SPIDER-MAN (2002) REVIEW

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man was one of the first and the biggest popcorn blockbuster films. It plummeted the little known cast into the spotlight and brought back Raimi into the mainstream. 

In case you didn't know for some absurd reason, Spider Man is about a young, painfully nerdy teen named Peter Parker played by the perfectly cast Tobey Maguire. Parker is desperately trying in life, trying to fit in, trying to do well at school and most importantly he's trying to win the affections of his neighbour who he has forever been in love with, Mary Jane. Peter's best friend is Harry Osbourne, played by a young James Franco, he is the opposite of Peter, confident and rich - his father is Norman, played by William Defoe who head a company doing testing for the military. 

One day changes all of Peter's life - he gets bit by a radioactive spider. He is now strong, super reactive and can fly frock webs that shoot out of his wrist. Things aren't all fun and games though, soon Norman begins on a dark path, turning into a science terrorist which can only lead to dreadful things....let's not even talk about the Uncle Ben scene, I'm not even over it still. Will Peter get the girl? Can he hide his identity? The film is still so rewatchable to me. It feels like the perfect balance between reality and over the stops. Raimi has allowed each character to have their own arc, which makes us care about the characters from very early on. He chooses some great shots and set prices, my favourite being when Peter discovers his powers and tries to active the webs! 

The film has a great balance between that comedy and serious drama. For a film of it's age, it still stands up to day. My main issues with the film are why Mary Jane never figured out that Spider-Mans voice is the same as Peters! We never hear of Peters parents, or his life so far with aunt and uncle. The cheesy and more over the top parts are very Raimi of course - he loves pushing the limits in a good way. 

This film is a classic Superhero movie and deserves your time! 10/10