Spider-Man (DVD 2002)

After years and years of wanting to make this film they finally got it together. The special effects are amazing but the story line a bit week. Willem Dafoe is aweful as always and having such a big part brings this film down to his level.

Tobey Maguire was outstanding as Spiderman/Peter Parker mind you.

It is worth watching and is definitely better than Part 2 but i'm surprised they didn't get a better character and actor to play the 'baddy'.

Hugely enjoyable film which exceeded my expectations, mainly as any previous attempts to bring this Super Hero to the screen have been so poor.

The film is loosely based on the Ultimate Spider-Man (bitten by a genetically altered spider) as opposed to the classic Spider-Man (bitten by a radiation infected spider.

Tobey Maguire stars as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, initially I thought he was mis-cast as he looks nothing like Peter Parker. However after about 20 mins Tobey Maguire he makes the part his and now I can't imagine anyone else for the part.

Willem Dafoe brilliantly cast as the Green Goblin

This film has excellent effects making the action realistic combined with a compulsive story line, just made it a very washable movie. It was over too soon for me.

The DVD has a fair selection of extras, though if I was buying it now I would wait till the box set came out featuring all the films

Spiderman was a good flim - a great super hero flim were the bad guy always loses and the good will always win - how cliched!
The action scences were good - effects were great and the plot was interesting!
I liked this flim, i wasnt disappointed.
The extras on this DVD are wide ranging - most of them were entertaining and keep me interested.

Movie adaptations of comics, books, cartoons, etc. have a tendency to be rather disappointing but fortunately this film is not one of them. Although many things from the original version of Spider-Man have been changed or left out these are not that badly missed. Starting with Peter Parker being bitten by a spider then detailing his transformation into Spider-Man and his fight with the Green Goblin, this film has a great mixture of action, comedy and drama, with a bit of romance dropped in. Tobey Maguire is okay as Spider-Man but the real star of the piece is Willem Dafoe playing the Green Goblin, giving a brilliantly mad performance. Kirsten Dunst is beautiful and gives a good performance as Mary-Jane. Although saying all this, the film does lack that special something that would make it a really brilliant film.

Tobey Maquire dons the familiar red and blue costume of "your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man" for this adaptation of the much-loved comic book. Sam Raimi directs
As comic-book characters go, Spider-Man was ripe for movie adaptation. Indeed, a big-budget excursion was on the cards for a decade and a half (it was mired in legal battles). Since his first appearance in 1962, he's become one of the most recognisable comic characters. Spider-Man's popularity was built on the fact that his co-creator, Stan Lee (who executive produced the movie), made his human alter-ego an ordinary teen (like the majority of comics readers at the time). Even after he's acquired super-powers the boy still has to contend with everyday concerns - unlike the alien, godlike Superman, or schizophrenic millionaire Bruce Wayne.

Peter Parker (Maguire) is the class geek ("quite the science whizz"). Bullied at school and ignored by the neighbour he adores ("the woman I've loved since before I even liked girls"), Mary Jane Watson (Dunst), Peter's only friend is Harry Osborne (Franco), the son of industrialist Dr Norman Osborne (Defoe).

On a school trip, Peter is bitten by a "genetically designed super-spider" (in the 60s it was a radioactive spider). Suddenly he's able to squirt webbing, climb walls, and sense attack. Peter tests his new abilities by going a round in a wrestling ring. The promoter cheats Peter, so our hero lets a robber - who has stolen the wrestling organiser's stash - escape. When the fleeing thief shoots Peter's beloved Uncle Ben (Robertson), it's a turning point. Wracked with guilt, Peter finally understands his uncle's comment that "with great power also comes great responsibility". He turns to fighting crime. Soon he encounters his first super-villain adversary, the Green Goblin - none other than Norman Osborne, transformed by testing his company's "human performance enhancers" on himself.
Sam Raimi's film, written by David Koepp (Panic Room), incorporates much of the original Spider-Man story, while taking a few liberties (organic webbing instead of synthetic polymer is the most contentious among fans). So while Peter gets work as a freelance photographer at the 'Daily Bugle', supplying photos of Spidey for editor J Jonah Jameson (Simmons, giving a lively turn supplying such lines as "If we can get a picture of Julie Roberts in a thong, we can get a picture of Spider-Man!"), the film conflates the comic's character of Gwen Stacy into MJ Watson. This all works fine - like the adjustments made for the X-Men movie, it assists comprehension for the uninitiated.

