Spider-Man 3

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/6/07 w/ Additional Edits.

Ever since Sam Raimi's film adaptation of the Spider-Man comic was released in 2002, the film was a smashing success as it proved that there's new life for film versions of comic books. Marvel's X-Men franchise and Hellboy both were big success though other comic book films like Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and The Punisher weren't well-received or beloved as other films. DC Comics even brought back old franchises of Batman and Superman with new films while in 2004, Sam Raimi released a new sequel to Spider-Man that drew rave reviews and huge box office. With the success of both films, it's no surprise that a third film would be made as Sam Raimi decides that this probably might be the last one for him.

Spider-Man 3 tells the story of Peter Parker's acceptance in being Spider-Man while finally gaining the love of his longtime sweetheart Mary Jane who accepts him both as Parker and as Spider-Man. Things seem to go right but until new villains arrive in the form of a man who has been revealed to be the real killer of his uncle while Harry Osborn has chosen to avenge his father in being the new Goblin. Making things worse is a new photographer vying for Parker's job while an alien lifeform has touched Peter's costume giving him newer, darker powers as well as changes to his personality. Based on the comic by Steve Dikto and Stan Lee, Spider-Man 3 is a more complex, darker story that reveals more of Parker's role in being himself and Spider-Man. With a screenplay written by Ivan Raimi, Sam Raimi, and Alvin Sargent, director Sam Raimi goes for more drama and action in this new film.

With an all-star cast that includes returning franchise players Tobey Maguire in the title role along with Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Dylan Baker, Elizabeth Banks, Ted Raimi, and Bill Nunn. Joining the franchise for this third installment are Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Theresa Russell, Bryce Dallas Howard, and James Cromwell. Oh, there's also the often-needed appearance from Bruce Campbell. Spider-Man 3 brings all the thrills, chills, action, and everything expect in a blockbuster. Only problem is, it brings in too much of all that with no cohesive story.

Peter Parker's life is on the upswing as he's found a balance in being himself and being Spider-Man.  He's got everything going well for him while his love life with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) is going great as she is about to star at a new Broadway play.  The only thing in Peter's life that hasn't been resolved is the strained friendship with Harry Osborn (James Franco) over the death of Harry's father and the revelation that Peter is Spider-Man.  Still overjoyed about his relationship with Mary Jane, Peter visit his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) as she gives him the old engagement ring Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) gave her years ago.  Unfortunately, Peter's new happy life is briefly interrupted by Harry's attack as the new Green Goblin as well as a nearby meteor crash.

Peter's fight with Harry ends up having Harry unconscious as he suffers temporary amnesia where Peter feels like he's regained his old friend again.  Just as things are going well for Peter, Mary Jane is hit with bad reviews over her Broadway performance as she sinks into despair as Peter tries to comfort her.  When news that a convict named Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) has escaped and landed into an experimental sandpit, Peter learns from Captain Stacy (James Cromwell) about Marko who is revealed to be the man who killed his Uncle Ben.  Wanting revenge, Peter goes after Marko who is now the Sandman while dealing with a new young photographer named Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) who is after the staff photographer job at the Daily Bugle that Peter wants.

With Mary Jane's career going into a downward spiral and bothered by the presence of Peter's college classmate Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) whom Peter kissed as Spider-Man during a ceremony.  Meanwhile, a black substance appears into Peter's room where it changes Peter's attitude and makes his Spider-Man suit black as it plays into his new dark persona.  It would impact various relationships including Harry and Mary Jane as it would eventually tackle into Peter's state of mind as he fights not only the Sandman but another villain named Venom prompting Peter to get some unexpected help.

When films like comic book adaptations become franchises, sometimes they succeed in giving more time for character development and new adventures that will let the audience enjoy themselves. Then there's the idea where after one or two successful films, the next one has to be bigger and more appealing to a wider audience. For Spider-Man 3, it falls into the latter. While Sam Raimi does create what is expected in a blockbuster. Entertaining thrills and chills with lots of action, some romance, comedy, and such. The only problems is, he throws it all at once and overwhelms the audience. Even with a budget of $270 million plus a running time of nearly two-and-a-half hours, the result is a very bloated film.

