Spiderman

Spider-man, Spider-man, does whatever a spider can. So, is this a film about scaring ladies and getting flushed down the plughole? Yes. Ok, no, but you don't really need me to explain what this film is about. If you missed the massive hype that surrounded this then you were obviously somewhere far away such as the moon.

So what if you have been sitting in a cave (maybe on the moon) for a year? Then this bit's for you. It's all about a girl, that's what spidey himself tells us, of course the mutant spider powers and crime-fighting are involved as well, along with a perky green mental case. That's all I really need to tell you to refresh on all the major aspects of the story.

Spider-man had been lingering in development hell for years, only the sucess of films such as X-Men gave the executives the confidence that this would make us part with our hard earned cash. Coming on the back of a recent trend for comic book films, Spider-man has all the elements you'd expect; fancy costumes, confused heroes, spectucular action sequences and a villain with less than moral standards and a penchant for mischief.

The film deals mostly with how wimpy student Peter Parker came to fill the role of the web-slinging super-hero, complete with the requisite personal tragedy and training of his new spider powers. If you haven't read the comic books, then you'll be amused at spidey's pre-crimefighting career choice. In one of the funniest scenes he has a little trouble while trying to work his web-shooters, of course followed by more swinging around than a hyperactive seven year old in the playground.

The thing that sets Spider-man apart from most normal action/comic-book films is the quality of the acting. The three leads all perform spectacularly, each bringing a sense of believability to their somewhat unbelievable roles. Tobey Maguire is just the right mix of enthusiasm and innocence to bring Spider-man to life; Willem Dafoe brings humanity to what would be an otherwise unsympathetic character, at points actually making you feel sorry for him despite his crazy murderising; As for Kirsten Dunst, well, as perky as usual and part of the best on-screen kiss of the year.

As to be expected, the action sequences and special effects are spectacular, with only a few moments when the effects are a little too obvious. The costumes are great, especially Mary Jane in the rain, if that counts. The perfect set-up for a long running francise, you wouldn't want to be the only one not to have seen this film, would you? Come on, sing along with me; Spider-man, Spider-man, does some of the things a spider can...