Spider-Man is a good blockbuster: it's fun and entertaining. The scenes of Spidey swinging down the canyon-like streets of New York are exhilarating; Raimi even incorporates some point of view shots that follow the arc of Spidey's swing, skimming the roofs of cars before soaring upwards. (However, there are some moments when the CGI is decidely ropey). Maguire does an excellent job of capturing both the adolescent uncertainty of Parker and the glee of suddenly finding himself a superhuman. However, the challenge with any superhero movie is to balance the human dimension with the action. Koepp struggles with this challenge: much of his characterisation is weak and some of the dialogue is awful.

Verdict
Colourful, energetic and well-cast, Spider-Man is a good-quality, highly-entertaining action movie.

Readers of marvel comics have been waiting for this movie for years and even with the disaster that was the 70's series effort we had high expectations.we were not let down.
he looks great,he moves just how we imagined he would and we didnt end up with third rate cheesy actors.
however,what happened to the old 'web cartridges' and science wizz inventions that peter was always working on in the comics?.That and the fact that you just dont get enough of the web-slinging are the only bad points here.
Well scripted,SFX are stunning,some good performances in true comic book ham it up style and a wet t-shirt competition winner make this a must see

Good family film easy to watch something for ages.
Its a light hearted film that can be enjoyed by all.

My Grandson likes Spiderman and all things Fast or Dangerous so i ordered this for a Xmass stocking filler. He loves it and its not as bad as some of the stuff on telly now. Good stuff for little ones.

The original "Spider-Man" movie from 2002 is possibly the finest super hero movie to ever grace the silver screen. In an age of storylines drowned out by over expensive special effects, the fact that the storyline here is every bit as intriguing as the eye candy is something to be applauded.
The key storyline here is, as in most "Spider-Man" programmes, books, comics, films e.t.c is main character Peter Parker's (Toby Maguire) struggle coming to terms with his new found super hero powers and his struggle to avoid his secret being revealed when the masses turn against his super hero alias. Add into this one incredibly dangerous villain in the shape of the Green Golbin (wonderfully played by Willem Defoe), plus an unraveling love story with his first crush Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) and you've got a very satisfying plot the film is built around. There is a wonderful script in this movie, and while it's not either shocking or full of new idea's, it sucessfuly pushes the story along at the right tempo and it leaves you with a nice, warm, content feeling. Along with all this are some absoloutley stunning visual special effects. In Cinema, 3 years is a long time but the visuals here look as stunning today as they did when I saw this at the Cinema. The DVD Boxset itself is very nicely put together. With a second disc full of special features, you're never short of things to watch after you've enjoyed the movie. Some of these special features won't be all too appealing to people like me who've never been into the comics, as they are mainly based around them. However, there are alot of Movie-Related documentaries e.t.c and the menu's and presentation is very nicely done.

This is a fantastic film with so much going for it. Wonderful performances from the 3 key cast members (Dunst, Dafoe and Maguire) hold the storyline down throughout, meanwhile the special effects will blow you away. The DVD Boxset is well thought out and executed and is an impressive collection. If you like Super Hero movies, Spider-Man or big budget action flicks this should be at the top of your "To View" list if you haven't enjoyed it already.

It's taken a long time for Marvel's web-spinning superhero to reach the big screen, and the film's tortuous history is a tangled web in itself.

With all the behind-the-scenes wrangles, it's a minor miracle that Sam Raimi's comic book caper is such a stylish, exciting, and ingenious thrill-ride.

Its trump card is the inspired casting of Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, the high school geek who acquires amazing powers after being bitten by a genetically mutated spider.

Where other actors might have been dwarfed by the cartoonish spectacle, Maguire brings a touching pathos to his diffident hero which roots the outlandish fantasy in human emotions and failings.

Kirsten Dunst is also fabulous as Mary Jane, the beautiful neighbour whom Peter secretly adores. Oddly, their halting romance proves far more engaging than the explosive action scenes, which find Maguire's suited-and-booted Spider-Man nimbly swinging through Manhattan's concrete canyons doing rather unimaginative battle with Willem Dafoe's cackling Green Goblin.

Dafoe is the movie's weak point. Trapped behind an immobile mask and sporting a risible emerald costume, his two-dimensional villain is no match for Maguire's soulful subtlety. But that's a small cavil in a summer blockbuster that, just for once, lives up to the spin.

