Rating: 
Summary: on a scale of 1-5? 10!!!!
Review: This was nothing short of incredible! I am a person who is quick to note anything on the level of cheesiness, and be turned off immediately! This movie has one of the best mixtures of comic book cheese and reality based acting i have ever seen! It was completely fun, as it should be, because this is what we go to the movies for - - but i found it extremely enjoyable even with the added "comic bookiness". I went in not really knowing what to expect, but i know i left COMPLETELY satisfied. I cannot wait for DVD! Sam Raimi is THE man!
Rating:
Summary: more than expected
Review: This movie lived up to all my expectations and more. It stayed with it's comic book roots, and combined it with realism of the world in which we live. The casting was immaculate. Willam defoe was perfect as the green Goblin. If the next 2-infinity of Spider-man movies are done in the same way, then the sky is the limit. Everyone should see this movie. I waited to see it since I saw the made for TV version in 1975. I saw that when I was 5 and 20 years later, justice has been done to one of the greatest super heroes to grace comics.
Rating: 
Summary: Spider-Man visually Amazing,but not quite Spectacular enough
Review: "Spider-Man" is the imaginary friend of generations of kids and adults, who grew up reading the various comic books bearing his name, watching the numerous television cartoon permutations, and wondering when the friendly neighboorhood webslinger would get his shot on the big screen.Well, thanks to Sam Raimi and Columbia Pictures, Spidey finally gets his chance. A large budget served the production well. Every aspect of Spider-Man's familiar legacy along with the quirks and costumes of his friends and enemies are on-screen in A-quality detail. This is a welcome change for those of us who had to suffer through the no-frills "Spider-Man" TV movies of the late '70's. The production value is enhanced by a spot-on cast of Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst as the love interest Mary Jane Watson, J.K. Simmons doing a perfect J. Jonah Jamison, and the marvelous Willem Dafoe as Norman Osbourne (aka the Green Goblin). Utilizing both cast and production to optimal effect is Sam Raimi, a confessed comic-book fanboy and accomplished director noted for his visual flair. All these elements are blended successfully on the screen. Where "Spider-Man" fails, ultimately, is in the story. The appeal of Peter Parker is that, unlike Superman born into his power or Bruce Wayne traumatized into his calling, Peter is the true everyman who finds himself in a position to help people. That part is executed well-enough, as Peter learns the lessons of life from his Uncle Ben ("With great power comes great responsibility"), but does not realize it until he learns the hard way - just like the rest of us. However, after his initial shock into action, Peter spends the rest of the film doing everything right and escaping the consequences of hard choices that define those who possess power and those we call "heroes". In a number of specific instances, including one scene on a bridge taken from one of the most memorable sequences in comic book history, the movie cops out on the hard lessons of heroism that defined and endeared Spider-Man as a cultural icon for these generations past. The tone of the movie, that of a determined yet remorseful Spider-Man, clashes with that of the story itself - where Spider-Man wins out with nary a consequence to be suffered. Because the imagery and story does not match the attempted tones and themes, the end of the film rings false. While a well-done film, "Spider-Man" does not equal the efforts of the two previous major superhero films "Superman" or "Batman". "Spider-Man" is a good film, but in invoking its comic book roots and not staying true to them, that which made the character special was lost and ultimately the film is only a shadow of what it might have been.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Comic Book Adventure Movie!
Review: . Review: One of the best comic book hero movies to come out, melding comic book-fantasy into drama through script writing and impressive special effects. Peter Parker, AKA Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) make a good romantic team while Green Goblin (Defoe) delivers a solid bad guy character (ok, the costume was a bit weak). Story: Peter Parker gains super human (spider-like) strength and vision after being bitten by a genetically enhanced super spider. This enables Peter to easily climb buildings (or, anything), lift heavy objects, and sense impending danger, etc. Spiderman's story portrays his struggle with his own youth, and his life's challenges of betrayal and murder with hie new found gifts. Audience: Great movie for comic hero buffs, adventure movie watchers, and not-so-young kids. The story balances drama and humor delivering an emotional roller coaster. Scare Factor: While it is a comic book story representation, the story and depictions isn't necessarily for the youngest children.
