DVD Movie Rating for: Spider-Man

3 Out Of 5

Movie Plot of: Spider-Man

A rather odd thing has just just occurred in the life of nerdy high school student Peter Parker; after being bitten by a radioactive spider, his body chemistry is mutagenically altered in that he can scale walls and ceilings, and he develops a "spider-sense" that warns him of approaching danger. Adopting the name "Spider-Man", Peter first uses his newfound powers to make money, but after his uncle is murdered at the hands of a criminal Peter failed to stop, he swears to use his powers to fight the evil that killed his uncle. At the same time, scientist and businessman Norman Osborn, after exposure to an experimental nerve gas, develops an alternate personality himself; the super-strong, psychotic Green Goblin! Peter Parker must now juggle three things in his life; his new job at the local newspaper under a perpetually on-edge employer, his battle against the evil Green Goblin, and his fight to win the affections of beautiful classmate Mary Jane Watson, against none other than his best friend Harry Osborn, son of Norman Osborn! Is this challenge too much for even the amazing Spider-Man to handle?

DVD Production Details of: Spider-Man

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst

Director: Sam Raimi

Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby

Studio: Columbia Tristar Home
DVD Features:
Commentary by director Sam Raimi, Kirsten Dunst, producer Laura Ziskin, and co-producer Grant Curtis

Commentary by special effects designer John Dykstra and visual effects crew

Theatrical trailer(s)

Disc 1:

"Weaving the Web": subtitled pop-on production notes and historical facts

Branching web-isodes

Music videos: Hero (Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott), What We're All About (Sum 41)

TV spots

Filmographies and character files

DVD-ROM features: comic/feature comparison, record your own commentary, countdown to "Spider-Man 2"

Disc 2:

HBO Making of Spider-Man

Spider-Mania, an E! Entertainment Special

Director profile: Sam Raimi

Composer profile: Danny Elfman

Screen tests for Tobey Maguire, J.K. Simmons, and CGI Spider-Man

Costume and makeup tests

Gag/outtake reel

Conceptual art and production design gallery

"Spider-Man: The Mythology of the 21st Century" historical documentary

The Spider-Man Comic Book Archives

Rogues Gallery

The Loves of Peter Parker

Comic book artist gallery

Activision game hints and tips

DVD-ROM: Activision PC game with 2 playable levels, 3 exclusive dot.comics, Spider-Man visualizer

Widescreen anamorphic format

Number of discs: 2

Cast of the movie: Spider-Man

• Tobey Maguire.... Peter Parker/Spider-Man
• Willem Dafoe.... Norman Osborne/The Green Goblin
• Kirsten Dunst.... Mary Jane Watson
• James Franco .... Harry Osborn
• Cliff Robertson .... Uncle Ben
• Rosemary Harris .... Aunt May
• J.K. Simmons .... J. Jonah Jameson
• Joe Manganiello .... Flash Thompsno
• Gerry Becker .... Maximilian Fargas
• Bill Nunn .... Joseph 'Robbie' Robertson
• Jack Betts .... Henry Balkan
• Stanley Anderson .... Gen. Slocum
• Ron Perkins .... Mendal Stromm vMichael Papajohn .... Carjacker
• K.K. Dodds .... Ellie Simkins

Photo Gallery of the movie: Spider-Man

Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size, high resolution wallpapers

Spiderman super wallpapers

Spider-Man

Reviews of the movie: Spider-Man

For devoted fans and nonfans alike, Spider-Man offers nothing less--and nothing more--than what you'd expect from a superhero blockbuster. Having proven his comic-book savvy with the original Darkman, director Sam Raimi brings ample energy and enthusiasm to Spidey's origin story, nicely establishing high-school nebbish Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) as a brainy outcast who reacts with appropriate euphoria--and well-tempered maturity--when a "super-spider" bite transforms him into the amazingly agile, web-shooting Spider-Man. That's all well and good, and so is Kirsten Dunst as Parker's girl-next-door sweetheart. Where Spider-Man falls short is in its hyperactive CGI action sequences, which play like a video game instead of the gravity-defying exploits of a flesh-and-blood superhero. Willem Dafoe is perfectly cast as Spidey's schizoid nemesis, the Green Goblin, and the movie's a lot of fun overall. It's no match for Superman and Batman in bringing a beloved character to the screen, but it places a respectable third.

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 pleasently suprised. 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 dialogue that plague films like The Phantom Menace and the catchphrases like "friendly neighbourhood 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.