Having seen the trailers for this film I have to say that I didn't walk into the cinema with high hopes. The computer effects looked badly integrated, the Green Goblin's costume looked awful and comic book adaptations usually have such painful scripting and plotting. Thankfully I was wrong on most counts (The Goblin still looks rubbish).

As it turns out, this is probably the best super-hero film I've yet seen - certainly up there with Superman and Batman. People seem to automatically comment that the script and acting was bad because they expect it to be the case in these films; and indeed it usually is. But if you go into Spider-man without this prejudicial attitude you'll be pleasantly surprised. The acting is generally great - there is never a time when anyone is not believable as their character and you think "Hey, that's an actor, not Peter Parker". The effects do look artificial but the pace of the movie means you don't have time to dwell on this and the script is fine! What do people want, Shakespearian soliloquies? That would sound incredibly out-of-place in modern day New York. There are few of the painful cliches or dreadful dialogs that plague films like The Phantom Menace and the catchphrases like "friendly neighborhood spider-man" are fully in-keeping with the character.

The comic turns from J.J. Jameson hit the mark, the snarling facial contortions of Willem Defoe were suitably evil-looking (and the conversation with his mirror-image was a great touch). My only gripe was with the Green Goblin's costume. Very monotone green and not very scary.

All-in-all a great film that I wouldn't hesitate for a second in recommending.

Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man'

Synopsis:

~ Young Peter Parker [Tobey Maguire] is bitten by a radioactive spider during a science field trip. A typically awkward and quiet straigt 'A' student, Parker's life changes when he discovers he has powers similar to that of a spider, only far greater. Suddenly he is popular on campus and the stunning Mary Jane Watson [Kirsten Dunst] takes an interest in him. After a bungled robbery, Parker's uncle Ben [Cliff Robertson] is killed and Parker blames himself for not stopping the killer when he could have. With only his Aunt May to look after him, Parker decides it's time to grow up. To quote Stan Lee, creator of the original Marvel comic book: "with great power comes great responsibilty". Parker invents an alter-ego and Spider-Man is born.

Initially he tackles small-time crooks while working at the Daily Bugle as a freelance photographer, ironically earning a living selling photos of Spider-Man to the temperamental J Jonah Jameson [J K Simmons] - until his first real villain arrives, Norman Osborn or the Green Goblin [Willem Dafoe]. Parker is friends with his son, Harry [James Franco], and this makes things difficult. In fact, Parker's double-life begins to get in the way of family, friends, work and his relationship with MJ.

unfinished

Matthew J Lee-Williams, Review.

I really enjoyed this film and thought it very well cast with Toby Maguire a great geeky teenager turned superhero. There is great chemistry between him and Kirsten Dunst and it makes you look forward to the next sequel.

This is a great dvd film. a family classic. my son loves the flm and thinks he is spiderman himself. great buy

Excellent movie, as is the second one, cant wait to see spiderman 3 on dvd which should be out towards the end of 2007.

Excellent value for money and brand new. Superb condition, efficiently dispatched. The perfect transaction.

I was just going through the available dvds mentioned in the ebay site when i came acrooss this. It was a great bargain and one I will be able to enjoy many times.

Having never seen the first installment of the Spider-man trilogy I thought it would be a good idea to see this movie. As a child the Marvel/DC comics always had my attention. The movie was a very good example of the comic strip hero, it captured the romance,villians and awkwardness of Peter Parker. His alter ego as Spiderman was superb. The Green Goblin was excellent, a true villian who's demise was brilliant. To be fair I thought this a better movie then Spider-man 2. A very good high rated movie.

Have since I was a kid had a thing about spiderman .. always wanted to watch the flim at the movies, love the experience .. but never got around to it so bought them to watch before the3rd came out... I love the whole tongue in cheek way they brought this from comic to movie.You still get a slight sence that it aint completely real, with out loosing any of the realisum of the individual char's .. only thing I can say that I didnt like was the way the spider web was attached to stuff off shot .. made it feel all detached.. but thats getting very pickie ..

this film was great the special effects were great the acting was great everythink about this was great.
a+++++

Bought this as my son is really into Spiderman at the moment. We have all enjoyed the film and it has tought our son to behave well, just like Spiderman does!

An amazingly stunning full on action film with awsume special effects
Tobey Maguire is totally amazing as spider-man & it has a great story line with the usual does he doesnt he aspects.
Well worth watching once or twice can be tiresum in some parts but once you get into the action its wicked..

This film is ok the first time you watch it but it gets boring if you watch it more than once



Ryan.Briscoe