Spider-Man

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is a quiet New York student who finds his life transformed when he is bitten by a 'super-spider' on a school outing. Taking on the arachni... more >

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is a quiet New York student who finds his life transformed when he is bitten by a 'super-spider' on a school outing. Taking on the arachnid's characteristics (tremendous agility, the ability to climb walls and spin webs, a psychic-like sixth sense) he decides to use them for the purposes of good after his Uncle Ben is killed by a gun-wielding thief, an incident Peter could have prevented. He becomes Spider-Man, and wins the hearts of most of the local community with his unusual brand of crime-fighting and law enforcement - until, that is, the arrival of an arch-villain onto the scene: the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). Can Spider-Man stop the Goblin from wreaking havoc upon the city and destroying all those he holds dear?

Although the final showdown between Spidey and the Goblin may not be entirely suitable for smaller children, this is nevertheless terrific entertainment for the whole family. What makes it such a particularly pleasant surp rise is that, unlike a lot of other such big-budget 'blockbusters', it doesn't fall foul of favouring style over substance. The film remains pleasingly faithful to the original Spider-Man comic strip; although some of the action is unquestionably spectacular, there is plenty of depth to the story, most notably in Peter's relationship with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), the archetypal girl-next-door, to whom he cannot admit his true feelings of love. Great credit for this must go to director Sam Raimi, a Spider-fan with an expert grasp of the whole concept, and Maguire, perfectly cast as the nerdish Parker, the reluctant, vulnerable hero whom we care about because he could be any one of us. Indeed, the whole cast are excellent, though special mention should also go to Defoe, who turns in a wonderfully schizoid performance as the Goblin and his alter-ego, Norman Osborn.
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View all 24 of Dan Macklin’s reviews

The best summer blockbuster of the last few years: a coming-of-age teen-pic, an affecting romance, and an honest, sometimes bleak study of what it truly means to be a ... more >

The best summer blockbuster of the last few years: a coming-of-age teen-pic, an affecting romance, and an honest, sometimes bleak study of what it truly means to be a hero in the post-9/11 world. Superlatively shot, written, cast
and performed, this is everything the popular cinema should be.
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View all 124 of mike McCahill’s reviews

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DVD Extras

• Widescreen. Two Commentaries
• screentests
• comic book archives
• outtakes
• documentary.

Film Details

Cast

Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Bruce Campbell, Kirsten Dunst

Technical Details

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