I watched Spider-Man with a friend on a Sunday night. Since everyone is elsewhere durin this time, we had no trouble finding seats.

The story if probably familiar to all by now: Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically engineered spider during a class trip to Columbia University. He develops a muscular body, the ability to climb on walls with ease, and acrobatic talents... never mind the ability to shoot webs from his forearms. He uses these abilities to win cash during a wrestling match in New York CIty, only to find that his uncle has been carjacked and shot. To honor his uncle's memory, he pledges to help hunt down criminals and bring them to justice. At the same time, he develops a desire to sleep with his next-door neighbor Mary Jane Watson. Enough with the plot.

I enjoyed the movie for its pure viewing pleasure. The beginning and end of the flick were pretty good, but also a bit depressing. It was the middle of the flick, between Peter Parker's changeover into Spidey and his final battle with the Green Goblin, that was most worthwhile- and funny.

The middle-of-the-movie climax goes like this: Peter Parker is standing amongst a crowd in Times Square, looking up to see his girlfriend Mary Jane standing up a building terrace. The crowd is watching the grating Macy Gray literally coughing her guts out on stage. It's a corporate-sponsored concert, by the way.

All of a sudden, What looks like the Green Goblin is seen riding on a jet-propelled surfboard above the crowd. He shoots a neutron bomb into the building, blowing out the windows and damaging the stone terrace where Mary Jane and others are standing on. Another neutron bomb kills a group of executives also on the terrace. (thus saving taxpayers millions in CEO salaries, compensation, stocks, and so on.)

All of the surviving people manage to escape the terrace except for Mary Jane, who happens to be conveniently stuck on one broken-off section of the terrace that's crumbling and tipping over. She's literally lying there and screaming for help while the terrace supports begin to crumble beneath (the still-stable main terrace is barely inches away from her, stupid girl)

Meanwhile, Peter Parker has quickly changed into Spidey and dashes up the walls to confront the Goblin. They battle it out, needless to say; a few NYPD officers rush in to arrest the villain, only to be clobbered with ease. After a while, the Green Goblin flees after his surfboard is damaged when Spidey pulls some wires; a few seconds later... the terrace crumbles and Mary Jane falls- then comes Spidey to the rescue! You know the rest.

The graphic and details in the flick, as well as the nice shots of New York's Queensboro Bridge and the cable car next to it, are self explanatory. Character-wise, Tobey Maguire is good as Spidey, and acts the part real well. The original- and more believable costume- he wears in the wrestling ring, is as good as the more familiar spandex suit. If he were to do his own stunts, he'd get even more credibility. The director- Sam Raimi, I believe, was right to pick him instead of Freddie Prinze Jr.

The Green Goblin is the end-product of a botched scientific experiment by CEO Norman Osborne, played by William Dafoe, who also was excellent with his role. Dafoe also portrayed his mental instability with convincing style. His Osborne character, by the way, becomes the Green Goblin when his company board votes to kick him out of their company, and he gets furious. But why pick on Spidey again and again after the Times Square battle? He could just use his neutron weapons to kill off the greedy execs, take back his firm, get some counseling, and be done with it.

As for Kiersten Dunst, her role as Mary Jane Watson was rather impressive, considering she had little to do than look pretty and fall for Spidey. She carries her lines well, and her chemistry with Tobey Maguire is excellent, although her role in the Times Square scene leaves much to be desired.

I'm not going into the other flaws in the movie. But the Times Square scene alone is worth watching for the intensity and the funny goofs, as well as the good acting abilities of the three main stars.

Update Aug 2003: I have to note some other details I missed the first time. I watched the flick over at a friend's house last weekend.

The computer graphics were a lot more detailed and more convincing than I originally thought, especially the motion views of the tall buildings as Spidey leaps and web-swings through the city.

The end climax where the Green Goblin battles Spider-man over the Queensboro Bridge on the East River has one unnecessary scene. Spidey has caught both Mary Jane and a cable car full of children from falling (yes there is a cable tramway running parallel to that bridge). the Green Goblin is flying in his rocket surfboard trying to knock our hero off his pedestal. As he makes one pass, he is pelted by some large can. Suddenly there are angry new Yorkers hurling fruit, rocks, even steel beams at the Goblin. One guy even screams out: "You hurt one of us, you hurt all of us!" Please. While I understand that the film came out not long after 9-11, remember that it's only a movie, not some patriotic documentary.

There's another scene where Spidey saves a baby in a burning building, only to confront the Goblin when h goes back in to save more people. During the fight, the Goblin throws several ninja stars at Spidey, who evades them by leaps and contortions in slow-motion scenes right out of the Matrix.

I also have to note James Franco, who plays Norman Osborne's son Harry. His acting style is overall average, and his conversations with Dunst don't have much emotion. His chemistry with both everyone else is good but not the exquisite communication that one would find in an Academy Award Winner.

Oh by the way, Kiersten Dunst looked very umm... desirable wearing that exquisite Chinese silk dress in the Times Square scene. And she even had chopsticks in her hair!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening