-shooters, the ability comes along with all the rest of his powers from the spider bite.) That's the one and only thing I wish they would have kept the same from the comic books. Anyway, you can't please everybody, which will probably come out in reviews. But let me tell you, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!! It is definately worth the money and you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: True to the comic, but not as entertaining
Review: If you're a Spider-Man fan, you know the story. If you're not a fan, wait until this movie comes out on video, otherwise you may be disappointed. With just a little creative license this movie follows the comic book to a "T" as far as how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, and what happens to his Uncle Ben. The action in the movie is there, and like the comic there's a lot of "slow" drama between the action. Out of a 2-hour movie (including the credits), there is about 20-30 minutes of action. The rest is characters taking to each other, and making pleasantries. One of the other reviews I read here is about the Green Goblin. It states that Mr. Defoe is hidden behind a mask that doesn't move when he talks, etc. While this is true, if you pay attention you can see his mouth behind the mask, so it does not detract from his acting abilites or your enjoyment of the film. The reason I gave it only 3 stars is because the preview trailers contain almost all of the action seqences in the movie (which lets you know it is more drama than action).
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