Movie Review for Spider-Man

Summary: Orphaned at an early age, Peter Parker lives in Queens, New York with his beloved Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Peter leads the life of a normal student, working as a photographer at the school paper, pining after the beautiful Mary Jane Watson and hanging out with buddy Harry Osborn. On a school trip, during which Peter and his classmates are given a science demonstration on arachnids, Peter is bitten by a genetically-altered spider. Soon after, he discovers that he has unusual powers: he is endowed with the strength and agility of a spider along with a keen, ESP-like "spider-sense." Peter first uses his powers to make money, but in the face of a tragedy that hits close to home, he vows to dedicate his life to fighting crime, taking to heart the words of his beloved Uncle Ben: "With great power comes great responsibility." Meanwhile, megalomaniacal businessman Norman Osborn, Harry's father, is undergoing some changes of his own. An experimental formula has gone awry, increasing his intelligence and strength but also driving him insane. He is now the Green Goblin, Spider-Man's arch enemy, who will put young Peter Parker's vow to fight crime and help innocent people to the ultimate test.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel of 3BlackChicks Review (6/1)
            A tightly woven web of fun.

By Rebecca Murray of About.com (7/0)
            Bring on the sequels!

By Moriarty of Ain't It Cool Movie Reviews (7/0)
            [Sam Raimi] has crafted a film here that is completely honest to its comic book roots while also ...

By Mike McGranaghan of Aisle Seat (7/0)
            Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.

By Brian Webster of Apollo Guide (7/0)
            A wonderful surprise – a superhero action movie almost everyone can enjoy.

By Dan Jardine of Apollo Guide (7/0)
            A piece of vintage cinematic entertainment with a post-modernist twist

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Marc Savlov of Austin Chronicle (7/0)
            This is perhaps the most spot-on film adaptation of a comic book superhero yet.

By Neil Smith of BBC (7/0)
            A stylish, exciting, and ingenious thrill-ride.

By Emily Blunt of Blunt Review (7/0)
            Finally an awesome super hereo comic book adaptation worth all your bubblegum money!

By Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi of Broomfield Enterprise (7/0)
            The special effects were great, Spider-Man was a stud, and Kirsten Dunst was hot. What else do yo...

By Bryant Frazer of Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus (7/0)
            Like 'The Lord of the Rings,' 'Spider-Man' is grandly, emotionally affecting in a way that it had...

By Lawrence Toppman of Charlotte Observer (7/0)
            I'll sum up my reaction in a word: Yawn.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times (7/0)
            The origin story is well told, and the characters will not disappoint anyone who values the origi...

By Mark Caro of Chicago Tribune (7/0)
            It's got appealing performers as the leads.

By Margaret A. McGurk of Cincinnati Enquirer (7/0)
            The movie swings, literally, with physical and emotional energy for all of its two hours.

By Jules Brenner of Cinema Signals (7/0)
            Though not perfect, Spiderman is the most satisfying movie from a cartoon that anyone could hope ...

By David Keyes of Cinemaphile.org (7/0)
            ...one of the most exhilarating (and silly) screen adventures ever to be inspired by the pages of...

By Yazmin Ghonaim of Cinephiles (7/0)
            Effectively brings to the screen an unforgettable superhero that swings back into contemporary ti...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Karina Montgomery of Cinerina (7/0)
            Thankfully, director Sam Raimi knows a little bit about exposing the cool in something that is ir...

By Nathaniel Rogers of CineScene.com (7/0)
            Dunst imbues the token girlfriend role with such warmth and game spirit that the audience falls i...

By Paul Clinton (CNN.com) of CNN.com (7/0)
            An escapist confection that's pure entertainment.

By Mark Palermo of Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) (7/0)
            Always striking the right balance of whimsy, peril, and real-world angst that's fueled Stan Lee a...

By Jeffrey M. Anderson of Combustible Celluloid (7/0)
            Not only does Spider-Man deliver, but I suspect it might deliver again and again.

By Harvey S. Karten of Compuserve (7/0)
            Watch Tobey Maguire turn the Big Apple criminals into arachnophobes!

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Larry Carroll of Countingdown.com (7/0)
            Spider-Man is in the same category as X-Men - occasionally brilliant but mostly average, showing ...

By Arthur Lazere of culturevulture.net (7/0)
            fast-paced, elegantly produced...firmly focused

By Shay Casey of Daily-Reviews (7/0)
            Toes the fine line between cheese and earnestness remarkably well; everything is delivered with s...

