SPIDER-MAN
Released: May 3, 2002
Yea, we know the story... When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy high school student gains spider-like abilities which he must eventually use to fight evil as a superhero. Director Sam Raimi, he of the brilliant "Evil Dead" trilogy, brings Spider-Man into the modern era with ease. And with lots of CG too, of course. This movie generated $114 million on its opening weekend and I don't think it was because it was a great movie (it wasn't) but rather I think the marketing team at Sony deserve full props (and an Oscar) for bringing this big screen adaption to the masses in this record breaking fashion. Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire play the leads with Maguire handling the spider costume well. Support from Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin adds a nice touch but a Raimi film like "A Simple Plan" is still leagues better than this. It's not that "Spider-Man" is bad - it's merely not so memorable. The sequel is already slated for a May 7th, 2004 release...
Columbia/Sony
121 Minutes