 Spider-Man: The High Definition Trilogy 3-Movie 4 Disc Boxed Set - Part 1 Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man centers on student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who, after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, gains superhuman strength and the spider-like ability to cling to any surface. He vows to use his abilities to fight crime, coming to understand the words of his beloved Uncle Ben: "With great power comes great responsibility." Storyline: Based on Marvel Comics' superhero character, this is a story of Peter Parker who is a nerdy high-schooler. He was orphaned as a child, bullied by jocks, and can't confess his crush for his stunning neighborhood girl Mary Jane Watson. To say his life is "miserable" is an understatement. But one day while on an excursion to a laboratory a runaway radioactive spider bites him... and his life changes in a way no one could have imagined. Peter acquires a muscle-bound physique, clear vision, ability to cling to surfaces and crawl over walls, shooting webs from his wrist ... but the fun isn't going to last. An eccentric millionaire Norman Osborn administers a performance enhancing drug on himself and his maniacal alter ego Green Goblin emerges. Now Peter Parker has to become Spider-Man and take Green Goblin to the task... or else Goblin will kill him. They come face to face and the war begins in which only one of them will survive at the end. Written by Soumitra Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, August 7, 2013 With great power comes great responsibility. Although it was X-Men that unofficially kicked off the massive Superhero film craze of the 2000s -- no doubt the decade will be remembered for its slew of mega-budget blockbusters featuring Marvel's and D.C.'s finest -- it was Director Sam Raimi's (The Evil Dead) Spider-Man that was the first humongous success and the picture that paved the way for the influx of films and the countless sequels that swooped into cineplexes in the following years. Though some controversy befell the film before its Summer 2002 release -- promotional materials featuring the World Trade Center were recalled and various scenes depicting the structures were re-filmed or digitally edited -- Spider-Man opened to tremendous financial success, breaking box office records that would stand until Raimi's own Spider-Mansequel would surpass it. Fortunately, the film lives up to its earnings; it's an exciting, well made, and balanced picture that takes its time developing characters, relationships, and themes and not simply relying on wall-to-wall (or web-to-web) action and visual effects to stun audiences into forgetting the absence of a greater purpose. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) lives with his adoptive aunt and uncle and is the school nerd the jocks love to shove around. He's a science geek and never travels anywhere without his trusty camera. He's secretly in love with his next-door neighbor, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), who's dating one of the guys who sees fit to bully him. He has only one person he might consider a friend: Harry Osborn (James Franco), a prep school reject and son of a wealthy researcher and founder of the powerful "Oscorp," Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe). On a school field trip to a science lab, Peter is bitten by an escaped spider. He barely makes it home, crashes on the floor, and awakens the following morning to improved eyesight, sticky hands, heightened senses, great physical strength, and even the ability to scale walls. He uses his power to make money in a low-rent wrestling show, but when his uncle is murdered, Peter turns into a masked crime fighter known as "Spider-Man." Meanwhile, Dr. Osborn inject himself with an unproven and unstable serum that brings him heightened powers and a lust for violence and mayhem, transforming him into a diabolical villain known as "The Green Goblin." The Spider-Man formula of quality character development, deeper themes under the surface, huge action, quality performances, and light humor would be mimicked in Iron Man but left behind for the significantly darker -- visually and thematically -- Christopher Nolan Batman films. Both styles fit their respective universes very well, though Sony would try to take the darker approach with its Spider-Man reboot with much success. It demonstrates that there's more to moviemaking than source material, that it can be molded into almost anything if the writing -- particularly the story themes -- acting, and photography are up to the challenge. The cheery thrills and colorful world of Raimi's Spider-Man, however, proves highly agreeable not just in look and tone but in the ease with which it allows audiences to access the film's inner world, to go along for the ride in some intimate detail, whether slinging through the city at high speed and dangerous heights or sharing the most intimate character moments. The picture is very well balanced, then, and it comes together with a tight, unbreakable cohesion at its core, placing everything just-so to make a movie that captures not only the spirit of the comics but also the magic of motion pictures. The film shines in a lot of areas, notably in how well the digital effects integrate into the real world. Spider-Man's web slinging adventures blend almost seamlessly with his surroundings, whether flying through buildings or rescuing a cartful of children plunging to their deaths. The film is very well paced and beautifully photographed, capturing not just a look but also a feel of both big action and adventure and intimate drama, the two working in harmony to heighten the film's effectiveness. Beyond all of that, however, is what might be the picture's best asset: its cast. There's an evident chemistry between the leads that only helps to give shape to the dramatic currents and action scenes both. Peter Parker's inner love for Mary Jane is nicely balanced by his outward clumsiness; the actors never fumble the burgeoning relationship that proves naturally progressive and believable from the inside out. Maguire also handles the physical role of Spider-Man well, growing into the part not just physically but also emotionally. He makes Spider-Man strong but vulnerable, and that vulnerability -- not just in his physical confrontations but his inner condition that's used against him -- shapes him more than his outer strengths. Raimi and Maguire both manage to find emotion under the mask and use it to elevate every critical scene, boosting not only the action but the character content, too. Dunst and Franco are excellent as well, the former shining brightly as she gradually falls for Peter and the latter bringing a genuine nuance to his character beyond what is a fairly unimaginative foundation. The film's brightest star, however, is Willem Dafoe. He's so likable -- despite his occasionally standoffish attitude with his son that gives way to pride and love in some scenes -- that one can't help but to root not for his demise but for some life-changing experience to end the film. He plays the character complexities between Norman and the Goblin wonderfully, with both extremes making for a fascinating psychological study supported by some hyperrealistic abilities and scientific support. Spider-Man might not delve into any groundbreaking territory, but it's a rock-solid entertainer with everything working in total harmony. It's a ridiculously fun watch, a movie with a great cast, expert direction, memorable content, well-defined and evolving characters, exhilarating action, and a core foundational dramatic arc that defines the movie more than any of the action. It's not the best of the 2000's comic book films -- it's outdone by several films, including the sequel -- but it ranks highly and amongst the finest. (Based on Comic Book) Cast Notes: Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Willem Dafoe (Norman Osborn/The 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, Daily Bugle Editor), Joe Manganiello (Flash Thompson), Gerry Becker (Maximilian Fargas, Oscorp Board Membor), Bill Nunn (Joseph "Robbie" Robertson, Jameson's Assistent), Jack Betts (Henry Balkan, Oscorp Board Member), Stanley Anderson (General Slocum), Ron Perkins (Dr. Mendel Stromm, Oscorp Employee), Michael Papajohn (Carjacker), K.K. Dodds (Simkins, Daily Bugle Reporter). IMDb Rating (11/08/17): 7.3/10 from 589,527 users IMDb Rating (12/19/11): 7.4/10 from 217,021 users
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