By Steven D. Greydanus of Decent Films Guide (7/0)
            One wide-eyed comic-book movie that revels in its pulp origins.

By Jeff Vice of Deseret News, Salt Lake City (7/0)
            The most 'fun' comic-book movie since the first two Superman films.

By Brian Mckay of eFilmCritic.com (7/0)
            The final sequence . . . will have you leaving the theater feeling both dizzy and giddy, and look...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Collin Souter of eFilmCritic.com (7/0)
            A weightless good time from the great Raimi, but it lacks a truly memorable villain to make it tr...

By Scott Weinberg of eFilmCritic.com (7/0)
            Parents will thrill to see a childhood hero in a full live-action adventure, while a whole new ge...

By Ian Freer of Empire Magazine (7/0)
            Practically pitch-perfect summer entertainment.

By Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly (7/0)
            A canny franchise escapade; it gets the job done.

By Eric D. Snider of EricDSnider.com (7/0)
            Probably the best superhero ever made. So many deft touches.

By Jason Anderson of eye WEEKLY (7/0)
            Fun and nimble.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Eugene Novikov of Film Blather (7/0)
            When Spider-Man soars, and Danny Elfman's amazing score reaches its crescendo, the heart sings.

By Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central (7/0)
            Spider-Man is about growing strange hairs, getting a more mature body, and finding it necessary t...

By Ethan Alter of Film Journal International (7/0)
            Both a successful adaptation and an enjoyable film in its own right.

By John R. McEwen of Film Quips Online (7/0)
            Screenwriter Koepp...successfully adapts his writing style to that of pulp comics, and director R...

By Stephen Himes of Film Snobs (7/0)
            The comic book movie has developed its own cinematic language, Spider-Man possibly blooming into ...

By Michael Dequina of Film Threat (7/0)
            Just about the truest and most satisfying screen adaptation most anyone could have ever hoped for...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Ron Wells of Film Threat (7/0)
            For all its faults, Spider-Man is a good film, and you'll probably have a good time watching it.

By Christopher Null of filmcritic.com (7/0)
            My Spidey sense says that Raimi will finally hit the A-list, Maguire will get some new respect, a...

By Todd Gilchrist of FilmStew.com (7/0)
            Let the gauntlet be thrown: Spider-Man may be the best comic adaptation of all time.

By MaryAnn Johanson of Flick Filosopher (7/0)
            Thank the gods for Sam Raimi / A filmmaker who's geekified / He knows why we stand in line

By Rob Vaux of Flipside Movie Emporium (7/0)
            For an hour or so, it really achieves something memorable. The rest of the time, it contents itse...

By Michael W. Phillips, Jr. of Goatdog's Movies (7/0)
            Tobey Maguire is one of the only decent things about the film, and he is hampered by a completely...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Eric Lurio of Greenwich Village Gazette (7/0)
            The film actually is excellent for the first two thirds.

By Peter Bradshaw of Guardian [UK] (7/0)
            This is entertaining stuff, and Sam Raimi has spun a good yarn for the summer.

By Ross Anthony of Hollywood Report Card (7/0)
            A strong first act and absolutely, inescapably gorgeous, skyscraper-trapeze motion of the amazing...

By David Poland of Hot Button (7/0)
            Once it gets rolling, it gets past the CG problems that plague the early swinging sequences and t...

By Gary Brown of Houston Community Newspapers (7/0)
            Spider-Man is best described as an origin film, laying the foundation for future sequels.

By Bruce Kirkland of Jam! Movies (7/0)
            My spider sense says Spider-Man will be a deserving blockbuster hit.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By John Paul Powell of Jam! Movies (7/0)
            A flat-out fun film.

By Louis B. Hobson of Jam! Movies (7/0)
            A whiz-bang, action-packed fantasy with a genuine love story at its core.

By JoBlo of JoBlo's Movie Emporium (7/0)
            If you're looking for an all-around good time at the movies, grab a friend, grab some popcorn...a...

By Bob Bloom of Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) (7/0)
            This long-awaited screen adaptation of the Marvel super hero does not disappoint.

By Alex Sandell of Juicy Cerebellum (7/0)
            Leave this overblown Saturday Morning Cartoon where it belongs ... in the clearance bin at your l...

By Manohla Dargis of L.A. Weekly (7/0)
            Introduced in 1962, the original superhero helped to initiate the age of modern comics. Raimi has...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Jon Niccum of Lawrence Journal-World (7/0)
            Very few liberties are taken with the story, and the ones that are (such as Spidey's webbing abil...

