Movie Review: Spider-man (2002)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Just about everything

Cons: Pacing in first half, CGI effects

The Bottom Line:

Something different

A superhero with heart

Makes you truly care

"Up, Up, and Away Web."

Even though I've had a life long interest in Superheroes, I've actually invested very little of my life in consuming the various books and movies made about them. I've been working on changing that with some of the big screen movies in recent years. Spider-Man has by far been my favorite of the releases.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is the class nerd. One day, while on a field trip, he is bitten by a radioactive spider and starts to gain super powers. He can now climb walls, sense danger, and shoot webs from his wrists. Basically, he's gained the abilities of a spider.

While he's trying to gain a handle on his new powers, his best friend's dad is undergoing a transformation of his own. Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) has tried a highly risky experiment on himself, and it's made him crazy. Transforming into the Green Goblin, he also has super strength, but his mind is going quickly and he starts using his powers to his own advantage. When Spider-man gets in his way, the battle heats up.

The movie works by making us care about the characters. Peter is immediately a sympathetic character between the way he is picked on by his classmates and his continual longing for the girl next door, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). Once he gains his powers, his problems only seem to intensify. There are some very emotional scenes that still choke me up several viewings later. Heck, I even feel somewhat sorry for Norman and what he goes through in the film. Of course, this reflects well not only on the writing but on the great acting. Everyone brings their characters to life and delivers believable performances.

Since this movie is a superhero movie and a summer blockbuster, this film has plenty of action. While the pacing in the beginning is a little slow as we deal with the origins of the character, the second half more then makes up for it with several great action scenes. And that last scene, while brilliant, also tugs at my heart every time I see it.

Then there are the dualities in the film. More then once, characters say one thing, but it means something else. Sometimes, they are aware of what they are saying, but often only the audience knows the true meaning behind their words. This is also reflected in several great scenes where Norman converses with his Green Goblin alter ego. I love watching the Jekyll and Hyde relationship develop. Again, the actors bring out these subtleties with just a little nuance here or there.

Unfortunately, the special effects are a mixed bag. Some are great, but there are several times it's obvious we've switched to a CGI version of the characters. While I find it disappointing, it doesn't dampen my enjoyment of the film.

The movie has long been available as a two disc set. This is one of the first movies I truly noticed the full surround on my home system, and I love it. The movie can be purchased in separate full or widescreen editions, and the picture looks great. The two discs are packed full of bonus features. There are two commentaries plus a pop up trivia track. The trailers and TV ads are featured on disc one, while disc two includes behind the scenes documentaries that originally aired on TV, screen tests, and bloopers. Disc two also takes a look at the Spider-man comics and provides a fascinating look for those like me who have never read the books.

Spider-Man tempers its action with wonderful heart, making it a truly likeable film. Movies don't get much better then this.