Spider-Man
Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe,
Kirsten Dunst, James Franco
Director : Sam Raimi

Tasty. I've come to the rather cynical decision that the phrase 'exceeds expectation' can no longer be used in the real world. Nothing will ever exceed them anymore - we have created a world where we take it all for granted. Nothing is ever that good and anyone who says otherwise is lying.

So where the hell does that leave us? Well, with Raimi at the helm, one should always expect the unexpected - and I guess the unexpected this time was that it may end up as another Batman. No sir. Spider-Man has it all. Style, story and SFX in all the right places. It works because all Spider-Man has ever been is a story; not a hero comic, but a story with real people and likeable characters. Raimi taps right into that vein and that's what makes it work.
    Spilling just the right amount of prelude to the story to keep non-fans informed, but moving quickly enough to avoid a whole movie about it, Spider-Man soon develops a life of it's own with Mary Jane and Peter Parker sparking up a chemistry that sizzles to the end. It has a fair amount of self referential humour and in-gags but never leaves anyone behind - and that is what truly makes this a movie and not an event. Even the best informed of fans must get bored witless waiting for the next in-joke. It's quite obvious that they're not going to happen right from the beginning - leaving you to just settle into the movie and just go along for the ride.
    For once, here's a movie that doesn't need a plot explaining - there is no real plot of any substance because it's a movie about people. A story if you will. Remember them? They're the things they used to show us at the flicks before the money kicked in. Heroes, villains, a pretty girl, families and failure. Who can't relate to that?

For all the hype, Spider-Man can stand on it's own eight legs and stand proud that all it is, is what it is: A huge summer blockbuster. (Which is more than can be said for Attack Of The Clones. If there are gods out there looking over me, I hope I can get the two hours I wasted watching it tagged back on the end of my life). Go see it at the multiplex - find the biggest screen you can. Like Lord Of The Rings, this is not a movie to see on video or pirated DVD. It's made for the big screen. People who decide to watch movies at home aren't killing the industry . . . just themselves. Go . . . now. Run.

:: Sion Smith