By Jeffrey Overstreet of Looking Closer (7/0)
            This is one of those rare adventure movies in which character, not violence, is the backbone of t...

By Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times (7/0)
            Though [Raimi's] Spider-Man marks time more than it needs to and is no more than sporadically exh...

By Mark Dujsik of Mark Reviews Movies (7/0)
            You can tell the movie was made by people who enjoy the source material and have no fear of makin...

By Matt Easterbrook of Matt's Movie Reviews (7/0)
            It has everything you'd really want in a popcorn movie: humor, action, romance, and a really hot ...

By Brian Orndorf of Modamag.com (7/0)
            Majestic entertainment, brought to life by a creative team that deserves a mountain of accolades ...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Kevin N. Laforest of Montreal Film Journal (7/0)
            Raimi’s film is actually closer in spirit to a coming-of-age story like “Almost Famous” than to a...

By Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (7/0)
            Don't get me wrong, Spider-Man is no instant classic, but as summer blockbuster entertainment, yo...

By David N. Butterworth of Movie Boeuf (7/0)
            Enthralling, exciting, exhilarating.

By Nell Minow of Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (7/0)
            "Spider-Man" will not only make you believe that a teenager can swing from the skyscrapers; it wi...

By Kevin A. Ranson of MovieCrypt.com (7/0)
            ... the most faithful 4-color to film adaptation to date. And yes, it's amazing.

By Mark Ramsey of MovieJuice! (7/0)
            Tobey Maguire is one of our best young actors, and he couldn't be more appealing here.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Jeremy Heilman of MovieMartyr.com (7/0)
            The movie shoots for, and usually achieves a sense of giddy exuberance, but it comes at the cost ...

By Jorge Avila Andrade of Moviola (7/0)
            Si el siglo XXI necesita de héroes, el Hombre Araña parece haber llegado para quedarse.

By Stuart Klawans of Nation (7/0)
            Spider-Man was the first really alienated guy to swoop around fighting crime in a funny outfit. H...

By James Rocchi of Netflix (7/0)
            Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire bring a hero to cinematic life with a fun, fast, action-packed blockb...

By Peter Rainer of New York Magazine (7/0)
            Despite all the computer-generated effects and highflying superhero theatrics, this roughly $120 ...

By A. O. Scott of New York Times (7/0)
            The filmmakers have succeeded in rejuvenating the character while staying faithful to his roots.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Nick Davis of Nick's Flick Picks (7/0)
            It's the kind of movie for which words of tepid praise are invented.

By Elias Savada of Nitrate Online (7/0)
            Do I smell franchise? Who doesn't?

By Jeffrey Westhoff of Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) (7/0)
            Someday rational thought will return and I will realize “Spider-Man” does not rank among the mile...

By Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews (7/0)
            This Spider-Man is a sticky popcorn film, that should appeal to a Multiplex audience looking for ...

By Jeanne Aufmuth of Palo Alto Weekly (7/0)
            Spinning a web of dazzling entertainment may be overstating it, but "Spider-Man" certainly delive...

By Jon Popick of Planet Sick-Boy (7/0)
            Raimi is one of the best filmmakers out there, especially when it comes to making dark, comic-boo...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Cynthia Fuchs of PopPolitics.com (7/0)
            Spidey's wrestling with moral questions makes him more sympathetic, not less.

By James Kendrick of Q Network Film Desk (7/0)
            a deeply human and often moving character story in addition to a rousing action-adventure fantasy

By Andrew Manning of Radio Free Entertainment (7/0)
            A top-notch movie...the epitome of an outstanding summer blockbuster.

By Mark R. Leeper of rec.arts.movies.reviews (7/0)
            More fun than I was expecting.

By Mary Kalin-Casey of Reel.com (7/0)
            Raimi's effort is fun, funny, and filled with spectacular effects -- and about as good an imagini...

By Laura Clifford of Reeling Reviews (7/0)
            a commercial comic that's head and shoulders above the bloated summer blockbusters of 2001

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Robin Clifford of Reeling Reviews (7/0)
            Tobey Maguire IS Peter Parker.

By James Berardinelli of ReelViews (7/0)
            This is a pure popcorn movie -- the kind of film one can unabashedly enjoy for what it is.

By Forrest Hartman of Reno Gazette-Journal (7/0)
            Sam Raimi has created a picture so likable and true to the Marvel comic book that comparisons wit...

By Bob Grimm of Reno News and Review (7/0)
            Putting a comic book geek in charge of your Marvel franchise proves to be a very good thing.

