Starring: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco
Director: Sam Raimi
The film: The Peter Parker/Spider-Man character is one of the more 'human' super heroes. Apart from beating up bad guys and saving damsels, comic strip creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko were always at pains to put him in situations with which regular people could identify. Hence we had Parker/Spidey feeling the pangs of love and rejection, dealing with school and family issues, and generally wondering about his place in the world. And one of the many delights in Sam Raimi's adaptation of the Marvel star's story is that the director goes to great lengths to ensure the spirit of the original strip is retained. Signing on Tobey Maguire was a brilliant piece of casting as he brings a suitable sense of confusion to the role after the character's transformation begins. It was a risk. Going into the production, Maguire had hardly established himself as one of Hollywood's action men, forging his career with gentler roles in films such as The Cider House Rules (1999). But he thrives, and his performance grows in strength to match the growth of his character.
This film drops us in at the beginning of the Parker story as we witness him being bitten by that pesky arachnid. Parker is, in the classic tradition of the tortured hero, a loner. But he soon finds his new-found powers can do him - and the world - a great deal of good. His foe is the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe in an at-times lacklustre performance), who has his secrets too.
Another of Raimi's successes is that you genuinely begin to care for the characters - especially, of course, Spider-Man and the girl he loves, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst, pictured) - and that's something we've missed in action films of late.
The extras: 'With great power comes great responsibility' - something the people who put this package together know. Obviously afraid of disappointing Spider-Man fans, they have outdone themselves with treats, the best being a documentary on the historical mythology of the web-spinning wonder. There's a full extra disc with screen tests, gag reel, a 'Making Of' documentary and a PC game for those with DVD-Rom capability. For Hong Kong's Spidey fans, there's a limited edition collector's gift set available including a comic book, prints and entries for a lucky draw.