Spider-Man Review

Spider-Man

Release Date: 6th June 2002 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
Marvel Enterprises
Laura Ziskin Productions

Distribution
Sony Pictures Releasing Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 121 minutes


Budget: $140,000,000

Box Office Gross: $826,614,813 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Peter Parker is an ordinary teenager who, on a high school field trip, gets accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider and discovers his superhuman abilities. When his uncle dies during a robbery, young Peter learns that "with great power comes great responsibility" and vows to avenge his death by using his powers for good. Becoming an extraordinary vigilante, he dubs himself "Spider-Man" and begins to rid the streets of crime before entering a conflict with a dangerous supervillain known as the "Green Goblin."

Cast

Tobey Maguire - Peter
Parker/Spider-Man

Willem Dafoe - Norman
Osborn/Green Goblin

Kirsten Dunst - Mary Jane
Watson

James Franco - Harry Osborn
Cliff Robertson - Ben Parker
Rosemary Harris - May Parker
J.K. Simmons - J. Jonah Jameson
Joe Manganiello - Flash Thompson
Gerry Becker - Maximilian Fargus

Bill Nunn - Joseph 'Robbie' Robertson
Jack Betts - Henry Balkan

Michael Papajohn - Carjacker
Elizabeth Banks - Betty Brant
Ron Perkins - Dr. Stromm
Stanley Anderson - General
Slocum

Randy Savage - Bonesaw
McGraw

K.K. Dodds - Simkins
Ted Raimi - Hoffman

John Paxton - Houseman

Tim DeZarn - Phillip Watson

Taylor Gilbert - Madeline Watson
Bruce Campbell - Ring

Announcer (Cameo)
Lucy Lawless - Punk Rock

Girl (Cameo)

Jim Norton - Surly Truck Driver (Cameo)

Stan Lee - Man in Fair (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Sam Raimi

Based on the Marvel Comic

Book/Executive Producer/
Consultant - Stan Lee

Based on the Marvel Comic Book - Steve Ditko

Screenplay - David Koepp

Associate Producer/Production Manager - Steven P. Saeta
Executive Producer - Avi Arad

Producers - Ian Bryce and Laura Ziskin

Co-Producer - Grant Curtis

Casting Directors - Francine

Maisler and Lynn Kressell

Spider Wrangler - Steven R. Kutcher (Uncredited)

Production Designer - Neil Spisak

Conceptual Artists - James Carson

and Warren Manser

Illustrators - Wil Rees, Harald Belker

and Jim Martin
Supervising Art Director - Steve Arnold
Art Directors - Tony Fanning
and Stella Vaccaro

Art Director: New York Unit - Scott P. Murphy

Assistant Art Directors - François Audouy

and Lori Rowbotham
Set Decorator - Karen O'Hara

Set Decorator: New York Unit - DebraSchutt

Property Master - Robin L. Miller

Costume Designer - James Acheson

Additional Suit and Mask Design - Alec Gillis

and Tom Woodruff Jr.

Director of Photography - Don Burgess

Second Unit Director of Photography -

Christopher Faloona

Production Coordinator - Candice D. Campos

First Assistant Director - Eric Heffron

Second Assistant Director - Michael J. Moore

Second Second Assistant Director - Jeff Shiffman

Second Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Nick Satriano

Second Unit Directors - Doug Lefler
and Jeffrey Lynch
Second Unit Director (Uncredited)/Stunt

Coordinator - Jeff Habberstad

Location Manager: New York Unit - John Fedynich

Special Effects Supervisor - John Fraizer

Project Coordinator: Amalgamated Dynamics,

Inc. - Yuri Everson

Mold Department Supervisor: Amalgamated

Dynamics, Inc. - Steve Frakes

Mechanical Supervisor: Amalgamated Dynamics,

Inc. - David Penikas

Visual Effects Designer - John Dykstra

Visual Effects Supervisor - Scott Stokdyk
Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Karen E. Goulekas

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digiscope -

Brad Kuehn

Visual Effects Supervisor: Pixel Magic -

Ray McIntyre Jr.

Senior Visual Effects Producer - Lydia Bottegoni

Visual Effects Executive Producer: SPI -

Jenny Fulle

Visual Effects Editor: SPI - Kevin J. Jolly

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digiscope - Dion Hatch

Digital Effects Producer: SPI - Carey Smith

Digital Production Manager: SPI - Chris Juen

Senior Concept Designer: SPI - Martin A. Kline

Conceptual Artists: SPI - Michael Scheffe

and John Bevelheimer

CG Character Animation Supervisor: SPI -

Anthony LaMolinara

CG Supervisors: SPI - Daniel Eaton,

Kee-Suk 'Ken' Hahn and Peter Nofz

Effects Animation Leads: SPI - Theo Vandernoot

and Daniel Kramer

CG Character Animation Leads: SPI -

Spencer Cook and Bill Diaz

Motion Control Supervisor: SPI - Gregory Nic Nicholson

Editors - Arthur Coburn and Bob Murawski

Assistant Editors - Jody Fedele, Paul Hart

and A. Michelle Page

Sound Design and Supervision - Susan Dudeck

and Stephen Hunter Flick

Sound Designers - Steven Ticknor,

Martin Lopez and Charles Maynes

Re-Recording Mixers - Kevin O'Connell

and Greg P. Russell

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker and

Matthew Dettman

Sound Mixer - Ed Novick

Music - Danny Elfman


Awards

2003 Academy Awards
Best Sound - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell
and Ed Novick (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk,
Anthony LaMolinara and John Fraizer (Nominated)

Review

While the 2000 X-Men film sparked a new wave of comic book movies, Sam Raimi continued the craze with his Spider-Man trilogy. Extremely faithful to the Marvel comic book series, the 2002 adaptation of SPIDER-MAN may seem like a great superhero movie to my standards. It's good but flawed. Still, the film appealed to comic book fans and was at times heartwarming and funny. It balances fun action with character growth well. While Tobey Maguire was a good pick for Spider-Man, he didn't deliver a standout performance. Willem Dafoe delivers a terrific performance as the Green Goblin, sending shivers down your spine. The effects feel dated, which is a noticeable disadvantage for a movie that relies heavily on high-quality CGI and special effects. Danny Elfman's score is spectacular and captures the film's mood.

SPIDER-MAN was an action-packed, entertaining start to a trilogy and is worth adding to your collection. I look forward to watching the reboot of The Amazing Spider-Man and have high hopes for it.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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