Spider-Man

Directed by Sam Raimi

Screenplay by David Koepp

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

What happens?

School nerd and mad scientist compete for Stupidest Costume Award while the director of The Evil Dead shows us how to make the perfect superhero movie.

When it comes to superheroes it’s always been about the Big Three: the reclusive, pointy-eared millionaire, the alien who didn’t know where his pants went, and the other o­ne - Marvel’s arachnid fetishist whose rivals starred in movies while he…well…didn’t.

How ironic then, that when Spider-Man did finally make it to the screen, it was the best of the lot.

An everyman in the midst of change, Peter Parker is unsure of his calling.  There is no breathing space for Spider-Man’s alter-ego, his choices are literally: do or die.  And this is where the movie really wins over its audience.  In Tobey Maguire we get so much more than the 2D beefcakes of the past; we get a fully-rounded actor playing a character who realistically grows, as fate forces him to make a stand while others his age pout and whine.

With a back catalogue of challenging roles, and in Pleasantville a bona fide classic, o­ne senses that Maguire will not be overshadowed by the red-and-black mask temporarily hiding his face.

Similarly, Kirsten Dunst is perfect as Mary Jane, the girl next door who lets her own mask slip having been worn down by an abusive father and uncaring boyfriend.  Dunst is just as impressive as Maguire in bringing real emotion to the role, creating a character that other, less accomplished actresses may have allowed to become hollow eye candy.

And so to the villain – the final part of the comic book triptych.  As Norman Osborne, a man struggling with his inner demons, Willem Dafoe is spot o­n.  He portrays a man troubled by his weakened mental state with a sensitivity not often seen in cartoon baddies.  In short he acts where others would ham, which makes his transformation into the Green Goblin – think Power Ranger’s villain with the voice of Stephen Hawking – all the more despairing.  o­nce Osborne’s face is hidden behind a ridiculous mask that is about as menacing as Miss Daisy, Dafoe falls flat o­n his chrome-plated arse.

Gormless green gimp apart, this is the superhero film we have been waiting for.  David Koepp has written a screenplay that doesn’t rely o­n stunts to keep the audience amused, and although the action comes thick and fast it is the drama that lingers long after the final explosion, with the concluding scene between Dunst and Maguire close to perfection. 

This isn’t a dreamscape of cotton candy clouds; it is a movie deeply rooted in our own reality.  Spider-Man is a real story with real people set in a real world, and hats off to the actors, writers and director for showing life’s insecurities so effectively when they could easily have been lost in a blur of special effects.

Verdict: The market leader in superhero movies: 4 out of 5.

By Vincent Ralph email

Spider-Man - official website

Spider-Man - trailer