By Jack Garner of Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (7/0)
            A cool comic-book movie with enough thrills for any kid and a haunting emotional depth missing in...

By Peter Travers of Rolling Stone (7/0)
            Raimi gives this unapologetic fluff a mind, a heart and a keen sense of fun.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Harry Guerin of RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) (7/0)
            Will have any 12-year-old trying to perfect that trick of hoisting themselves up between walls us...

By Joe Baltake of Sacramento Bee (7/0)
            A model of what films like this should be like.

By Charles Taylor of Salon.com (7/0)
            What holds the movie together is its modest, sweet spirit.

By James O'Ehley of Sci-Fi Movie Page (7/0)
            Part teenager movie, part soap opera, with clunky dialogue and over-the-top acting, the movie man...

By Jim Judy of Screen It! (7/0)
            Fun, but not in the same league as Superman.

By William Arnold of Seattle Post-Intelligencer (7/0)
            A movie that reminds us of just how exciting and satisfying the fantasy cinema can be when it's a...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Rich Cline of Shadows on the Wall (7/0)
            A franchise is born.

By Kim Newman of Sight and Sound (7/0)
            Full of deftly handled small moments and characters.

By Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine (7/0)
            Raimi does right by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's original creation via an old-fashioned comic book ...

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of Spirituality and Practice (7/0)
             A thoroughly enjoyable big-screen adaptation of the popular Marvel comic book with a top-notch p...

By Rob Blackwelder of SPLICEDWire (7/0)
            ...with the candy-like taste of it fading faster than 25-cent bubble gum, I realized this is a th...

By Tony Toscano of Talking Pictures (U.S.) (7/0)
            A big-budget fantasy film with exceptional acting and special effects.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Bob Ross of Tampa Tribune (7/0)
            It took a decade or two to bring Spidey's story to the screen, but fans will appreciate the long-...

By Dustin Putman of TheMovieBoy.com (7/0)
            A dazzling show-stopper that...is better than any of the Batman movies ever were.

By Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone of TheMovieChicks.com (7/0)
            The action is too repetitive (how many different ways can you swing between buildings). Spider-ma...

By Scott Nash of Three Movie Buffs (7/0)
            At its best, it's action packed fantasy, grounded in reality by a talented cast who pack a real e...

By Audrey Rock-Richardson of Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) (7/0)
            With the exception of the worst and most obvious cinematic soda-plug I have ever seen in a movie,...

By Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide's Movie Guide (7/0)
            This fast-paced entertainment is a surprisingly successful mix of spectacle and human-scale drama...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Ian Waldron-Mantgani of UK Critic (7/0)
            A review threatens to turn into a session of gushing because the film is that type of experience;...

By Urban Cinefile Critics of Urban Cinefile (7/0)
            It’s everything you want it to be… Spider-man is web-tastic! A comic book magically brought to li...

By Mike Clark of USA Today (7/0)
            This is a rare twisted crowd-pleaser for longtime fans as well as novices -- or for those that do...

By Matthew Turner of ViewLondon (7/0)
            Terrifically entertaining blockbuster that, for once, gets everything right.

By Jeffrey Chen of Window to the Movies (7/0)
            Raimi and his team couldn't have done any better in bringing the story of Spider-Man to the big s...

By Susan Granger of www.susangranger.com (7/0)
            Raimi and writer David Koepp never lose the lighthearted comic-book sensibility.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Michael Szymanski of Zap2it.com (7/0)
            A perfect summer popcorn movie with lots of great effects, enough action, plenty of laughs, lots ...

By Phil Villarreal of Arizona Daily Star (3/4) No reference
            This captures neither the letter nor the spirit of the Spider-Man of comic book and cartoon fame

By James Hill of BET.com (3/4) No reference
            The movie knows how silly it can look, but dares you not to enjoy it.

By Josh Gilchrist of Billings Outpost (Montana) (3/4) No reference
            In the hands of director Sam Raimi and screenwriter David Koep, “Spider-Man” is able to wrap a we...

By Christine James of Boxoffice Magazine (3/4) No reference
            Raimi does know his genre.

By Luanne Brown of Chico Enterprise-Record (6/1) No reference
            The script by David Koepp is perfectly serviceable and because he gives the story some soul ... h...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Luis Martinez of Cinenganos (3/4) No reference
             Cuarenta años de lectores y fans emergen detrás de esta superproducción y ninguno de ellos queda...