One of those reasons is the script. The Raimi brothers plus Alvin Sargent clearly tried to put too many stories and subplot into one film. It starts out fine with the audience knowing what Peter Parker is up to, how happy he is and everything while having to deal with the new Goblin, Mary Jane's problem, and a separate scene involving Flint Marko.

Then, the film becomes episodic in some ways. Several scenes on their own are great to watch like the entire Bruce Campbell sequence as a French waiter with Peter's proposal plans is great on its own. Another group of scenes that was great is Peter Parker acting all super-cool with the black suit. The problems with those scenes is that it doesn't connect with the rest of the film. The script feels cramped with so many subplots, villains, and such. The story is lost with too many things. Even the theme of revenge, which is main moral purpose of the film, gets overwhelmed by the many stories that the writers tried to pull.

Then there's Raimi's direction. While Raimi is very good at capturing moments of drama, comedy, action, and all of that stuff. The problem is that he tries to give the audience everything they want. The result is a very inconsistent film that has a lot of great scenes and action. He just didn't know what to do with them. Even character favorites like Aunt May, Jonah Jameson, and Venom don't appear very much and have little to do. Then we have the new characters, with the exception of Flint Marko and Eddie Brock, that arrive and they're not really given much to do. Even Venom, who should've been in another movie with an entirely different story.

It's the excess that mars the film despite its emphasis to entertain. Still, Raimi does bring in a lot of fun to the film with references to previous Spider-Man movies. While fans of the previous films will enjoy that, they might feel that this third installment might not bring them enough closure or satisfaction. Though Raimi's intentions were good from the beginning, the result is clear that he tried to do too much.

Cinematographer Bill Pope brings some nice, stylish camera work that is just as intense than in previous films. Unfortunately, there's nothing new that hasn't been seen in those previous films. Though Pope has done good work and even better in the last film, he takes a step backwards and doesn't bring anything new. Production designers J. Michael Riva and Neil Spisak do fine work in creating some of the scenes but again, nothing new or exciting is created.

Costume designer James Acheson along with Katina Le Kerr create wonderful costumes with Acheson actually bringing something really cool to the black-suit Spider-Man wears along with new looks for the new Goblin. Editor Bob Murawski does some nice work on the editing in some sequences without going into the fast-cutting style that's in most blockbusters. Unfortunately, other sequences tend to drag which is really more Raimi's fault in his direction. Sound designer Paul N.J. Ottosson doesn’t bring anything new other than what's expected in a blockbuster film like this.

Visual effects supervisor Scott Stokdyk does create a lot of nice special effects with some great moments in the battle sequences. It's a highlight somewhat in the film but like the film itself, falls into the same trap of its excess. Taking over for Danny Elfman who scored the previous films is Christopher Young. While continuing to use the same themes that Elfman had created in the previous films. Young's score isn't very memorable as the ones Elfman had made. Though some of the jazz touches in a few of the scenes and show tunes are good, they don't work as a whole but only as individual moments.

The film's soundtrack again, is used for commercial purposes yet is more superior than previous films. With great cuts from Snow Patrol, the Killers, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Walkmen, and Flaming Lips, the soundtrack definitely leans towards indie music though cuts from bands like Jet and Beat Steaks aren't very good. A great track from the legendary Chubby Checker appears but doesn't fit in with the rest of the film.

Then there's the film's large cast. With small cameos from the likes of Raimi's own family like his kids plus brother Ted as Jameson's assistant Hoffman, Cliff Robertson in a brief flashback as Ben Parker, Bill Nunn as Robbie Robertson, and Stan Lee. The cameos are fun and nice to watch though one cameo from Willem Dafoe doesn't work this time around. While he had a nice cameo in the last film, Dafoe is mis-directed by giving a hammy performance that doesn't work.

