Spider-Man is a 2002 movie.
Plot[]
Peter Parker, a high school senior visits a genetics laboratory at Columbia University, along with his best friend Harry Osborn, and Peter's love interest Mary Jane Watson. While taking photos in the laboratory, Peter is bitten on the hand by a genetically engineered "super spider". He is rendered unconscious shortly after arriving home. Meanwhile, scientist and owner of Oscorp Norman Osborn, Harry's father, is attempting to preserve his company's military contract, knowing that its loss will mean the end of his business. He experiments on himself with his company's new, but unstable, performance-enhancing chemical vapor which increases his speed, strength, and stamina. However, it also causes him to become insane and he kills his assistant, Mendel Stromm. The next morning, Peter wakes to find that his previously impaired vision has improved and that his body has metamorphosized into a more muscular physique. At school, he finds himself producing webbing and having the quick reflexes to avoid being injured during a confrontation with bully Flash Thompson. After escaping from the school, Peter discovers that he has developed superhuman speed, strength, the ability to stick to surfaces, and a heightened sense of danger. Uncle Ben tries to give Peter some fatherly advice: "With great power comes great responsibility." Peter, however, brushes off his uncle, telling him it is not his place to tell him what to do.
Lying to Aunt May and Uncle Ben about where he is going, Peter decides to enter a wrestling tournament to get money to buy a car and impress Mary Jane. At the tournament, Peter wins, but the promoter cheats him out of the contest money. When a thief steals money from the promoter, Peter allows the thief to escape. He later discovers that Ben has been carjacked and killed. Peter confronts the carjacker only to realize that it was the very same thief he let get away. After Peter disarms him, the carjacker tries to get away but falls out of a window and dies. Meanwhile, Norman kills several scientists, including General Slocum, who are threatening to drive Norman out of business.
Upon graduating school, Peter decides to use his abilities to fight injustice, and dons a new costume and the persona of Spider-Man. Peter is hired as a freelance photographer when he arrives in newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson's office with the only clear images of Spider-Man. Norman, upon finding out that Oscorp's board members plan to sell the company, assassinates them at the World Unity Fair but Spider-Man arrives and drives him off. Jameson quickly dubs Norman the "Green Goblin". The Goblin offers Spider-Man a place at his side, but Spider-Man refuses, knowing that it is the right thing to do. At the Osborn and Parkers' Thanksgiving dinner, Norman, unknown to Peter, figures out Spider-Man's true identity; the Green Goblin subsequently attacks Aunt May. While Aunt May recovers in the hospital, Mary Jane admits she has a crush on Spider-Man, who rescued her on numerous occasions, and asks Peter whether he ever asked about her. Peter reflects on his own feelings but Harry arrives. Devastated, Harry tells his father whom Peter loves the most, unintentionally revealing Spider-Man's biggest weakness.
The Goblin holds Mary Jane and a tram car full of children hostage on top the Queensboro Bridge where Spider-Man arrives. The Goblin forces Spider-Man to choose who he wants to save, and drops Mary Jane and the children. Spider-Man manages to save both Mary Jane and the tram car, while the Goblin is pelted by civilians showing loyalty to Spider-Man. The Goblin then grabs Spider-Man and throws him into an abandoned building where they fight. When the Goblin boasts of how he will later kill Mary Jane, an enraged Spider-Man overpowers him, forcing the Goblin into being unmasked.
Norman begs for forgiveness, but his Goblin persona attempts to remote-control his glider to impale Spider-Man. The superhero avoids the attack, causing the glider to impale Norman instead, and he dies asking Peter not to tell Harry about the Green Goblin. Spider-Man takes Norman's body back to his house and hides the Green Goblin's equipment, but he is found by Harry, who tries to pull out a gun on him, but he escapes.
