Spider-Man (2002)

Directed by Sam Raimi. With Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco. When bitten by a genetically modified spider, a nerdy, shy, and awkward high school student gains spider-like abilities that he eventually must use to fight evil as a superhero after tragedy befalls his family.

Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and the first installment in the Spider-Man trilogy.

Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Bill Nunn, Michael Papajohn, Randy Savage, Jack Betts, Ron Perkins, Stanley Anderson, Ted Raimi, Gerry Becker, Elizabeth Banks, Bruce Campbell, Joe Manganiello, Myk Watford, Sam Raimi: Movies & TV

Amazon.com: Spider-Man (2002) / Spider-Man 2 (2004) / Spider-Man 3 (2007) - Set: Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Kirsten Dunst: Movies & TV

After incorporating elements of comic book style and design into many of his films, director Sam Raimi helms this straight-ahead, big-budget comic book adaptation, which also marks acclaimed young actor Tobey Maguire's first dip into live-action blockbuster filmmaking. Spider-Man follows the template of the original Stan Lee/Steve Ditko source material, with hero Peter Parker an orphaned, intellectual teen loner living in Queens with his aunt (Rosemary Harris) and uncle (Cliff Robertson), and dreaming of the girl next door, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). On a field trip to a Columbia University lab, Peter is bitten by a genetically altered spider and overnight he gains superhuman strength, agility, and perception. At first, Peter uses his powers for material gain, winning a wrestling match with a purportedly lucrative prize. But when Peter apathetically fails to stop a burglar from robbing the wrestling arena, a tragedy follows that compels him to devote his powers to fighting crime -- as the superhero Spider-Man. When he's not busy fighting crime in a spider suit, Peter moves into an apartment with his best friend, Harry (James Franco), and begins work as a photographer at the Daily Bugle. Meanwhile, his do-gooder alter ego finds a nemesis in the form of the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), a super-powered, megalomaniacal villain who happens to be the alter ego of Harry's father, weapons-manufacturing mogul Norman Osborn. Spider-Man was written by the prolific blockbuster scribe David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Panic Room). ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Imagine "Superman" with a Clark Kent more charismatic than the Man of Steel, and you'll understand how "Spider-Man" goes wrong. Tobey Maguire is pitch-perfect as the socially retarded Peter Parker, but when he becomes Spider-Man, the film turns to action sequences that zip along like perfunctory cartoons. Not even during Spidey's first experimental outings do we feel that flesh and blood are contending with gravity. Spidey soars too quickly through the skies of Manhattan; he's as convincing as Mighty Mouse.

Spider-Man is a 2002 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man which follows the origins of Superhero and his battle with Green Goblin. The film is the first in the Spider-Man film series. It was followed up by two sequels, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. Peter Parker, Harry...

After being bitten by a genetically altered spider, nerdy high school student Peter Parker is endowed with amazing powers.

Average teenager Peter Parker is transformed into an extraordinary super hero after he is accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider. When his beloved uncle...

After being bitten by a genetically altered spider, orphaned, intellectual teen loner Peter Parker gains superhuman strength, agility, and perception overnight. Presented by FXM

The 2002 "Spider-Man" film (as well as it's 2004 sequel) is not only one of my favorite superhero films, but also one of my favorite films in general. It's over fifteen years old now, and I still always find something new to admire about it whenever I revisit it. Part of that is because on…

Get all the details on Spider-Man: Setting. Description, analysis, and more, so you can understand the ins and outs of Spider-Man.

The reviews for “The Amazing Spider-Man” — in theaters today — have generally fallen in the positive-but-not quite-amazing category, as the current 75%-fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes indicates.

The Definitive After Credits Film Catalog Service

Protagonist Peter Parker is an intellectually precocious but socially inept teenager, too shy to approach Mary Jane Watson (M.J.), the girl-next-door with whom he is smitten. His only friend is Harry Osborn, and even their friendship is tainted with jealousy by the fact that Harry's successful...