Spider-Man (2002)
The film that made the genre legal: Raimi, Maguire, Dafoe's Goblin, 90% on RT. Where the modern era began. The spine of the whole shelf.
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Spider-Man (2002) is a action and adventure film from Movies. It runs about 121 minutes. It holds a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What Spider-Man (2002) Is About
Spider-Man (2002) is a action and adventure film produced for Movies.
It stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe and James Franco.
What to Expect When You Watch
It runs about 121 minutes and it leans into its action/adventure roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the film leans on Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Willem Dafoe to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris lead the cast.
Key roles include Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker / Spider-Man; Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson; Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin; James Franco as Harry Osborn; Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of action, adventure and sci-fi have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside Movies’s other originals and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Since it arrived and carried by Movies, it lands hardest with action and adventure viewers.
How Spider-Man (2002) Compares
If Spider-Man (2002) lands for you, the next stops are Avatar: The Last Airbender, Attack on Titan and Star Trek: The Next Generation, which share its action/adventure lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Spider-Man (2002) comes from Movies. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole Spider-Man (2002) is the kind of film that rewards a patient watch, with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its action/adventure roots and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Spider-Man (2002) is a safe bet for anyone already inside the action and adventure lane and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 7.5/10. Watch it if you want action/adventure you can settle into.
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