Other small performances from Elya Baskin as Peter's landlord from the last film, Mageina Tovah as the cookie girl from that same film, and Elizabeth Banks as Miss Brandt are nice to watch, even in scenes where Tovah and Banks are being flirted by the bad Peter. Dylan Baker is good in a brief role as Parker's professor who studies what the symbiote does while Perla Haney-Jardine is good in her small role as Penny Marko.

While the talents of people like Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, and Theresa Russell are wonderful to watch. They have the unfortunate of appearing in the film very briefly. Theresa Russell only has one scene as Flint's frustrated, protective wife who despises her husband and it's too short. J.K. Simmons, who was a joy to watch in the last movie, doesn't appear as much as audiences would've wanted. It's a shame since he is one of the film's comic relief and Simmons always gives a great performance. Sadly, there's not enough of him.

The same for Rosemary Harris who had a lot to do in the last one but only appears in five scenes. While she is great in being the wise, maternal figure that Peter needed, she's just not there enough and often has to pop up when the film has to call her. It's a shame that she's not used enough. One performance that is good yet feels out-of-place is Harry's butler played by John Paxton. While he has appeared briefly in previous films, he has more but brings a lot of confusion to audiences in why he's here. He's good but feels out-of-place and what he tells Harry does create a plot-hole that would affect the entire trilogy.

There is no doubt that Bryce Dallas Howard is a very good actress despite appearing in two very bad films by M. Night Shymalan. Howard is really given nothing to do but look pretty, act like she gets in trouble and become a new love interest. It's obvious comic book purists won't like the way Gwen Stacy is used since she is the only other female friend in Peter's age group that he has aside from Mary Jane. Howard, despite what she has to do isn’t given anything to do. Topher Grace fares better in his role as the arrogant, competitive Eddie Brock who is kind of Peter's opposite in terms of trying to get a good photo and such. Yet, when Brock loses everything, Grace shows depth in Brock's despair and later, his transformation where Grace really proves his range that he can play creepy characters.

Thomas Haden Church gives an excellent performance as Flint Marko/Sandman. While having a similar presence to what Alfred Molina have as Doc Ock in the previous film, Church managed to sell his complex performance as a man who runs into bad luck in his attempt to do the right thing. While Church managed to be interesting as Sandman, he does fell for the same kind of villainous trap that's been seen in other films. It's the script that fails him a bit later on though Church's performance is a standout. James Franco is good when he's being bad but when he's acting like all good, it doesn't work. Plus, he has a tendency to overact when he's being really emotional which makes his entire performance uneven.

Kirsten Dunst gives probably her best performance in the entire franchise. Probably because her character has to deal with realism and being the role of Spider-Man/Peter Parker's girlfriend. Dunst truly sells herself with a restraint and maturity that is very different from her previous roles. While she does have to be the same damsel-in-distress that she has done in other films, at least she got more to do.

Tobey Maguire is again, excellent in his performance as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Maguire sells the good boy performance while adding more flaws to the character as Parker acts over-confident and such. Yet, when McGuire starts to act bad, it's all done in comic gold. Maguire looks like he's having fun in playing bad and even when he's good, he's still having fun. Maguire gives a great performance though kind of fall shorts from the one he gave in the last one. The film's best performance is indeed, Bruce Campbell. Though it's only for less than 10 minutes, his entire sequence is truly one of the best. Campbell definitely sells himself with a bad French accent, waiting for Parker to give a signal and such. The man should be rewarded. He played Ash and Bubba Ho-Tep. This film is not about Spider-Man, it's about a guy named BBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

While the film does bring in what is expected in high-octane entertainment, Spider-Man 3 falls very short of its expectations and in comparison to its predecessor, the weakest so far. While the film has a nice cast, some cool visual effects, action and such. The end result is a film that falls into the cliche of bigger is better mentality. While it's no doubt Sam Raimi is a great director, he definitely fumbles in trying to create a film for everyone which is impossible.  The overall result is a very bloated and excessive film that tries to please everyone only to leave everyone disappointed.

