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Spun by director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) and writer David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible), Spider-Man is a fine story to introduce the web-slinger into a marketplace that was not used to big-budgeted superhero flicks outside of the Caped Crusader and Superman.

The story holds up very well, but then again, it is barely ten years old, so of course it should still seem relevant and be with us. I do see how The Amazing Spider-Man can differentiate itself by being set primarily in high school, which this film uses only in its opening act. Peter’s transition into superhero mode is fairly quick and there is a somewhat blurred sense of time as far as pacing is concerned.

Maguire is well cast, but I didn’t feel as if he fully owned the role until Spider-Man 2. Dunst, with her comic-hued red hair, is a fine love interest. Dafoe steals the show as the cackling Goblin, creating a frightening-yet-kid-friendly villain that fits perfectly into Raimi’s Spidey universe, thanks to his deft balancing of genres.

It was fun to spot the pre-famous cameos of True Blood’s Joe Manganiello as jock Flash Thompson, Elizabeth Banks as J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary, and The Help’s Octavia Spencer as the “Check-In Girl” at the underground wrestling arena. The only cameo that makes the film feel dated is Macy Gray (remember her?).

The special effects hold up surprisingly well, given how much ground has been broken in only a decade’s time. Even without the aid of 3D that The Amazing Spider-Man seems to be relying on with the marketing, the flying sequences are immersive and framed at a distance, making the size relationship clear and even more impressive.

Spider-Man was groundbreaking in several ways. One, it opened up the floodgates for B- and C-list superheroes to get big budget film adaptations, including Daredevil (2003), Catwoman (2004), Fantastic Four (2005), Ghost Rider (2006), and of course, The Avengers’ star player Iron Man (2008).

Secondly, Spider-Man placed further emphasis on opening weekend records. Swinging into the record books, Spider-Man was the first film to make over $100M in three days. Nowadays, that seems to be more of a precedent for any big-budget film to do. Opening with $114.8 million over the first weekend of May, the web-slinger held very well, webbing in $403.7 million ($551 million today) and nearly the same amount overseas. While I do not see The Amazing Spider-Man reaching such a height, given its Tuesday opening, it should come close to Spider-Man 2’s $88 million weekend tally after opening on Wednesday, leading into the fourth of July weekend.

Nominated for two minor Oscars, Spider-Man lost best visual effects to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Its biggest accolade probably was winning “Best Kiss” at the MTV Movie Awards for the now classic upside-down in the rain make out session.

A great set-up to an acclaimed sequel and an okay-threequel, Spider-Man still is an impressive visual feat with a classic story and fun characters. The Amazing Spider-Man will certainly face an uphill battle this week, proving its existence against the Raimi-Maguire flick that still has the ability to wrap audiences into its strong web.

Verdict: With Us
8 out of 10

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