By Dan Fazio of Citysearch (3/4) No reference
            Well-acted, funny and exciting, Spider-Man is on par with the first Batman.

By Matt Brunson of Creative Loafing (3/4) No reference
            Remove Spider-Man the movie from its red herring surroundings and it's apparent that this is one ...

By Steven Rosen of Denver Post (3/4) No reference
            Plays like a sensitive 1980s-era John Hughes teen film ... interrupted by really tawdry special e...

By Susan Stark of Detroit News (3/4) No reference
            Exciting as it is tender and romantic, Raimi's Spider-Man looks like a movie that will please not...

By Sean O'Connell of Eclipse Magazine (3/4) No reference
            Elements of Lee's classic tales may be present, but each and every one gets doctored just enough ...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Erin Free of FilmInk (Australia) (3/4) No reference
            '…a perfectly pitched blockbuster where the characters come first.'

By Donald Munro of Fresno Bee (3/4) No reference
            It's a solid addition to the comic-book-movie genre.

By Marshall Fine of Journal News (Westchester, NY) (3/4) No reference
            An unexpectedly rich experience: exciting, complex and way larger than life.

By Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star (3/4) No reference
            It's still a comic book, but Maguire makes it a comic book with soul.

By Danny Minton of KBTV-NBC (Beaumont, TX) (3/4) No reference
            Spiderman is exactly the kind of movie that you want to kick off the summer with.

By John Larsen of Light Views (6/1) No reference
            ...whose only goal is to entertain, which it does with the veracity of an attentive party host wh...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Eric Campos of Mars Colony (3/4) No reference
            [Raimi's] matured quite a bit with Spider-Man, even though it’s one of the most plain white toast...

By Chuck Rudolph of Matinee Magazine (3/4) No reference
            Just as much of a boring, by-the-numbers, interchangeable mess as the next.

By Jason Clark of Matinee Magazine (3/4) No reference
            All the dough in the world doesn't disguise hollow, simplistic storytelling

By Jonathan Foreman of New York Post (3/4) No reference
            A surprisingly charming and even witty match for the best of Hollywood's comic-book adaptations.

By John Anderson of Newsday (3/4) No reference
            Speaking in terms of spectacle, craft, romance and humor, it's the movie to beat this summer.

By Shawn Levy of Oregonian (3/4) No reference
            It's hard to recall the last time a big-ticket summer movie delivered so fully on its promise.

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Jay Boyar of Orlando Sentinel (3/4) No reference
            A yarn that respects the Marvel version without becoming ensnared by it.

By Gary Thompson of Philadelphia Daily News (3/4) No reference
            The movie is a platform for Maguire and especially Dunst.

By Sean Means of Salt Lake Tribune (3/4) No reference
            Director Sam Raimi gives Marvel Comics' wall-crawling hero the cinematic treatment he has always ...

By David Elliott of San Diego Union-Tribune (3/4) No reference
            High-crafted and amusing.

By Joe Leydon of San Francisco Examiner (3/4) No reference
            The very best slam-bang, gee-whiz comic-book movie ever made.

By Stefan Birgir Stefansson of sbs.is (3/4) No reference
            cool

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Moira MacDonald of Seattle Times (3/4) No reference
            A movie that both thrills the eye and, in its over-the-top way, touches the heart.

By Nicolas Lacroix of Showbizz.net (3/4) No reference
            Sam Raimi a réussi un tour de force: l'adaptation de bande dessinée la plus fidèle à voir le jour...

By Todd Anthony of South Florida Sun-Sentinel (3/4) No reference
            In this age of soulless, FX-driven action franchises Raimi anachronistically emphasizes character...

By Chris Hewitt (St. Paul) of St. Paul Pioneer Press (3/4) No reference
            It's good fun that engages our heart.

By Paul Arendt of Teletext (3/4) No reference
            'Tobey Maguire is a poster boy for the geek generation.'

By Cory Cheney of Urban Tulsa Weekly (3/4) No reference
            "Spider-man is better than any summer blockbuster we had to endure last summer, and hopefully, se...

                         Reviews of Spider-Man
By Desson Thomson of Washington Post (3/4) No reference
            With disarmingly entertaining movies like this, dare I say, who needs big bad superhero movies?

By Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of Atlanta Journal-Constitution (5/2) Not Reachable
            A picture jam-packed with swinging action scenes, spiffy spider jokes and an unforced earnestness...

Movie Distributors

Production Companies
Marvel Studios
Laura Ziskin Productions

Movie Studios
Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group