Spider-Man (2002) Review
Main Character
Tobey Maguire plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man here and he just fits the role really well and is really fun to watch. You see him grow from this really uncomfortable nervous nerd to this confident super hero and it is executed really well. Maguire, brings emotion and humour to the role to really create this interesting and sympathetic hero that you can really care about.
Supporting Characters
Willem Dafoe plays Norman Osbourne/Green Goblin and he was literally born to play this role. He nails the duplicity of the role and the insanity that comes across from the Goblin, the costume isn't great but he is a very memorable villain for sure. Kirsten Dunst plays MJ and she does her job to the best of her abilities. The character isn't written very well and is basically a damsel in distress but I thought she had good chemistry with Maguire and it just about worked in this film. Similar with James Franco as Harry Osbourne, he isn't given that much to do but he is decent when on screen despite some of the plotting for the character not being that great in this film. Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris are both very good as Uncle Ben and Aunt May and you see the impact they have on Peter's life and how it moulds him as a superhero. Onto the show stealer which is JK Simmons as J Jonah Jameson, when people ask what is the greatest casting in a comic book film he is the answer I give. He hasn't got a huge role in the film but when he is on screen he knocks it out of the park and is literally the only person who could ever play this role in live action.
Story
The story is good, I think it is a really effective origin story for Spider-Man and really gets us invested in the character and moves at a quick enough pace that it never feels dull or slow. But this film does suffer a bit in their handling of some of the subplots, like the whole romance story. The characters of MJ and Harry are really underdeveloped and made to come across as bad people which doesn't make sense when the performers are really trying their best.
Script
The script is effective, it is funny at times and the drama mostly works. You care about the main conflict and Spider-Man which is the most important part of the film. But there is no denying that some of the writing is incredibly cheesy and feels dated, making me cringe. Plus as I said some of the story elements just don't work.
Style
The style of the film still holds up. The action scenes are very exciting and cinematic, I may have complained about the Goblin costume but the Spider-Man costume is amazing and so iconic. The film is paced really well and kept me interested and enjoyed throughout.
Overall
Overall, Spider-Man is a great film. It is one of the superhero films that started the craze of these type of films and it still holds up really well.
Rating - 8/10
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