Spiderman

It seems strange that two directors who started off making sick horror films on minuscule budgets now sit in the directors chairs of two of the biggest movie franchises in history. However Peter Jackson has now been joined in his position of power by Sam Raimi who has created the natural succesor to Tim Burton's marvelous Batman films.

Spiderman the movie sticks closely to the back story of Spiderman the comic books with shy adolescent Peter Parker being bitten by a super spider and inheriting its super powers. All is not peaches and cream for our boy wonder as his best friend steals his childhood sweetheart and has a Dad who becomes a super villain with a laugh like a hyena. Still at least he doesn't have to worry about the elevator being broken any more.

The casting directors have excelled themselves with the acting talent on show. In his first lead in a mainstream movie Tobey Maguire shows that his subtle gestures and reserved facial expressions become more entrancing the bigger the part gets, continuing the scene stealing form of Wonder Boys and The Ice Storm. He gives himself over to the part of the awkward young man totally, with no hint of vanity or ego, and almost single handedly invests dramatic weight into the story.

The chemistry between Maguirre and Kristen Dunst as the love interest sparks beautifully, with lapsing into hammy melodramatics. However one does have to wonder whether the Dunst's 'peanut' enhanced wet T-shirt was is an acceptable way to cram semi-nudity into a family film.

William Dafoe has a field day as the Green Goblin and clearly learnt a few tricks from Jack Nicholson's performance as the Joker in Batman. His aura, projection and presence seem worthy of the theatre as they burst out of the screen. However he is given to little time to flesh out the details of his character, so instead we have tomake do with a silly laugh and some evil stares most of the time.

The action sequences are executed with the best style money can buy and are everything you would hope for and more. Whether it is apeing the flo-mo effects of the matrix or swinging through the streets of Manhattan at breakneck speed the emphasis of the fill is most definately an entertaining adrenalin rush. This works best when Peter first discovers his talents and sets out swinging across New York with boyish enthusiasm making the odd misjudgement or two.

Spiderman broke a slew of box office records in America when it opened and threatened to overshadow Star Wars Episode 2, however it was unfortunate enough to be released in the middle of the World Cup elsewhere. This time round there is no excuse not to catch the greatest superhero on the block.

David Goody