Spider-Man (film)
From AwardAnnals
 | |
| Director(s) | Sam Raimi |
|---|---|
| Series | film series |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Home E |
| Honors | |
| Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man centers on student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who, after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, gains superhuman strength and the spider-like ability to cling to any surface. He vows to use his abilities to fight crime, coming to understand the words of his beloved Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.” | |
Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man centers on student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who, after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, gains superhuman strength and the spider-like ability to cling to any surface. He vows to use his abilities to fight crime, coming to understand the words of his beloved Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Reviews
Amazon.com
For devoted fans and nonfans alike, Spider-Man offers nothing less—and nothing more—than what you’d expect from a superhero blockbuster. Having proven his comic-book savvy with the original Darkman, director Sam Raimi brings ample energy and enthusiasm to Spidey’s origin story, nicely establishing high-school nebbish Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) as a brainy outcast who reacts with appropriate euphoria—and well-tempered maturity—when a “super-spider” bite transforms him into the amazingly agile, web-shooting Spider-Man. That’s all well and good, and so is Kirsten Dunst as Parker’s girl-next-door sweetheart. Where Spider-Man falls short is in its hyperactive CGI action sequences, which play like a video game instead of the gravity-defying exploits of a flesh-and-blood superhero. Willem Dafoe is perfectly cast as Spidey’s schizoid nemesis, the Green Goblin, and the movie’s a lot of fun overall. It’s no match for Superman and Batman in bringing a beloved character to the screen, but it places a respectable third. —Jeff Shannon
Barnes and Noble
Certainly the most popular comic-book superhero created during the baby-boom years, the amazing Spider-Man makes an impressive live-action debut in director Sam Raimi’s colorful and dynamic adventure film. Best of all, this extravagantly produced tribute to the character created in 1962 by Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee and Steve Ditko is refreshingly free of the condescension and campiness that mars so many movies adapted from comics. Tobey Maguire, whose screen persona is that of a mild-mannered, perceptive young man, is perfectly cast as Peter Parker, the socially maladroit high school student who develops strange powers after being bitten by a genetically altered super-spider. Winsome Kirsten Dunst plays Mary Jane, the popular girl whom he secretly loves, even though she’s dating his best friend, Harry (James Franco). Willem Dafoe all but steals the show with his bombastic portrayal of Spider-Man’s archenemy, the grotesquely costumed Green Goblin—the genetically altered alter ego of Harry’s troubled father. While taking minor liberties with the character’s origin, Spider-Man remains remarkably faithful to both the spirit and the letter of Marvel’s four-color favorite. Flamboyant stunt work and computer-generated special effects lend credibility to the film’s elaborate fight scenes, but Raimi never loses sight of the human element, the fact that his young protagonist feels burdened by the awesome powers bestowed upon him. Maguire’s likability makes his Peter Parker a figure with whom audiences can empathize, no matter how outlandish his feats while garbed as the web-crawling superhero. A perfect popcorn movie, Spider-Man will delight adventure-loving viewers of all ages. The two-disc DVD Special Edition features a cornucopia of supplemental features, including: commentaries by Raimi, Dunst, and other members of the production team; an HBO “making-of” special; the E! Entertainment documentary “Spider-Mania”; screen tests; outtakes; DVD-ROM content; and much more. Ed Hulse
