Spider-Man (2002) Review

When Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man released in 2002, it changed the future of superhero cinema, forming itself as the perfect blueprint of the superhero origin film. 1978’s Superman is credited as the first true superhero film, but Spider-Man is the first one to bring out the feel of the source material, literally adapting the characters to screen. This sort of faithfulness would be continued upon with the current superhero boom of the 2010s, with this new wave taking pure influence from this film with its authentic adaptions of the source material. This film was the first superhero film that really brought the feeling across of watching a comic book on the big screen, with Raimi’s direction oozing style in its editing specifically to bring the superhero to screen. 1 hour is how long it takes for the title hero to debut in costume but it’s all worth the wait, with the beautiful score from Danny Elfman and the light, warm and bright cinematography bringing the initial reveal of the costume to life.

Starring Tobey Maguire in the title role, the film follows the origin story of the hero, as Peter Parker is bitten by a spider and develops into the hero known as Spider-Man. What makes the film so memorable is how down to earth it feels, with Maguire’s performance being very earnest and authentic to the teenage character he is meant to be. He acts opposite Kirsten Dunst, who plays Mary Jane Watson, and their dynamic as love interests is fantastic, delivering a compelling relationship on screen. The film is as concerned with the super heroics as it is about the characters, its not just a superhero story but a down to earth drama. Modern superhero films would follow this trend, its not enough to just be part of the superhero genre, the films also need transcend into multiple genres, alongside the need to have relatable characters who have lives outside of the fights, this film proved that people were just as interested in the action as they were in the drama involved in the character’s lives.

The film is incredibly silly at times, with moments that haven’t aged particularly well to this day, mainly a moment with exploding skeletons. The comedy is not for everyone, but it creates a great contrast for when the movie gets serious, making the serious moments even more compelling. Willem Dafoe’s turn as the main villain The Green Goblin is one that shows the power of the film’s tone, his performance is both terrifying and hilarious, with some great hamming up which just adds to the delight but also some humanity out of the villainous costume. The superhero genre is very defined by its iconic villains, with out of this world personalities and great character actors behind them, and Dafoe’s Green Goblin is really what started this trend. Without this film, 2012’s The Avengers would never have Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and 2008’s The Dark Knight would never have Heath Ledger’s Joker, this film proved that lively and three-dimensional villains are just as needed as the heroes themselves.

Raimi’s direction lends itself well to all the various elements of the film, with his style allowing the film to feel like various genres, with scenes that could be contained to comedies, horror or even the romantic genre. What he truly excels in as well though is the action scenes, with the action feeling fluid and fast paced, with some great visual effects for a film this old. It is clear to see why this film became a blueprint for future superhero films, it’s no wonder why the franchise continued with two sequels in 2004 and 2007, and even the character has been rebooted two separate times in 2012 and 2017.

Image Owned by Sony Pictures