Related: The Amazing Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Far from Home - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - (Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse)

Sam Raimi Films: The Evil Dead - (Crimewave) - Evil Dead II - (Darkman) - Army of Darkness - (The Quick & the Dead) - (A Simple Plan) - (For the Love of the Game) - (The Gift) - Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - (Drag Me to Hell) - (Oz the Great and Powerful) - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

© thevoid99 2011

Spider-Man 2

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/30/04 w/ Extensive Revisions & Edits.

The success of Sam Raimi’s 2002 film adaptation of the famed comic book Spider-Man by Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee and Steve Ditko helped create a new wave of comic-book superhero films and franchises. While the X-Men franchise were massive hits, other comic-book adapted films like Daredevil, The Hulk, and The Punisher met with a tepid response from fans. Plus, there was high expectations for the second Spider-Man film, which after two years in production, the budget nearly reached the $200 million mark making it one of the most expensive films in history. The result though of the highly anticipated summer film proved that all that money was worth in Spider-Man 2.

While the first film was a nice introduction, the second film based on the comic book with a screen story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and novelist Michael Chabon before turning it into a full script by Alvin Sargent. Directed by Sam Raimi, the second film takes place two years later where Peter Parker’s life as himself and his Spider-Man alter ego has become complicated. Not seeing his love interest Mary Jane much these days except on billboards and being estranged from best friend Harry, Peter Parker’s life is a mess. Making things worse is a scientist who descends into madness just as Parker was ready to give up the Spider-Man role before he realizes that he must be Spider-Man. Returning from the first film is Tobey Maguire in the title role along with Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, and J.K. Simmons along with Alfred Molina in the role as the villainous Doc Ock. The end result isn’t just a film better than its predecessors but also one of the best superhero films ever made.

In the two years since he became Spider-Man, Peter Parker's life isn't going well.  Dealing with being a college student and taking minimum wage jobs to get by while still doing freelance photography for Daily Bugle chief J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons).  Parker is overwhelmed as he doesn't see his old crush Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) around except on billboards while his friendship with Harry Osborn (James Franco) is strained due to the death of Harry's father in the hands of Spider-Man.  During a birthday party that featured Mary Jane and Harry, Peter learns that his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) is dealing with financial problems that might lose the home she and her late husband Ben has lived in.

Harry arranges a meeting with Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) for Peter to meet for his class as Octavius is working on a experiment to get power from the sun as a source for alternative power.  During the experiment where Octavius is attached with metal claws on his back, the experiment goes awry as fatal accidents occur along with Harry's chance to revive his father's company as he blames Spider-Man for the incident.  Octavius meanwhile, has awoken from the accident as he's become manipulated by the mechanical arms on his back as he wreaks havoc on New York City to continue his experiment.  After battling Octavius under his new name Doc Ock, Peter's life is unraveling as he's forced to see that Mary Jane is doing great as a stage actress and is getting married to Jameson's son John (Daniel Gilles).  The amount of stress has Peter choosing to stop being Spider-Man and go on with his life.

With Peter trying to get control of his personal life, Doc Ock tries to get the power source he needed for his experiment where he threatens Harry for the source.  Harry makes a deal with Ock to give him the power source in the condition to get Spider-Man.  With Peter still trying to deal with his own faltered relationship with Mary Jane as well as the guilt he had over his uncle's death, Doc Ock's threats start to emerge forcing Peter to make a choice to save those he cared for.

