'Spiderman' is a movie released in 2002 featuring the fictional superhero from Marvel Comics - Spiderman.  Directed by Sam Raimi, the movie brought fame to Tobey Maguire, the actor who played the role of Spiderman and his alter-ego, Peter Parker.

  

High school student Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically engineered spider in a laboratory, acquiring the spider's physical abilities in the process.  Peter has transformed overnight - his vision improves, his strength, speed, and stamina increase tremendously, and he starts producing spider web material that he was eventually able to control.

 

Meanwhile, Norman Osborn (played by Willem Dafoe), a brilliant scientist and owner of Oscorp., has had his own transformation.  Experimenting with an untested chemical on himself, he is also able to acquire astounding physical abilities, but with a price to pay - the chemical also caused him to be mentally unstable and have the propensity to kill.

 

Peter Parker's initial use of his powers is less than ideal - he tried to win some money in a wrestling match but allowed a robber to get away, which subsequently leads to the killing of his beloved Uncle Ben.  He decides to use his powers to fight evil, and emerges with an alternate identity for this purpose - Spiderman.

   

Figure 1.  Mary Jane gives Spiderman an upside-down thank-you kiss in this scene, which was spoofed by ToyHollywood.com in this video.

  

Oscorp was in trouble, so when his board members voted to sell his company, Osborn killed them all under his vicious alternate identity which would later be called the 'Green Goblin'.  The Green Goblin entices Spiderman to join him so they can rule the world together, but Spiderman refuses.

 

Soon the Green Goblin attacks Peter's Aunt May who has had to be hospitalized as a result. It is at this point that Peter learns that Mary Jane (played by Kirsten Dunst), a girl he has always loved, has developed a crush on Spiderman.  Things got complicated when he himself started to be drawn away from Mary Jane, who in turn has become closer to Harry (played by James Franco) Osborn, the son of Norman.

  

The Green Goblin soon goes after Mary Jane to lure Spiderman to him.  Spiderman saves Mary Jane, but his action-packed encounter with the Green Goblin causes the latter to be killed by his own glider by accident. During the Green Goblin's final moments, Spiderman sees his true identity - Norman Osborn, the father of his best friend.  Harry blames Spiderman for his father's death and vows vengeance.

 

The movie ends with Peter Parker embracing his new crime-fighting role as the amazing Spiderman.

  

'Spiderman' grossed $822M worldwide. This box-office success paved the way for two more sequels - Spiderman 2 and Spiderman 3.