Spider-Man

2002 Fantasy

After incorporating elements of comic book style and design into many of his films, director Sam Raimi helms this straight-ahead, big-budget comic book adaptation, which also marks acclaimed young actor Tobey Maguire's first dip into live-action blockbuster filmmaking. Spider-Man follows the template of the original Stan Lee/Steve Ditko source material, with hero Peter Parker an orphaned, intellectual teen loner living in Queens with his aunt (Rosemary Harris) and uncle (Cliff Robertson), and dreaming of the girl next door, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). On a field trip to a Columbia University lab, Peter is bitten by a genetically altered spider and overnight he gains superhuman strength, agility, and perception. At first, Peter uses his powers for material gain, winning a wrestling match with a purportedly lucrative prize. But when Peter apathetically fails to stop a burglar from robbing the wrestling arena, a tragedy follows that compels him to devote his powers to fighting crime -- as the superhero Spider-Man. When he's not busy fighting crime in a spider suit, Peter moves into an apartment with his best friend, Harry (James Franco), and begins work as a photographer at the Daily Bugle. Meanwhile, his do-gooder alter ego finds a nemesis in the form of the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), a super-powered, megalomaniacal villain who happens to be the alter ego of Harry's father, weapons-manufacturing mogul Norman Osborn. Spider-Man was written by the prolific blockbuster scribe David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Panic Room). more..

Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Tobey Maguire,Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe,James Franco,Cliff Robertson

Reviews

  • Maguire and Dunst keep Spider-Man on a high with their sweet-sexy yearning, spinning a web of dazzle and delicacy that might just restore the good name of movie escapism.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    27 May 2013

  • This is a rare twisted crowd-pleaser for longtime fans as well as novices -- or for those that don't know an arachnid from an insect.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    27 May 2013

  • Every action adventure needs a memorable villain, but no movie needs the strident intensity of Mr. Dafoe, who either has no interest in, or no grasp of, the sort of charmingly malign wit that Gene Hackman brought to "Superman," or Jack Nicholson to "Batman."

    Joe Morgenstern - The Wall Street Journal

    27 May 2013

  • A canny franchise escapade; it gets the job done. But it also leaves you hungry for something more, and I don't necessarily mean the next episode.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    27 May 2013

  • The Spider-Man saga is a classic for a reason, and the filmmakers don't squander the material's strengths.

    Mark Caro - The Chicago Tribune

    27 May 2013

Awards

  • Best Sound

    Academy Awards (2003)

     
  • Best Music

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2003)

  • Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography

    American Choreography Awards (2002)

     
  • Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects

    BAFTA Awards (2003)

     
  • Danny Elfman

    BMI Film & TV Awards (2003)