At Norman’s funeral, Harry swears vengeance toward Spider-Man, thinking that he is responsible for killing his father, and asserts that Peter is all he has left. Mary Jane confesses to Peter that she is in love with him, but Peter, feeling that he must protect her from the unwanted attentions of Spider-Man's enemies, hides his true feelings and tells her that they can only be friends. As Peter leaves the funeral, he recalls Ben's words about responsibility, and accepts his new life as Spider-Man.
Cast[]
- Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Peter is an academically brilliant but socially inept boy who is bitten by a genetically modified spider and gains spider-like abilities. Maguire was cast as Peter in July 2000, having been Sam Raimi's primary choice for the role after he saw The Cider House Rules. The studio was initially hesitant to cast someone who did not seem to fit the ranks of "adrenaline-pumping, tail-kicking titans", but Maguire managed to impress studio executives with his audition. The actor was signed for a deal in the range of $3 to $4 million with higher salary options for two sequels.[3] To prepare, Maguire was trained by a physical trainer, a yoga instructor, a martial arts expert, and a climbing expert, taking several months to improve his physique.[5] Maguire studied spiders and worked with a wire man to simulate the arachnidlike motion, and had a special diet.
The studio had expressed interest in actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Freddie Prinze, Jr, Chris Klein, Wes Bentley, and Heath Ledger. DiCaprio had been considered by James Cameron for the role in 1995, while Raimi joked of Prinze that "[he] won't even be allowed to buy a ticket to see this film." In addition, actors Scott Speedman, Jay Rodan, and James Franco were involved in screen tests for the lead role.
- Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin
CEO of Oscorp who tests an unstable strength enhancer on himself and becomes the insane and powerful Green Goblin. Unaware of Spider-Man's true identity, he also sees himself as a father figure for Peter, ignoring his own son, Harry. Dafoe was cast as Osborn in November 2000, after Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, and Jim Carrey turned down the role. Dafoe insisted on wearing the uncomfortable costume as he felt that a stuntman would not convey the character's necessary body language. The 580-piece suit took half an hour to put on.
- Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
The girl whom Peter Parker has developed a crush since he was six years old. Mary Jane has an abusive father, and aspires to become an actress, but becomes a waitress at a run down diner, a fact she hides from her boyfriend, Harry. Before Raimi cast Dunst, he had expressed his interest in casting Alicia Witt. Dunst decided to audition after learning Maguire had been cast, feeling the film would have a more independent feel. Dunst earned the role a month before shooting in an audition in Berlin.
- James Franco as Harry Osborn
Before being cast as Peter's best friend and flatmate, Franco had screen tested for Spider-Man himself.
- Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker
May Parker's husband and Peter Parker's uncle, a fired electrician who is trying to find a new job. He is killed by a carjacker whom Peter failed to stop, and leaves Peter with the message, "With great power comes great responsibility."
- Rosemary Harris as May Parker
Ben Parker's wife and Peter Parker's aunt who is highly aware of Peter's love for Mary Jane.
- J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
The grouchy publisher of the Daily Bugle who considers Spider-Man a criminal. Nonetheless, he has a good side and pays Peter for photos of Spider-Man, and refuses to tell the Green Goblin the identity of the photographer.
- Joe Manganiello as Eugene "Flash" Thompson
A repugnant high school student who bullies Peter, and is defeated in a fight after Peter inherits his spider powers.
- Bill Nunn as Joseph "Robbie" Robertson
The kindly editor at the Daily Bugle, who on occasion helps Peter.
- Michael Papajohn as the carjacker
The criminal who robs the wrestling manager who stiffs Peter Parker for his ring performance and murders Ben Parker (although the murderer was retconned as Flint Marko / Sandman in Spider-Man 3). He was killed from falling from a window when confronted by Peter. In Spider-Man 3, it is learned that his name is Dennis Carradine.
- Elizabeth Banks as Betty Brant
As seen in past Spider-Man comics, Betty Brant is Jameson's secretary who has a bit of a soft spot for Peter.