My Movie Review on Spider-Man (2002)

Greetings, my friends.

This is your pleasant-as-always film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, for my 125th film analysis, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Spider-Man". The version directed by Sam Raimi to be precise.

Here's the rundown of this film:

Peter Parker is an academically-gifted but socially inept high school student. Day after day, he is often considered a freak by the other students, with the exceptions of Mary Jane Watson, whom he has a crush on, and his best friend Harry Osborn, the son of Oscorp CEO Norman Osborn.

Peter's life, though, suddenly takes an unexpected turn when he's bitten by a genetically modified spider. His senses are heightened, he gains unimaginable strength, and he even gains an ability to climb multiple surfaces and spin webs.

Meanwhile, with the future of his company on the line, Norman Osborn tests an unstable enhancer on himself in a desperate attempt to save his company. However, the results of the test turn out to be extremely chaotic and he develops a second personality.

Each of these developments eventually drives Peter and Norman into a stage that can very well hold the future of them and New York city in their own hands. The only question is this:

Will they use their newfound gifts for good? Or for evil?

Having been wanting to analyze this film for quite some time, I really must say that I can see why this film is credited for renewing interest in the superhero genre:

IT'S INCREDIBLE!!!

For instance, the direction by Same Raimi, and the screenplay by David Koepp, were amazingly well-done. Including that Scott Rosenberg and Alvin Sargent made uncredited contributions to the script, of course.

In many ways, the film did feel pretty straightforward, and it seemed to contain a collection of plot pieces jumping from one to another. But yet, it hardly matters because everything tied together and was flawlessly driven by the characters to a tee. Raimi's ability to make the film an emotional, action-packed, unpredictable, and at times funny and witty experience was something that I found to be one of the best I had ever seen, and he did a terrific job at making everything evenly balanced too.

The visual effects were impressive as well. I had no idea that the stunt scenes with Spider-Man and the Green Goblin were done by green and blue screen, but apparently they were. Every moment Spider-Man was shooting webs to swing in the air and the Green Goblin used his glider seemed so real!

The music by Danny Elfman was magnificent, if I may add. I'm not sure how many films I've seen that he composed for, but the melodies he incorporated were cinematic on a completely emotional level, and the unique thing about it was that he appeared to use a variety of styles that helped the music sound fresh and different.

Finally, the acting, casting, characters, and character development were brilliant.

Peter Parker and Norman Osborn were definitely the characters whom I thought had the largest of developments. Every step of the way, I couldn't help but note how transformative Peter and Norman's growth as people were, especially as ones that were defined by choice. Plus, Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe portrayed their characters with astounding realism and flair, with witty dialogue to accompany them.

Additionally, Kirsten Dunst did a wonderful job portraying Mary Jane Watson, and the character herself developed nicely throughout the film. The same with James Franco and his character of Harry Osborn. And, while J. Jonah Jameson wasn't the most likable guy around, J.K. Simmons stole the show in every scene he was in and made something deeply fun out of the character.

In conclusion, Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" is an absolutely fun superhero treat that's worth watching, and it has everything a movie requires to make it a masterpiece.

So, I rate "Spider-Man (2002)" five out of five stars.