The film is about a young man's internal conflict into being a superhero and being himself where in the process, he has to find the balance.  Alvin Sargent's script succeeds in capturing that conflict in Peter Parker but also in the character of Otto Octavius.  A man who was trying to do good only to have an accident manipulate him into being a villain.  Sargent also gives fuller character development to Aunt May, Mary Jane, and Harry as they all deal with Peter's absence or the presence of Spider-Man.  Sargent's script is definitely phenomenal as he creates a solid story that is captured with great flair by Sam Raimi in his direction.  Filled with crazy camera angles and moments where he plays around with the superhero formula allows Raimi to bring a much looser, free-flowing film that doesn't move things too fast or too slow.  In the action, he aims for the intensity while slowing it down for dramatic moments in keeping it simple.  Overall, it's Raimi at his finest.

Complementing Raimi’s vision is cinematographer Bill Pope who really brings a vast, colorful look while being playful in more dreamier textures including a hilarious sequence of Parker walking with glasses to the tune of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head. Pope shines in his cinematography with help from special effects supervisor John Dykstra, production designer Neil Spisak, and a team of art directors. Dykstra’s effects are far more superior in the previous films with faster movements of the characters and action sequences with Spisak bringing more ominous look to Octavius’ lab and the fast-paced editing by Bob Murawski is amazing. Helping capture the film’s action and dramatic sequences is composer Danny Elfman who brings a cinematic, sprawling string arrangement to the action scenes while adding touches of melancholia in the more dramatic scales. Unfortunately like the film’s first soundtrack, the second one doesn’t add much since the film inspires it with lame music from Dashboard Confessional, the Ataris, Maroon 5, and today’s typical pop-rock crap.

While there’s some small but hilarious cameos in the film from Stan Lee, Hal Sparks, and the always-brilliant Bruce Campbell, there’s even an appearance from Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben along with Bill Nunn, Elizabeth Banks, and Ted Raimi as Jameson’s assistants in the Daily Bugle. Dylan Baker is excellent in his small role as Dr. Connors along with Donna Murphy as Dr. Octavius’ wife. Daniel Gilles is OK as Mary Jane's boyfriend who doesn't get a lot to do. J.K. Simmons, who serves as the comic relief, is even funnier in the first film with his calls for Spider-Man as a menace while firing/rehiring Parker throughout the film while he just brings in a bunch of laughs for the film’s action/dramatic tone. Rosemary Harris definitely has more to do in the second one as Peter’s moral guidance where she joins in the action for a bit while bringing Peter some much needed guidance in his anguishes role as Spider-Man.

James Franco’s role is a bit darker since we see him drink a bit more while having a bad obsession with killing Spider-Man. He does get a chance to pull off the mask but what is more shocking is the aftermath that will be a setup for the third film that comes out in 2007. Franco definitely brings a more intense and troubling performance as opposed to the confused nice guy in the first film. Kirsten Dunst’s role as Mary Jane in the first film doesn’t add much but in the second, she pretty much gave it more depth. She brings a sympathetic performance to her own character understanding her disappointments with Peter but she also brings a more intellectual side to Mary Jane while by the film’s final act, we begin to see the role she’s about to accept which is a bit heartbreaking yet realistic.

Alfred Molina’s role as the villainous Doc Ock definitely lives up to the hype as far as depth and magnetism is concerned. Early on, we see how likeable Octavius is in his quest to do good for mankind but when he lost everything, we see how far he descends to madness while trying to maintain whatever good is in him left. Molina is just perfect in the role without looking like a fool or someone cheesy. He’s a more superior villain than the one Willem Dafoe played as the Green Goblin. Molina is a more diverse actor in both theater and in film and the great thing about this role is not just the fact that more people will see his movies but realized how far he’s come as a great actor. Molina makes Doc Ock not just a memorable villain whose multiple arms each carry a nice personality but also a villain that will be one for the ages.

Tobey Maguire really steps up to his dual role of Peter Parker and Spider-Man by bringing a better performance than the one he did in the first film. He brings a more complex performance with his anguished personality and the sadness in the role he’s forced to play. He even manages to be believable and sympathetic in the more intense dramatic scenes while we root for him in his scenes with Dunst as the two carry amazing chemistry that is more superior to the first. We understand why he wanted Peter Parker to not play Spider-Man in order to have a life but he makes us realize that we all need heroes.

