Spider-Man

Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Sam Raimi from a screenplay by David Koepp, it is the first installment in the Spider-Man trilogy, and stars Tobey Maguire as the title character, alongside Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, and Rosemary Harris. The film centers on outcast teen genius Peter Parker, who develops spider-like superhuman abilities after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider.

Development on a live-action Spider-Man film began in the mid 1980s. Filmmakers Tobe Hooper, Joseph Zito, and James Cameron were all attached to direct the film at one point. However, the project would languish in development hell due to licensing and financial issues. After progress on the film stalled for nearly 25 years, it was licensed for a worldwide release by Columbia Pictures in 1999 after it acquired options from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on all previous scripts developed by Cannon Films, Carolco, and New Cannon. Exercising its option on just two elements from the multi-script acquisition (a different screenplay was written by James Cameron, Ted Newsom, John Brancato, Barney Cohen, and Joseph Goldman), Sony hired Koepp to create a working screenplay (credited as Cameron's), and Koepp received sole credit in final billing. Directors Roland Emmerich, Ang Lee, Chris Columbus, Jan de Bont, M. Night Shyamalan, Tony Scott, and David Fincher were considered to direct the project before Raimi was hired as director in 2000. The Koepp script was rewritten by Scott Rosenberg during pre-production and received a dialogue polish from Alvin Sargent during production. Filming took place in Los Angeles and New York City from January 8 to June 30, 2001. Sony Pictures Imageworks handled the film's visual effects.

Spider-Man premiered at the Mann Village Theater on April 29, 2002, and was released in the United States four days later on May 3. The film received positive reviews from audiences and critics, who praised Raimi's direction and tone, the faithfulness and fidelity to the Spider-Man mythos, the action sequences, visual effects, Danny Elfman's musical score, and the performances of the cast (particularly that of Maguire, Dafoe, and J. K. Simmons). The film became a financial success: it was the first film to reach $100 million in a single weekend, and became the most successful film based on a comic book at the time. With a box office gross of over $821.7 million worldwide, it was the third highest-grossing film of 2002, the highest-grossing superhero film and the sixth highest-grossing film overall at the time of its release. Spider-Man is credited for redefining the modern superhero genre, as well as the summer blockbuster. Its success led to Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 in 2004 and 2007, respectively.

Plot

On a school trip, Peter Parker, a high school senior, visits a Columbia University genetics lab, where he is bitten by a genetically engineered super spider that escaped containment and apparently falls ill after returning home. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn, scientist and owner of Oscorp, tries to land a major military contract. He experiments on himself with an unstable performance-enhancing chemical and goes berserk, killing his assistant.

The next morning, Peter discovers that he is no longer myopic and his body has metamorphosed into a more muscular physique. At school, he discovers that he can shoot cobwebs from his wrists and that his accelerated reflexes allow him to avoid injury during a confrontation with bully Flash Thompson. Peter discovers that he has developed superhuman strength, the ability to stick to surfaces, and an increased ability to sense danger.

Ignoring his Uncle Ben's advice that "with great power comes great responsibility," Peter considers impressing his crush Mary Jane Watson with a car. He enters a clandestine wrestling tournament to raise money and wins his first match, but the promoter cheats him with his winnings. When a thief suddenly robs the promoter's office, Peter allows him to escape. Moments later, he discovers that Ben was killed. Peter pursues and confronts the car thief, only to realize that it was the thief he let escape. After Peter disarms him, the car thief flees but dies after falling through a window. Meanwhile, a crazed Norman disrupts a military experiment by Oscorp's corporate rival, Quest Aerospace, and kills several people.

Upon graduation, Peter begins to use his abilities to fight injustice, donning a costume and the personality of Spider-Man. J. Jonah Jameson, editor of the Daily Bugle newspaper, hires Peter as a freelance photographer, as Peter is the only person who provides clear images of Spider-Man. Norman, upon learning of Oscorp's board plans to oust him to sell the company to Quest, murders them at the Unity World's Fair. Jameson calls the mysterious assassin Green Goblin. Norman (as Green Goblin) offers Spider-Man a place by his side, but Peter refuses. They fight and Peter is injured. At Thanksgiving dinner, Peter's aunt May invites Mary Jane, Norman and his son Harry Osborn. During dinner, Norman sees the wound and realizes Peter's identity. Shortly after leaving, Norman attacks and hospitalizes May.

Mary Jane admits that she is in love with Spider-Man, who has rescued her numerous times, and asks Peter if Spider-Man ever asked about her. Harry, who is dating Mary Jane, arrives and presumes that she has feelings for Peter after seeing them hold hands. Devastated, Harry tells his father that Peter loves Mary Jane, and inadvertently reveals Spider-Man's greatest weakness. Norman takes Mary Jane and a Roosevelt Island trolley car full of children hostage along the Queensboro Bridge. He forces Peter to choose who he wants to save and leaves Mary Jane and the children. Peter saves Mary Jane and the streetcar, while the civilians who side with Spider-Man taunt Norman. Norman then grabs Peter, throws him into an abandoned building, and brutally beats him. When Norman brags about how he will later kill Mary Jane, an enraged Peter overpowers Norman.

Norman reveals himself to Peter, who stops attacking and apologizes but at the same time controls his glider to try to impale Peter. Warned by his spider sense, Peter dodges the attack and the glider fatally impales Norman. Norman tells Peter not to reveal his identity as the Green Goblin to Harry. After saying this, Norman dies and Peter brings Norman's body to Osborn's house, where Harry arrives and finds him standing over his father's body. Harry grabs a gun with the intention of shooting Peter, but he escapes.

At Norman's funeral, Harry vows revenge on Spider-Man, whom he holds responsible for his father's death, and claims that Peter is the entire family he has left. Mary Jane confesses to Peter that she is in love with him and kisses him. Peter, however, feels he must protect her from the unwanted attention of his enemies, so he hides his true feelings and tells Mary Jane that they can only be friends. When Peter leaves the funeral, he remembers Ben's words and accepts his new responsibility as Spider-Man

Cast

Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker / Spider-Man

Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin

Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson

James Franco as Harry Osborn

Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker

Rosemary Harris as May Parker