In 2002,Spider-Manwas released to theaters. It broke opening weekend numbers by bringing in over $114 million dollars. It would go on to make $825 million on a budget of $139 million over its theatrical run. It was also very well received by critics, and adored by fans. It spawned two sequels, and a reunion of sorts inSpider-Man: No Way Home. Now, 20 years later, it’s just as impactful and enjoyable. Everything from the performances, to the iconic music and, most importantly, it’s introduction to the most relatable superhero of all time.
This movie has stood the test of time for years, and will continue to do so down the line as fans remember it fondly.
The Performances
Everyone knows how good of a performer Willem Dafoe is. He’s had a long, prolific career that earned him four Academy Award nominations. He even recently received anhonorary doctorate from UWM. He brought that same energy and skill to the villainous Norman Osborn. He played him with pure chaos, anger, and a surprising amount of vulnerability. Norman is a complicated character in this film. He’s undergoing a crisis in his life, and slowly losing his mind. It spawned somebest moments for the character. His performance is still recognized as one of the greatest super villain performances ever. Like Tobey, Dafoe would end up returning to the role almost 20 years later inSpider-Man: No Way Home.
Willem Dafoe’s isn’t the only great performance here. The entire main cast is incredible, with Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco all showing up. All of them totally embody their characters, and the chemistry between Maguire and Dunst is easily one of the best romantic pairings in any superhero film. It plays on the classic “girl next door” trope, but does it extremely well. Franco plays the son of Dafoe, and despite looking absolutely nothing alike, they do prove to have great chemistry as well. Their relationship sets up every single movie that would follow. Even if Dafoe wouldn’t return for them. One of the most underrated performances comes from Cliff Robertson, playing Uncle Ben. His death was heartbreaking, and lasted in the minds of audiences for years. No one has ever said, “With great power comes great responsibility” better. It also can’t be understated how good J. K. Simmons is as J. Jonah Jameson. Every actor playing that role from now on is just chasing Simmons.
Related:Tobey Maguire Opens Up About Spider-Man: No Way Home Return
Danny Elfman may be best known forcomposing the incredible works of Tim Burton, but his score for this movie is equally iconic and important. It helps define the character and set the tone that not only is this a Marvel film, but a Sam Raimi film too. The impact of this score can be felt throughout every subsequent Spider-Man movie and game, with each one attempting to capture that magical feel that Elfman created during the web-slinging scenes. There’s no greater feeling of adventure than when Peter first starts to swing around New York, and the main title theme blasts through the cinema speakers.
This score was so important to the minds of audiences, that it was used to elicit feelings of nostalgia duringSpider-Man: No Way Home.Even if they didn’t immediately realize why they were feeling the way they were feeling, it’s hard to deny the power of an iconic score on the minds of audiences.
Related:Best MCU Scores, Ranked
Not Part of a Bigger Franchise
In 2002, there was no interconnected story-telling present in superhero films. There was no massive MCU conglomerate like there is today. Whether you feel that this is a good thing for film in general, it’s hard to deny that part of this film’s charm is that it works as a solo film. No need to read synopsis, or watchshows on Disney Plus. It simply told the story it told, and audiences were carried along without a problem. This film’s separation from something like the MCU is a huge part of the reason it has staying power over 20 years later. It’s a wholly unique story meant not only to introduce us to Peter Parker, but to set the stage for the world of superheroes. It’s hard to invest audiences in a story of a man gaining powers through a spider bite, but this film did it in an age where superhero movies were almost always considered to be flops.
While there weresuperhero stories that found success prior to 2002, this was the film that proved that they could not only be box office juggernauts, but also critically acclaimed. Interconnected story-telling franchises are here, and they’re not going anywhere. This movie proved that you don’t need them to tell a great adventure story.
Peter Parker is Every Kid
Amy Pascal, president of Columbia Pictures at the time of the release,spoke to Varietyon the film, “We didn’t have a lot of those kinds of characters, but in those days, to be honest, I didn’t really think about things that way. You know, nobody talked about IP. Nobody said “content.” Nobody said you need superhero movies. People didn’t talk like that. We fell in love with Peter Parker.” Peter Parker is every kid who’s ever wanted to be something more than they are. He wasn’t an athlete, he wasn’t rich, and he was in love with someone that barely noticed him. More than any other iteration of Spider-Man, the original film shows the overwhelming humanity that Peter brings to the table. Despite all the things that life hurls at him, he still puts on the suit and saves the day without a single thank you or anyone even knowing it was him.
Peter Parker is, in the truest sense, a real superhero. 20 years later, there hasn’t been a better example of this than the 2002 film that introduced the majority of the world to the web-slinger. This film, thanks in part to the character, will go down as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time.
