Written May 2002 for the Vanguard School Newspaper.  This was my very first formal review.  I do remember that I was working at AMC Forum 30 at the time, and when Spiderman unleashed itself, it was BIG!   Who knew ten years later, there would be a remake!

If I wrote this review today, it would be a lot more negative than positive.  But back in 2002, it was the greatest thing on Earth!

Words can’t describe the new movie, Spiderman, but numbers can. A whopping $114 million for opening weekend. Comic book fans got what they have been waiting for. Believe it or not, this film has been in development for decades. And if it weren’t for director Sam Raimi, best known for directing the Evil Dead Trilogy, there wouldn’t be any discussion on how good Spiderman was days after it opened.

In all respect, it’s the best movie I have seen in a long time. It has all the elements of being a perfect popcorn flick, maybe even more. But the debate toward the film is whether or not it adds up to the comic book. When you adapt something to film such as a comic book, you keep it as similar as possible, but also change parts to please the moviegoer audience.

Unlike Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, this is a film you can watch without being a Spidey-nut. The movie starts off as the comic has. Normal outcast Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) goes on a field trip to a spider exhibit. For those of you who hate spiders, this is the only time you’ll see them.

During the field trip, a spider gets loose and bites Parker. Parker then goes through changes, which includes better eye vision, muscles (which I think the ladies might appreciate), wall crawling, the webs, and spider-sense, which picks up danger before it comes.

One thing the comic fans debate about is that in the comics, Parker makes his own webs with an invention he had made on night. But in the film version, you’ll see the webs coming from his wrist. One-thing fans don’t realize is there’s only a two-hour time slot here. In that time, you have to develop characters, get through the plot, and put those elements from the comics to the film.

One complaint I have is Norman Osborn (William Dafoe), the man behind the alter ego, Green Goblin. Even though Green Goblin looked so sweet flying around on his glider invention, Norman Osborn lacked character development.

Not giving anything away, but the love story didn’t really extend in the film, but that’s where the sequel comes in at. Spiderman 2, set for May 7, 2004 (as of right now), will include the villain Dr. Octopus and the continued love story between Parker and Watson.

As of right now, if you haven’t seen Spiderman, I highly suggest it. One warning though.  If you experience dizziness or are afraid of heights, I don’t suggest this. It’s basically like a two-hour ride compared to the Spiderman ride at Universal Islands of Adventure in Florida. You actually feel like swinging with Spidey through the skyline of Manhattan throughout that ride.

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t say, enjoy the ride!