Spider-Man 2 is the best of the three films that Sam Raimi made under the franchise thanks in part to a great ensemble, an engaging screenplay, and dazzling technical work from his crew.  Fans of the film franchise will no doubt see this as the best film of the series while it's also one of Sam Raimi's best work of his glorious career.  In the end, for a film that is entertaining but also has some intelligence and characters that audiences can relate to.  Spider-Man 2 is the film to go see.

Related: The Amazing Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Far from Home - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - (Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse)

Sam Raimi Films: The Evil Dead - (Crimewave) - Evil Dead II - (Darkman) - Army of Darkness - (The Quick & the Dead) - (A Simple Plan) - (For the Love of the Game) - (The Gift) - Spider-Man - Spider-Man 3 - (Drag Me to Hell) - (Oz the Great and Powerful) - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

© thevoid99 2011

Spider-Man

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/6/04 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

With recent film adaptations of comic book heroes like Superman and Batman, the story of Spider-Man from Marvel Comics for years had been in fruition for a film adaptation worthy of its hardcore comic book fans. Finally after years of development, a film adaptation was finally going to happen as Spider-Man's creator Stan Lee was happen with who was chosen to direct the project. The project was given to filmmaker Sam Raimi, whose credits include A Simple Plan, Darkman, and the cult-classic trilogy of the Evil Dead films. A longtime fan of the comic book, Raimi chose to create not just a truer adaptation of the comic book but create it into one of 2002's runaway summer blockbuster hits.

The movie for Spider-Man that is directed by Sam Raimi and screenplay by David Koepp based on material from the original Stan Lee comic with additional material from Steve Ditko. The plot of Spider-Man is simple, a young nerdy high school kid named Peter Parker gets bitten by a genetically-modified spider where he gains all sorts of powers while fighting crime and the villainous Green Goblin while trying to save New York City and his love interest Mary Jane Watson. Unlike most stories of superheroes, Spider-Man has a more human element in its stories as Parker is often filled with conflicts over his role as Spider-Man and himself. With a cast that includes Tobey Maguire as the title role along with Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, and Cliff Robertson, Spider-Man is one of the best big-budget features of 2002 worthy of being a smart, entertaining blockbuster hit.

For all of his life, the nerdy Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) always wanted to be with the girl of his dream in his neighbor Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). Yet, he remains bullied as his only friend is Harry Osborn (James Franco) who is the son of a rich scientist named Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe). During science fair trip with other students, Peter gets bitten by a missing genetically-modified spider as he returns home sick to the concern of his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) and Aunt May (Rosemary Harris). Norman meanwhile, is under pressure from the army to create an experimental formula for human strength as he tries it on himself leading to an accident.

Peter wakes up the following morning with some unexpected strength and perfect vision as the new powers he attained led him to stand up to bullies including Flash Thompson (Joe Manganiello). The discovery of his new powers gives him confidence though Uncle Ben feels like something isn't right as he offers Peter advice. At first, Peter doesn't take Ben's advice following a pro wrestling contest that he wins but after the contest, he finds his uncle slain as he goes after the thief (Michael Papajohn) who shot Ben as Peter realizes what his uncle was trying to say to him. Deciding to become "Spider-Man", Peter uses his powers for good though a new threat occurs in a villain named the Green Goblin that Norman Osborn has become following his experiment.

With Peter taking a side-job as a freelance photographer for a newspaper chief named Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), he also learns about Harry dating Mary Jane as he tries to deal with the Green Goblin. Yet, Norman learns about what he's become as he discovers who Spider-Man is as he goes after the people who are close to Spider-Man leading to a climatic battle.

