From the opening credits of Spider-Man, it's clear director Sam Raimi not only loves his source material, but understands how to communicate his enthusiasm and reverence.
His film is a whiz-bang, action-packed fantasy with a genuine love story at its core.
From his first scene, it's equally clear that Tobey Maguire is the true hero of the film in every way.
He was an inspired choice to play the reluctant superhero.
In Maguire's hands, what could have been a caricature is now a complex, multi-layered character complete with an endearing quirky charm.
Maguire is Peter Parker, the shy bespectacled high school senior who excels in science, heads the chess club and is a budding photographer.
He's also the quintessential high school outcast.
He's a nerd, a geek, a dork and, tragically, he's smitten with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), one of the most beautiful and popular girls in school.
Worse yet, she happens to be his next door neighbour which makes matters of the heart even more heartbreaking for Peter because Mary Jane barely realizes he exists.
Peter's only friend and ally is Harry Osborn (James Franco), the son of wealthy megalomanical industrialist Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe).
During a class field trip to the local science centre and museum, Peter is bitten by a radiated spider and, overnight, develops amazing powers, amazing skills and an amazing new body.
As Spider-Man, Peter uses his gifts for the greater good of humanity. He turns into a crime fighter and champion of the downtrodden.
In a parallel story, Norman Osborn takes an untested serum his firm is developing and becomes stronger and physically more skilled.
Unlike Peter, Norman uses his new powers for self-serving evil.
Soon that evil is pitted against good in an age-old battle that must see one of them destroyed.
Raimi maintains an excellent balance of comic book violence, corny humour, youthful angst and tender emotions.
Maguire is especially hilarious in the early scenes when Peter discovers and experiments with his new web-spinning, wall-climbing, high-flying abilities.
With just a telling look or calculated gesture, he instantly registers disbelief, confusion, exhilaration or joy and has the skills to let the audience share in Peter's journey of self-discovery.
Equally funny but also sweet are Peter's bumbling attempts to hide or communicate his feelings to Mary Jane.
It's a performance so rich in detail it consistently makes Spider-Man much more than a live-action comic book.
It's a heartfelt story about the pains of adolescence.
Dafoe is mesmerizing in the scenes in which he makes Osborn a modern day Jekyll and Hyde.
He switches instantly and effortlessly from being frightened and uncertain to being a snarling, raving madman.
Because Dafoe is such a masterful actor, his costume for Norman's deranged alter ego the Green Goblin is so wrong and restrictive.
He looks like some kind of awkward hybrid of the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the extraterrestrial menace in Alien.
Jack Nicholson was so good as Batman's arch enemy the Joker because he was still able to use his face whereas Dafoe's face and body are fully encased in armour.
Dunst walks the difficult tightrope of making Mary Jane sexually alluring and flirtatious while preserving the girl's innocence and morals.
Franco is underused but is still able to show how conflicted Harry's relationships with his father, Peter and Mary Jane really are.
The few scenes in the newspaper office are comic gems with J.K. Simmons as the booming publisher and Ted Raimi as the office assistant who keeps rushing in with updates.
Veteran actors Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris bring warmth and pathos to their performances as Peter's aunt and uncle.
For the first half of the film, David Koepp's screenplay is faithful to the Marvel comic books.
It's in the second half that Koepp takes his own flights of fantasy.
The special effects which allow Spider-Man and the Green Goblin to challenge gravity are stunning, lively and initially a great deal of fun.
Eventually they become repetitive as do the duels between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin until both become less interesting than the emotional turmoil of the characters.
Spider-Man's greatest virtue is that it doesn't apologize for being a comic book come to life.
It's aim is to entertain and it does so royally.
That it also manages to strike some deeper chords is a testament to the genius of its director and the undeniable talents of its actors.
Like its hero, the movie soars with the greatest of ease and the greatest of style.
(More on Spider-Man)
(This film is rated PG)
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