This article is about the 2002 film.
- For the 1977 film, see Spider-Man (1977 film)
- For the 1978 film, see Spider-Man (1978 film).
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and the first instalment in the Spider-Man trilogy. The film stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, a high school student living in New York City, who lives a double life as the superhero Spider-Man, after developing spider-like super powers. Spider-Man also stars Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris.
Plot[]
High-school senior Peter Parker, a school outcast, lives with his aunt May and his uncle Ben. On a school field trip, he visits a genetics laboratory with his friend Harry Osborn and his love interest Mary Jane Watson. Peter is bitten by a genetically engineered "super spider". After arriving home, he becomes unconscious. Meanwhile, Harry's father, scientist Norman Osborn, a billionaire and the owner of Oscorp, is trying to win an important military contract. He experiments on himself with an unstable performance-enhancing chemical. After applying the chemical, he goes insane and kills his assistant, Dr. Stromm.
The next morning, Peter finds that he is no longer near-sighted, and his body has transformed into a more muscular physique. At school, he finds that his hands can produce webs, and his quickened reflexes allow him to avoid injury during a confrontation with Flash Thompson. Peter discovers he has developed superhuman speed, strength, the ability to stick to surfaces, and a heightened ability to sense danger.
Ignoring Ben's advice that "With great power comes great responsibility", Peter plans to buy a car to impress Mary Jane. He participates in an underground fighting tournament and wins his match, but the promoter cheats him and refuses to pay him the reward money. When a robber suddenly raids the promoter's office, Peter allows him to escape with the money. Moments later, he discovers that Ben was carjacked and killed. Peter pursues and catches the culprit, only to find out that was the robber he let go. During their confrontation, the robber trips and falls out of a window to his death. Meanwhile, a crazed Norman interrupts a military experiment by Oscorp's rival, using a weaponized glider from Oscorp's research and development department to kill several scientists and the military's General Slocum.
Upon graduating, Peter begins using his abilities for a good cause to atone for his uncle's death, donning the costume of Spider-Man. J. Jonah Jameson, a newspaper company headmaster, hires Peter as a freelance photographer since he is the only one providing high-quality images of Spider-Man.
Learning that Oscorp's board members plan to fire him and sell the company, Norman takes the glider and a specialized flight suit to assassinate them at the World Unity Fair. Jameson dubs the mysterious killer "the Green Goblin", based on the suit's color and the mask that Norman dons. During his encounters with Spider-Man, Norman proposes that he join him in chaotic and destructive schemes, arguing that the public will eventually turn against a hero, but Peter refuses. They later fight, and Peter is wounded. At the Thanksgiving dinner, May invites Mary Jane, Harry, and Norman. There, Norman sees the wound on Peter's arm and realizes his true identity. Shortly after he leaves, Norman attacks and hospitalizes May.
Mary Jane admits she is infatuated with Spider-Man, who has rescued her twice, and asks Peter whether Spider-Man ever asked about her. Harry, who is dating Mary Jane, arrives and presumes she has feelings for Peter after seeing them hold hands. Devastated, Harry tells his father that Peter loves Mary Jane, unintentionally revealing Spider-Man's biggest weakness.
Norman holds Mary Jane and a Roosevelt Island Tram car full of children hostage alongside the Queensboro Bridge. He forces Peter to choose whom he wants to save before dropping Mary Jane and the children. Peter manages to save both Mary Jane and the tram car, while Norman is pelted by the civilians. Norman then grabs Peter and throws him into an abandoned building, where Peter is brutally beaten. When Norman rants about how he will kill Mary Jane, an enraged Peter overpowers Norman.
Norman reveals himself to Peter, much to Peter's shock. He begs for forgiveness but furtively controls his glider to attack Peter. Sensing the danger, Peter dodges the glider and it impales Norman, killing him. As Norman dies, he begs Peter not to tell Harry the truth of his identity. Peter takes Norman's body back to his house. Harry arrives to find Spider-Man standing over his father's body. He seizes a gun to shoot Spider-Man, but he escapes and hides Norman's equipment.
At Norman's funeral, Harry vows to kill Spider-Man, whom he deems responsible for his father's death. He asserts that Peter is all the family he has left. Mary Jane confesses to Peter that she is in love with him. However, Peter feels that he must protect her from the unwanted attention of his enemies. He hides his true feelings and tells Mary Jane that they can only be friends. As Peter leaves, he recalls Ben's words and accepts his new responsibility as a superhero - Spider-Man.
Cast[]
- Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
- Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
- Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin
- James Franco as Harry Osborn
- Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker
- Rosemary Harris as May Parker
- J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
- Joe Manganiello as Flash Thompson
- Bill Nunn as Robbie Robertson
- Michael Papajohn as The Carjacker
- Elizabeth Banks as Betty Brant
- Ron Perkins as Dr. Mendel Stromm
- Randy Savage as Bone Saw McGraw
Sequels[]
Spider-Man spawned two sequels: Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Hugh Jackman revealed that he was supposed to have a brief cameo as Wolverine. Jackman actually showed up in New York to film the scene, but the entire plan was scrapped when the crew couldn't get access to the Wolverine costume from X-Men (2000).
- The first Marvel movie to showcase the flipping pages Marvel logo.
- After the terrorist attacks on the USA of 11 September 2001, Sony recalled teaser posters which showed a close-up of Spider-Man's face with the New York skyline (including, prominently, the World Trade Center towers) reflected in his eyes. Not all the posters were recovered, however, and the ones still at large are now highly prized collector's items.
- Released in 2002, the year of Spider-Man's 40th anniversary.
- Third highest grossing film of 2002.
| Spider-Man |
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| Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2022), Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027) |