Spider-Man movie review

By Travis Conant

Superhero movies were not always as big as they are now. The early to mid 2000s offered adventures such as Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man stars Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker), William Dafoe (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson)  and James Franco (Harry Osborn) The film is set in a 2002 New York City.

The main plot follows Peter Parker as he struggles figuring out where he belongs. When on a field trip Parker gets bitten by a genetically altered spider and gains superhuman abilities which mimics a spider. After his uncle’s death, Parker decides to use these powers for good. 

While filming one issue the crew faced was the costume. The mask made it really hard for them to do simple movements such as talking during the CGI process and facial features had to be enhanced. The suit designers had unique ideas but decided to keep the suit similar to comics but added a modern twist to it with silver webbing which created a three dimensional feel. Before the webbing was made to pop out of the suit, it was hard to see due to the camera recording process and they also added a larger spider on the back of the suit.

The soundtrack was composed by Danny Elfman. He produced original songs for the film. Elfman also worked on films like Dumbo (2019), The Avengers (2015) and Fifty Shades Of Grey (2015).

In one scene Parker protects Mary Jane from a group of thugs. The scene’s music slowly builds foreshadowing the impending action, Spider-Man’s arrival marks a rise in intensity. While I did not care for this scene, the music enhanced the viewer’s experience.

Overall, this movie was really well produced, excellently casted and helped bring Spidey into the TV world. The Raimi trilogy helped lay the groundwork for the other 47 Marvel movies that have been released since.