The Spider-Man That Started It All

Spider-Man brings the comic book character to life in this first installment of the successful film series in which a geeky high school senior gets bitten by a radioactive spider and undergoes a physical transformation that includes more muscles, improved vision, and web-slinging abilities.

Spider-Man is the Story About a Girl (and a Boy)

More upbeat than Batman and more everyday hero than Superman, this is the story of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), an average guy who unexpectedly becomes altered by scientific technology, and dons a mask and a spandex suit so he can fight crime. But mostly, as Peter is quick to point out, this is really just a story about a girl.

The girl in question is his neighbor Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), a popular classmate with a thuggish boyfriend. As a shy outcast, Peter admires Mary Jane from a safe distance and has only one real friend, Harry (James Franco), a spoiled rich kid who lacks Peter’s innate intelligence. Harry’s father, Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), is an industrial tycoon who undergoes his own transformation after an experiment goes wrong.

After graduating from high school, Peter accepts a job as a newspaper photographer who coincidentally provides exclusive photos of Spider-Man. His life seems to be improving until Harry shows romantic interest in Mary Jane, Green Goblin (Dafoe) commits heinous crimes, and people suspect Spider-Man of evildoing. Suddenly, Peter’s multiple roles as nephew (to his loving aunt and uncle), friend, photographer, and superhero merge into an unpleasant pressure cooker that threatens to explode.

Best known for its special effects, heroic rescues, and special movie moments, Spider-Man also provides a wonderful example of a love triangle, with tangled webs of love, lies, and betrayal fitting for a spider-man.

Spider-Man DVD Bonus Features Disc One

• Widescreen Presentation
• English & French 5.1 (Dolby Digital)
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Weaving the Web: Subtitled Factoids (Pop-On Production Notes and Historical Facts)
• Commentary: Sam Raimi, Kirsten Dunst, Laura Ziskin (producer), and Grant Curtis (co-producer)
• SFX Commentary: John Dykstra (special effects designer) and Visual Effects Crew
• Banching Web-i-sides
• Music Videos: (Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott – Hero and Sum 41 – What We’re All About)
• TV Spots
• Theatrical Trailers
• Filmographies & Character Files
• DVD-ROM: Comic/Feature Comparison, Record Your Own Commentary, Countdown to Spider-Man 2, Weblinks

Spider-Man DVD Bonus Features Disc Two

• HBO Making of Spider-Man
• Spider-Mania: An E! Entertainment Special
• Director Profile: Sam Raimi
• Composer Profile: Danny Elfman
• Screen Tests: Tobey Maguire, J.K. Simmons & CGI Spider-Man
• Costume and Makeup Tests
• Gag/Outtake Reel
• Conceptual Art & Production Design Gallery
• Historical Documentary: Spider-Man: The Mythology of the 21st Century
• The Spider-Man Comic Archives
• Rogues Gallery
• The Loves of Peter Parker
• Comic Book Artist Gallery
• Activision Game: Hints & Tips
• DVD-ROM: Activision PC Game with 2 Playable Levels, 3 Exclusive Marvel dot.comics: Spider-Man: Blue #1, Black Cat #1, & Peter Parker: Return of the Goblin, Spider-Man Visualizer

Spider-Man (Widescreen Special Edition 2002 Two-Disc Set)

• Director: Sam Raimi
• Run Time: 121minutes
• Rating: PG-13 (Stylized action and violence)
• DVD: Extensive bonus features listed above

For more information about superheroes, read The Resurgence of Superheroes.

Tobey Maguire stars as Spider-Man

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