Spider-Man
Director: Sam Raimi
IMDB link

In the first big summer movie for 2002, director Sam Raimi has yet again brutally reminded us that he is a director god. Spider-Man is an amazing hit – the best superhero movie since the first Batman (movies like X-Men are superteam movies, a different category). It does not hurt at all that Stan Lee was involved with the movie. With that, great acting, and music by Danny Elfman, this movie will impact theater-goers everywhere, leaving them with a sense of awe and satisfaction.

The plot of Spider-Man the superb combination of a faithful take on early comic book story and a re-marketing for today’s audience, well formatted for its two-hour running time. Die-hard fans and newcomers alike will find this movie enjoyable. Tobey Maguire plays an excellent Peter Parker, the high-school nerd turned to super-powered teenaged brat by the spider bite, and turned again to the noble, neurotic, guilt-ridden Spider-Man with his uncle’s death. Some revamps to the story include the spider being genetically-engineered rather than radioactive, and the web shooters being glandular rather than mechanically made by him.

Willem Dafoe, who was excellent in the Boondock Saints, plays deliciously brilliant as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. He has one great scene that shows his schizophrenia so well that you almost feel sorry for Osborn himself. The helmet he wears is a bit comical, but that’s part of the point. Kirsten Dunst plays a very girl-next-door role with Mary Jane Watson, and gives us a minor PG thrill with the wet t-shirt scene that we’ve become familiar with watching the various trailers.

One of the complaints I have heard is that Mary Jane Watson should not have been in this movie. While it is true that Gwen Stacey was the love interest of Peter Parker during the Green Goblin saga and died at the bridge where Mary Jane lived in the movie, this decision was justified. Movie viewer are much less forgiving than comic readers. The medium is completely different - instant gratification versus deep continuing storyline. If you stuck to the story as is, it would be a depressing ending that would perhaps doom the franchise. You also have to compress several months' worth of material into a two-hour film - if you are going to introduce the ongoing struggle that Parker has with his love of Mary Jane, she needs to be introduced during the first movie as the one girl. She cannot even be the next girl - two girls in one movie would make Parker look like some pathetic hack of a player. I feel that the decision to start the movies with Mary Jane right away was a wise one, and healthy for the franchise.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker is his eyes – Maguire has these wide, manic eyes that convey a wide range of emotions very well. This is very appropriate for such a character, because he’s not just a superhero, he’s a teenage superhero. During his conversation with Aunt Mae in the hospital, he shows smittenness and relief alongside (well-founded) paranoia. He shows anger well, as well as fear. Comic books have expressive characters – Tobey Maguire does that justice.

Think of your favorite actors and actresses (the ones you like because of their acting, not their body or nude scenes) – watch their movies and watch their eyes. Comedic actors especially, they use their eyes is powerful ways. And watch Spider-man, fuckoff great. Two webs up.