Rating:
Summary: Too much hype!
Review: Peter Parker was such a nice boy with a very nice Aunt and Uncle. It was a storybook family picture, which was refreshing. The part of the movie that turned me off, was the disrespect that Peter showed his Uncle in one scene. The love and support Peter got from his Aunt and Uncle was not worthy of the comment Peter made to his Uncle about don't try to be my father. The writers could have thought of a much more noble reason for "OUR HERO",Spider-man, to seek revenge. Disrespecting people in authority is rampant in this country amongst our youth, and portraying Peter Parker as having this same disrespectful attitude was unnecessary. Aside from that issue, the storyline as a whole was lame. It was lacking in creativity and villians. Since the end of the movie was inviting to a sequel, my suggestion is to start the team of writers brainstorming now, so that Spidey II doesn't come across as being written in a day.
Rating:
Summary: The Golden Age of Comic Book Movies is Here
Review: "Good things come to all that wait" works like a charm here. One has to applaud the folks from Marvel for waiting until the right time to make this movie. In their cash-strapped years, it had to be a huge temptation to accept any kind of money for the rights to their characters. Had they went with a movie before the technology was ready, any effort would have been a big disappointment. Had they not held out for a reasonable degree of integrity when it comes to the comic book origins it would have been a disaster. But for once everybody did just about everything right, and the results are smashingly good. Most important, the plot sticks faithfully (and lovingly) to the now forty-year-old storyline. We get the teen-aged orphan, raised by an aunt and uncle, getting bit by a special spider that transfers it's powers to the boy. The boy at first uses his new-found powers frivolously, but is quickly sobered up big-time to the responsibilities he has somewhat inherited. With few exceptions, the movie goes to great lengths to keep millions of fans happy. There were only a few big breaks from the storyline, and I have no problem with them. The books had him bitten by a radioactive spider, the movie has a genetically altered spider. Big deal. A bigger, more important difference is the fact that the movie Spiderman's body produces it's own webbing, while the book has him shooting web cartridges that he invented himself. I like the new way much better, as it stretches credibility to think that the teenager could all of a sudden invent this miracle product, AND need to store hundreds of cartridges around the city as replacements. Casting is as perfect as can be. I had thought a younger Tom Cruise would be a great Peter Parker, but Toby Maguire now owns the role, showing the shyness and vulnerability of the character perfectly. I had thought Kirsten Dunst not voluptuous enough to be Mary Jane, but just getting her wet removed all doubts. The portrayals of J. Jonah Jameson, Uncle Ben, Aunt May, and Harry Osborne are also done well. Special effects are the only place I have problems. The biggest is this stupid plastic mask worn by villian Green Goblin. It just looks dumb, and they should have somehow animated it. Also, some of the action sequences go too fast to drink in. But when you can see the magic, yes, it does look like he can crawl up walls and swing between buildings. When he fights a group of criminals, the body language of his Spider-moves takes the care to show something beyond just human gymnastics. The movie does have something for everyone, and I hope everyone sees it to insure a string of Spiderman movies. Very young children will like when the costumed folk are on screen, but get a little restless during adult dialog. However, those generally not into comic books much (i.e., females), can follow the romantic line between Peter and Mary Jane, and for that matter, Spiderman and Mary Jane. Tobey Maguire, just like Peter Parker, has lucked out big time with some pretty hot screen kisses. Of course, there are also those millions of fans, some that have waited almost forty years for this to happen, to finally get their due. To these, of which I'm included, this movie's for you.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome for all ages...
