Let’s get one thing straight right up front: Spider-Man is the bestest superhero in the whole wide world, and I don’t care what you say, he just is. Y’all can take your Batmans and Supermans and Captain Americas and Hulks if you want them. Me? Give me the ol’ webhead any day of the week. He’s got an awesome costume, awesome powers, awesome villains, awesome stories, and his comics have been written by awesome writers and drawn by awesome artists.

Spider-Man is … well, awesome.

That’s why the notion of a live action film seemed a bit sketchy to me. On account of all that awesome. Spidey’s action is a hyperkinetic, wildly crazy thing, all flailing limbs and dazzling leaps and death-defying urban acrobatics. Not only is it the kind of stuff humans can’t do, it’s the kind of thing that is very, very difficult to fake. Translating that to the big screen was a big task – and one they handed to a cult director with no track record when it comes to giant blockbusters. Who thought this was a good idea?

Well slap my ass and call me Sally if Sam Raimi didn’t pull off the whole damn kit and caboodle. Spider-Man rocked like few superhero films had rocked before, bringing to life the wall-crawling and web-slinging in a way I didn’t think would be possible despite modern digital effects. Look too closely and yeah, the CGI was sometimes overly cartoony and totally fake, but sitting there in the theater seeing Spider-Man come to life on the big screen, duking it out with the Green Power Rang… errr, Green Goblin? Yeah, you bet there was a huge grin on my face the whole time. I didn’t care about no crummy effects. It was way too awesome to care.

But the spills, chills and thrills of Spider-Man are not the heart and soul of the film, and that is why it succeeds in a way so many other action-driven films do not. You’ve got to have heart, and Spider-Man has it. Spidey is not Spidey without the awkward and affable Peter Parker, the nerdy, socially inept genius who deep down inside just wants to lead a normal life. Yet lead a normal life he cannot, thanks to the bite of a radioactive (or in the case of the film, genetically altered) spider, which grants him the powers and abilities of a spider. It’s a power he at first takes for granted and uses for selfish purposes, but in what is a timeless morality play up there with the best of ancient myth, Peter learns through the tragic death of his beloved uncle that with great power must also come great responsibility.

Of course, as they are wont to do, some ardent comic fans have quibbled (and in some cases hilariously ranted, raved and complained) about changes made in the translation from the source material. Let them complain. No amount of tightly-clenched asses can alter this simple fact: Raimi captured all the warmth, humanity and angst so essential to the Spider-Man formula, elevating this from empty blockbuster to true greatness. More than a flashy show of special effects, Spider-Man was first and foremost a story about people. Super powers came second. As far as this reviewer is concerned, that is as it should be.

Raimi’s story tackles Spider-Man’s origin, how he discovers and learns to use his powers, the tragic murder (prompted by his own selfish irresponsibility) that sets him on the road to heroism, and ultimately his back-and-forth struggles with the maniacal Green Goblin, a genetically enhanced madman who also happens to be his best friend’s father. Along the way there is lots of humor, drama and turmoil. Oh, and you can throw in the ever so clichéd yet utterly timeless “Peter can’t be with the woman he loves because he can’t tell her the truth” love story, the best friend who must never learn his of his secret identity, and more, too. Yes indeed, as are the comics, Spider-Man is laced the kind of melodrama that would make the daytime soaps proud. And once again, that is as it should be.

Spider-Man was a huge, HUGE hit, and it’s no surprise. The story is as strong as it was more than forty years ago, the characters are fantastic, the action pulse pounding, and Kirsten Dunst’s nipples were very, very wet.

What’s not to like?

Disc Presentation
Does the two-disc release of Spider-Man look great? Yes, it does. The big, bold widescreen looks great (though Raimi was a fool for shooting this in 1.85:1). The colors pop big time, and even the most of intense of action is free from compression artifacts. Night scenes look fantastic, with deep, rich blacks; day scenes have some minor halo effects. Some of the sketchier CGI stands out on bigger screens, but overall this is a visually strong package.

The sound is pretty much flawless. Big, rumbling bass will have your subwoofers trembling, and the active surround mix will keep your speakers working hard. This sounds GREAT even on a modest home theater.

Disc Extras

Weaving The Web: Text Factoids - Fun “pop-up” facts that accompany the movie.

Commentary with Sam Raimi, Kirsten Dunst and producers – Dunst is rather empty-headed and boring, but Raimi and his compatriots offer up a fairly informative, occasionally lively commentary. Worth a listen.

Commentary with special effects crew – Tech-focused, this is a great commentary if you’re interested in how they made Spider-Man happen. If you don’t like such peeks behind the curtain, though, this will bore you to tears.

Music Videos – Chad Kroger? Sum 41? Oh, whatever. Go to hell. No one will ever, ever, ever watch these. And if they do, arrest them.

HBO Making of Spider-Man & Spider-Mania E! Entertainment Special – Two features, both pretty stock “hype the movie” stuff. Entertaining once, but not very insightful, and not something you’d glance at a second time.

Screen tests / costume tests / gag reel – An assortment of odds and ends; I love stuff like this.

Spider-Man: The Mythology of the 21st Century – Very cool documentary with a self-explanatory title, here we’ve got scads of interviews with some of the best comic creators in the business, including Stan Lee, Todd MacFarlane, and John Byrne, among others. This is good watching and a must see for any and all comic fans.

Assorted galleries – Comic book covers, still images, sketches from various comic artists … lots and lots and lots of stuff you will never bother to sort through.

Other stuff – Two playable levels from a PC game, some digital comics, conceptual art, cast and crew profiles, trailers and TV Spots … a whole slew of material packs these two discs tight. Far too much to go into detail, but you’ve got plenty of stuff to check out.

Easter Eggs – Whoa! There sure are a lot. In the commentaries menu, highlight “special features” and press left and hit enter to see CGI bloopers. Another: Main menu, highlight Web of Spider-man comic; highlight DVD-Rom, enter, press up, enter,and you’ll get a cool mini-doc. Also in Web of, highlight Evolution, enter, Artist Gallery, right, and enter to see a brief piece on the Romitas, two of Spider-Man’s very best artists. For the others? Dude, Google them. They’re not all that interesting, anyway.