Spider-Man
2002
***
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco
This enjoyable Marvel comic book adaptation launched a hugely successful franchise. Tobey Maguire plays Peter Parker, a high school student who is bitten by a genetically engineered spider. The film is at its best when Peter tries to woo Mary Jane or come to terms with his emerging superpowers. The action scenes, however, look like animation and occasionally consist of two mouthless characters (Spider-Man and Green Goblin) shouting at each other. Followed by Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.
