This site is designed using modern layout techniques which do not work in old browsers. It will look much better in a current browser that supports web standards, but for your convenience, remains accessible (although without any formatting whatsoever) to other browsers and Internet devices. Please consider upgrading soon!

...back to the Film Reviews page:

Spiderman - 88

MPAA rating: PG-13
Running Length: 121 minutes
Year of release: 2002
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco, J.K. Simmons
Director: Sam Raimi
Category: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Romance

Story: 23/25
Acting: 22/25
Cinematography: 14/15
Execution: 8/10
Music: 8/10
Spin: 13/15

Although I don't typically talk about plotlines because I hate reviews that give away plot points, given that the comic books have been around for over 30 years and we were all kids once, you likely know this much: Spiderman is the story of a teenage boy bitten by a genetically-engineered (so-called) "super-spider" in a lab while on a high school science class field trip. (In the comic books, it was a radioactive spider.) Gaining spider-like superpowers from the accident, he must learn to deal with his newfound abilities and protect citizens of the city from the arch-villain, the Green Goblin.

There's a certain cheese factor to be expected in the comic-book-style one-liners, so my misgivings about the occasionally could-be-better dialogue didn't weight too heavily on me, especially -- let's be honest here -- when Kirsten Dunst was busy looking so fine on screen. In fact, the "heavier" aspects of the story were rather well-balanced against the humorous moments (although I wish Aunt May's "You aren't superman, you know" line hadn't been given away in the trailer and TV advertisements. That could have been a geniunely original moment in the theater.)

If the academy even considered giving awards out to actors in films adapted from comic books, Tobey McGuire should get one for this. Not only is he an extremely talented actor, but the role was so superbly suited to him, it's mind-blowing. His visage always wore exactly the right balance of innocent hero and tortured soul, with enough humor in his eyes (at the right moments) to keep the whole film from collapsing under its own angst-y weight. (Unlike the original Batman at times.) Kirsten Dunst performed suitably as Mary Jane Watson, but I wish there'd been a bit more continuity leading up to her emotional epiphany at the end, as it seemed a trifle too sudden. (Although perhaps I forget what teenage girls are like.)

I had to knock a couple points off of the acting score due solely to Willem Dafoe. Maybe it's me, but no matter what roles he plays, he's always Willem Dafoe -- smug-looking evil megalomaniac guy, just because of his face. Which mostly works here, but I really couldn't forgive one laughable scene involving a mirror. You'll see what I mean.

I enjoyed the cinematography, which was obviously challenging, and the visual effects were great (although I do have to say that the CGI Spidey swinging through the city was a trifle too fluid, detracting from the very humanity McGuire lent to the role) and the casting was superb (props to the casting agent for Peter Parker, and Jonah J. Jameson's roles, especially.) And the story is as good as it's always been. Man vs. Science-run-amok, action vs. inaction, and the ol' good vs. evil all weave nicely together here. Plus, there's a Bruce Campbell cameo, which is always a bonus. To sum up, a great way to spend a couple hours and eight bucks. Definitely worth seeing. Maybe twice.