In May 2002, the first movie in a trilogy was released. “Spider-Man” changed the landscape of how people see superhero movies, and would pave the way for the many superhero movies we see today.
The movie was released to mostly positive acclaim from critics and general audiences alike. Some critics viewed the movie as nothing but mindless entertainment, while others saw it as a fun and energetic movie, with standout action scenes and a great soundtrack scored by award winning composer Danny Elfman. General audiences loved the movie, the action packed fight scenes, and amazing acting from the cast, captured the hearts of the public, grossing over $100 million in its opening weekend, becoming the fastest movie to ever reach that amount.
A major selling point of the movie was the star studded cast, featuring actors such as Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Willem Dafoe. Each actor did a standout job at portraying these characters, Tobey as Spider-Man captured his nerdy side, while also showing how he grows throughout the movie into becoming a superhero. While Willem Dafoe, who plays Norman Osborn and the green goblin, is the highlight of the movie, his performance captures Norman’s descent into madness, as well as green goblins insanity and brutality in such a convincing way.
I have enjoyed this movie for years, as it is an iconic part of anyone’s childhood who loves superheroes. The action packed fight scenes, phenomenal soundtrack, and intense acting and storytelling all come together to make a movie that anyone can watch and enjoy, as it has aspects everyone can enjoy. If you’ve never seen this movie, or any of the live action Spider-Man movies, I would highly recommend watching this one first, it is a great introduction to Spider-Man, and is the beginning of a fantastic trilogy that really flexes the skills of everyone involved.