Review: This movie was simply perfect from start to finish. I seems like you're only in the theatre for half an hour because it is so entertaining that time flies by so fast! People were so pleased with the movie that they actually applauded at the end. I can't remember the last time a movie that was hyped this much actually surpassed the hype, but Spiderman certainly does just that.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie :4 1/2 stars!
Review: Ok, virtually everyone on the planet couldn't wait to see Spiderman (the sales from the weekend shows:$114million!!). The graphics were tight, the Green Goblin was just like he was in the cartoons (outside of the lifeless Goblin mask he wore in the movie), but otherwise, excellent fight scenes and special effects. there were only 2 complaints i had with this movie: 1-Why didn't the classic Spiderman song play at all in the movie???:-( and 2. some of the storytelling pauses in between the fight scenes were a little too long (my son started shifting around in his chair and so did other kids) but otherwise, it was a great movie and a recommended must-see!!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I've been a fan of the Spider-Man comics since I was 3 years old, so I had great expectations for Sam Raimi's film adaptation. I'm happy to say that I wasn't let down.... Tobey maguire stars as high-school science nerd Peter Parker, who is bitten by a genetically altered spider and finds himself with the ability to cling to walls, make tremendous leaps, sense danger, shoot webs, etc. He decides to cash in on his powers by becoming a pro wrestler, but fate has other things in store for our young hero. A personal tragedy teaches him that "With great power, comes great responsibility". Enter billionaire industrialist Norman Osborne: desperate to make the breakthrough that will enable his company to keep a lucrative government contract, he makes himself the test subject of his own strength-enhancement formula. The strength aspect works, but the added bonus is the addition of another personality: The murderous Green Goblin, who takes it upon himself to dispose of Norman's enemies. The Goblin is on a rampage through Manhattan when he runs up against Spidey for the first time. He senses a kindred spirit in Spidey, and attempts to enlist him as a partner. Barring that, he'll just kill him.....LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I sat through Spider-Man with a HUGE grin on my face; It's JUST like the comic-Book. Fans will be thrilled by the obvious love Director Raimi has for the source material, and non-fans will appreciate the fact that Raimi delivers a rock-solid action movie without resorting to the usual comic-book movie campiness.
Comic fans will also revel in the many appearances of classic Spidey characters such as Mendel Stromm, J. Jonah Jameson (A superb J.K. Simmons), Betty Brant, Flash Thompson, etc., as well as mentions of Dr. Conners and Daily Bugle photographer, who in the books become villains The Lizard and Venom, respectively. Raimi regular Bruce Campbell is hilarious as the Ring Announcer in the wrestling sequence, and Kirsten Dunst shines as love interest Mary Jane Watson; It's easy to see how Peter is smitten with her. Willem Dafoe walks a thin line as the homicidal Goblin, and he nevr crosses the line between insanity and hamminess. Maguire delivers a star-making performance as the hapless teen who rises to the occasion by becoming the hero the city so desperately needs. Kudos to Raimi for using real N.Y.C locations; The city has never looked better! My only beef with the film is the Goblin's mask: It's immobility is kind of jarring when Dafoe is talking..... All in all, Spider-Man is, in my opinion, the best Comic Book movie EVER, bar none! (Be on the lookout for cameos by Lucy Lawless and Stan Lee, Spidey's co-creator. And stick around through the credits to hear the catchy theme song from the 60's catroon!)