While most comic book hero films have familiarity and predictability in its plot, Spider-Man does make up for it with its screenplay and Raimi's masterful direction. Koepp's screenplay plays true to the comic while giving depth to its main characters, notably Spider-Man/Peter Parker and the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn. The script plays up to its story as it builds up momentum and even clues that would lead to a profitable franchise where the characters can develop more with each film. Raimi brings a fast-paced, directing style to the film while adding some dramatic elements without being too much of a drama film or too much of an action film. Raimi brings balance while belting out entertaining moments where an audience can have fun and cheer for Spider-Man. The choice of Raimi directing Spider-Man was a smart one since he has an idea for story and knowing what an audience would want.

The film's look with its visual effects and colorful cinematography from Don Burgess is well shot by giving color to the New York City landscape as well as the natural-Goth like look of Norman Osborn's rich home and the more suburban look of Queens in Parker's home. With help from production designer Neil Spisak and supervising art director Steve Arnold, the film looks like a comic book but with some life that an audience can relate to. The visual and CGI effect play well also without being too computer-like as if we're really seeing the real thing with many credit to Raimi for bringing out a real look without trying to manipulate the audience. Another element that works in the film is Danny Elfman's orchestral, fast-paced score that plays up to the film's emotional and action intensity. Elfman helps the music move with the film and brings in excitement while the film's soundtrack, with the exception of the original theme, is pretty generic with cuts from Sum 41, and the godawful ballad of Hero from Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and Saliva's Josey Scott.

The film's cast is one that works really well as the smaller performances from J.K. Simmons, Stanley Anderson as General Slocum, "Macho Man" Randy Savage as a wrestler, Joe Manganiello, and longtime Raimi collaborator Bruce Campbell as an announcer are fun to watch as well as appearances from Lucy Lawless, Bill Nunn, Elizabeth Banks, and Stan Lee, himself. Rosemary Harris is wonderful to watch as Aunt May as the old woman who brings some guidance to Peter Parker with a sense of heart and charm. Cliff Robertson is also well used in his brief role as Uncle Ben, particularly with the line that would be in Parker's head as Robertson plays a role of a family member you can love with a sense of morality that is often overlooked due to the film's fast-paced action.

James Franco is excellent in the role of Harry Osborn as the best friend who tries to win Mary Jane's love while is trying to win acceptance from his father. Franco brings depth to his character as we get to know him more, especially in a touching scene with Willem Dafoe that would lead to its inevitable sequel. Kirsten Dunst is very good as Mary Jane Watson, the girl who Peter loves and cares for. While it's a typical damsel-in-distress type of role, Dunst is able to bring wit and charm to the character that makes it fun to watch.

Willem Dafoe definitely brings in one of his most accessible performances as the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn. Always playing a role in complex manners, Dafoe brings a lot of elements to make Norman Osborn likeable and sympathetic while as the Green Goblin, he plays the villain audiences love to hate. Even as he is relaxed and plays it cool as it's one of Dafoe's great performances. Tobey Maguire is superb in the title role as he brings emotional depth to the character and anguish while possessing a boyish charm to the Peter Parker character. Maguire brings in a lot of nice chemistry with Dunst and the rest of the cast as his scenes with Dafoe are filled with great, intense acting moments. It's a real break-out role for Maguire as he proves to bring the right notes to play a superhero.

Spider-Man is an excellent, entertaining film that has something for everyone including comic book fans. Even art-film fans can enjoy the entertaining value and depth that the film has, especially since it's going to become a well-deserved profitable franchise. The success of Spider-Man did bring comic book movies back to life but the reason Spider-Man is successful because of Sam Raimi's ability to stay true to the comic as well as giving the characters depth and making the film entertaining. In the end, Spider-Man is a comic book action film done right by giving something for everyone.

Related: The Amazing Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Far from Home - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - (Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse)

Sam Raimi Films: The Evil Dead - (Crimewave) - Evil Dead II - (Darkman) - Army of Darkness - (The Quick & the Dead) - (A Simple Plan) - (For the Love of the Game) - (The Gift) - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - (Drag Me to Hell) - (Oz the Great and Powerful) - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

© thevoid99 2011