Peter Parker is going through a major identity crisis. Burned out from being Spider-Man, he decides to shelve his superhero alter ego, which leaves the city suffering in the wake of carnage left by the evil Doc Ock. In the meantime, Parker still can't act on his feelings for Mary Jane Watson, a girl he's loved since childhood. A certain anger begins to brew in his best friend Harry Osborn as well...

Sam Raimi

Director

7.3

16146 votes

Putting Action After Feelings of a Superhero

This wonderfully vibrant entertainment — surely one of the best comic-book movies ever — reminds us that being a superhero is not all fun and games. The first hour is a Pop Art chronicle of suffering and indignity, as poor Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) struggles with the loneliness and frustration of being an anonymous urban crime fighter. His powers are waning, he has lost the respect of the woman he loves, and even Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) seems a little disappointed in him. Meanwhile, a new supervillain, the tragic and terrifying Doc Ock (Mr. Molina), rampages through New York on mechanical arms with minds of their own. There is plenty of noise and color, and some so-so special effects, but the real thrill comes from Sam Raimi's devotion to his hero's complex, conflicted emotional life, and to the melancholy, grown-up love story that develops between Peter and MJ (Kirsten Dunst), who comes into her own as a strong and decisive character, while still fulfilling the traditional comic-book girlfriend duties of screaming, getting kidnapped and being rescued. — A. O. Scott