Rating:
Summary: The Life and Times of Kid Arachnid, Raimi style
Review: "This is a story about a girl," says Peter Parker, in the voice-over narration that opens the film. He's almost right. It *is* about a girl, but it's also about something more: comic books. An unabashed, from your head down to your toes, childlike love of comic books. It seeps into every frame of "Spider-Man", into the script, and into the actor's performances. Now, not being a comic fanatic myself, movies that take this track usually don't grab me ("X-Men" and "Unbreakable" being two prime examples; both were terrible disappointments). But "Spider-Man", which lurches along the precipice of clumsiness at times, did its best not to disappoint me. And for the most part, it succeeds. To begin with, choosing Sam Raimi to helm this production is a plus (ahem, it's *always* a plus). The pure visual inventiveness he brought to the "Evil Dead" movies and "The Quick and the Dead" (my favourite), combined with the latter movie's moral ambiguity and propulsive plot, would be a perfect fit for this film. And it was. Raimi, an unabashed Spidey fan from way back, injects the film with a sense of visual fun, uniqueness, and intelligence. He really shines during the film's first third, when Peter gets bitten and then discovers his powers, all the while trying to stay out of the way of the school bullies. These scenes have a grand sense of marvel (pun intended) to them, while keeping things very intimate. Watch how slyly information is presented in the background -- through Peter, a tour guide, and abundant video monitors -- while the class is on their field trip. No sooner is Peter's fate foreshadowed than the 'super-spider' bites him. The swinging through the streets scenes, which were always static and bland in the Spider-man cartoon series, rollercoast with energy and verve. A moment in the school hallway, where Peter Parker first notices his knack for precognition, slows time to a stand still, whips around a spit ball, and then speeds up just in time to watch a fist power its way through a locker. These are stunning visual and visceral moments. The action sequences are epic and inventive, especially when the Goblin and Spidey duel above Times Square. And when it's just Spidey vs. street thugs, things have a definite (and addictive) Jackie Chan/"Crouching Tiger" feel about them. But my favourite moment, the one that best summarizes Raimi's influence over the film, is when Spidey has to make a "Sophie's Choice"-like decision, the intensity of which levels the audience with drama not seen in your standard summer popcorn fare. The cast, although saddled with a sometimes vigorous but often clunky dialogue, is uniformly good. Tobey Maguire does fine showing Peter Parker's geeky side, his torment, and his lust. And when he becomes Spider-Man, he shows true awe and wonder at what he can do. And then true pain when he realizes that his gift is also his curse. Maguire, who has shown that he is more than adept at portraying teen angst with a beatific look on his face, does a lot of that here. And it works. Physically, he also works. Spider-Man is not supposed to be muscle-bound; he is lithe and athletic, like a gymnast. Maguire looks and acts the part perfectly. Willem Dafoe, who plays the Norman Osborn, chews scenery well enough, but his character's motivations were clumsily handled. Having mirrors depict a split personality, while appropriate, is a bit cliche and ham-handed. I admire the filmmakers for at least trying to introduce some complex psychology into an action shoot-'em-up. But they didn't commit enough to it to make it effective. However, Dafoe's Green Goblin get-up, complete with armored mask and a deadly floating surfboard contraption, was terrifying. Kirsten Dunst is desirable enough as Mary-Jane "M.J." Watson. But here too the character's psychology is underdone. Just because she has a messed-up homelife, is this intelligent and energetic girl really going to fall far one bullying pretty-boy after another? I suspect that this part of her character truly displays the fact that these are real teenagers here, making real, irrational teenager decisions. But why couldn't they make the girl more perfect (like any good comic book girlfriend would be)? She's plenty pretty, but terribly shallow. Dunst does well enough looking wistfully at the sky when Spidey takes off, but she's capable of handling a lot more than the filmmaker's gave her while he was on the ground with her. In the film's best, non-star, part, J.K. Simmons, as J. Jonah Jamison, best exemplifies the comic book feel that this movie embraces. He spits out his lines like they were watermelon seeds, landing bon mot after bon mot with deadly accuracy, and generally taking over the movie with the enormity of his personality every time he's on-screen. It's a big and healthy role, and Simmons, with too little screen time, makes it come alive. Here's to more of J.J.J. when it's time for the sequel. "Spider-Man", compared to other summer blockbusters, is an ambitious and distinctive film. It often aims high, and sometimes even manages to hit its target. Which is enough for me, at this time of the year. I'll call it a fine thrilling ride, not expect anything more than that, and we'll all leave the theatre satisfied.
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