Roger Ebert gave the film two and a half stars, likening it to a Superman whose Clark Kent is more charismatic than the Man of Steel.
Asked whether the tepid review exposed weaknesses on rewatch, the reply is the opposite: the film is loved even more.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Training montage; rain kiss

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 00:36:44Read transcript

The first of three nominations is the high-school sequence from catching Mary Jane and the lunch tray, reportedly done in 156 takes without CGI, through the fight with Flash. — Charles Holmes
The high-schoolers look far too old, which is excused as the norm of the Dawson's Creek and Beverly Hills, 90210 era.
The final choice is the training montage: designing the costume, testing web shooters and learning his strength, so that reaching the suit after about an hour feels earned. — Charles Holmes
The first montage of him in the suit and the power-learning sequence are also nominated.
The first Green Goblin fight at the gala is praised for enhanced hand-to-hand combat, surprising for a director not known for action.
The final fight in the abandoned house is nominated because its punches feel real compared with heavily CGI modern films.
The Thanksgiving dinner is nominated for the Goblin's leering at Mary Jane and Aunt May and as the pivotal moment he learns Peter's identity from the glider cut.
The other final choice is the kiss in the rain after he lowers himself down to Mary Jane, called the film's most iconic scene, very romantic, and reportedly an MTV best-kiss winner.

What’s Aged the Best?

Practical effects; superhero-movie blueprint; Spider-Man as a character; lead performance; cast

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:47:04Read transcript

Practical effects: unlike Lucas using CGI like a kid with a highlighter, the director kept fights and deaths tactile, a prime reason it has aged better than later films such as The Amazing Spider-Man and remains rewatchable.
The film is called the definition of the modern superhero movie structure, while Blade is credited with opening Marvel up in 1998.
Spider-Man as a character has aged sublimely, with three film series, MCU appearances, Into the Spider-Verse, video games and birthday-party ubiquity since 2002.
The lead performance is called the best portrayal of Spider-Man, and this is called the best-acted cast of any Spider-Man film.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Organic web shooters; weak CGI; homophobic wrestling joke; Hero theme song

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:53:01Read transcript

The organic web fluid, traced to James Cameron's treatment, seemed wrong at age nine and looks even worse now. — Charles Holmes
Some CGI needed another pass, especially the festival balloons and the disintegrating skeletons. — Charles Holmes
Spider-Man's wrestling taunt asking whether the opponent's husband gave him the outfit is called homophobic and would not fly today.
The number one end-credits song Hero by the Nickelback and Saliva singers has aged poorly, although one host disputes that the song itself sucks.

Casting What-Ifs

Kate Hudson as Mary Jane; Tig Notaro in the check-in role; Elizabeth Banks as Mary Jane; James Franco as Peter; Nicolas Cage as Norman Osborn

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 00:56:13Read transcript

Kate Hudson reportedly turned down Mary Jane to make The Four Feathers; Alicia Witt and other actresses were also considered.
Many young white actors, including Freddie Prinze Jr. and Leonardo DiCaprio, were reportedly considered for Peter.
Octavia Spencer's wrestling check-in role was reportedly offered to Tig Notaro, who was then asked to audition and lost it.
Elizabeth Banks reportedly sought Mary Jane, was called too old, and got the Betty Brant role instead; James Franco reportedly auditioned for Peter.
Nicolas Cage as Norman Osborn is raised as the biggest what-if and judged an awkward fit next to James Franco.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Michael Papajohn

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 00:59:00Read transcript

Michael Papajohn, the robber with 124 IMDb credits who usually plays goons, is the first nominee in what is called the greatest That Guy battle ever.
Joseph D'Onofrio, the cop who played young Tommy in Goodfellas, is a rival nominee with 114 credits.
Papajohn is chosen for having the bigger part, with Craig invoked as a possible tiebreaker.
Joe Manganiello as Flash is an extra, non-counting mention: beardless and unrecognizable, and reportedly his first screen role.
A crew member reportedly offered Manganiello $100 to really punch the lead during their fight, prompting speculation about his on-set reputation.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Willem Dafoe

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:02:35Read transcript

J.K. Simmons's J. Jonah Jameson is one of two contenders, overacting but in the right movie after his brutal Oz role.
The Green Goblin performance is called a runaway choice for snarling and giving every cell, making Jack Nicholson's Joker look subtle.
Craig is reported to have messaged that the Goblin actor is going all out.
A counterpoint: that Goblin performance has aged well, and Simmons may not be overacting since he embodied the comics' Jameson; overacting is not acting poorly.
Favorite Jameson lines are quoted, including the slander-versus-libel joke.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Randy Savage

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:05:31Read transcript

Octavia Spencer heats it up in a dramatic, Oscar-type way.
Macho Man Randy Savage steals the show in about two minutes as the wrestler, and both agree it is one of the best scenes.

Recasting Couch

Cillian Murphy as Harry Osborn; Bryce Dallas Howard or Scarlett Johansson as Mary Jane; Samuel L. Jackson as Norman Osborn; Tyrese as Harry Osborn

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:06:47Read transcript

Cillian Murphy is proposed to recast Harry Osborne, since the character lands better in Spider-Man 3 when he turns evil.
Kirsten Dunst never quite worked as Mary Jane for one host; Bryce Dallas Howard or Scarlett Johansson is proposed, and a birth-year check settles that Johansson was old enough.
With Bill Nunn and Octavia Spencer as the only Black actors, the goal is to add Black actors to the film. — Van Lathan
Samuel L. Jackson as Norman and Tyrese as Harry would add a racial undertone to the Mary Jane triangle. — Van Lathan
A comic-accurate addition gives both Jackson and Tyrese waves in their hair.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Dafoe stunts; scrapped Wolverine cameo; stolen costumes; Franco-Maguire feud

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:10:42Read transcript

The Green Goblin actor reportedly did 90 percent of his own stunts.
Hugh Jackman reportedly flew to New York for a Wolverine cameo that was dropped because the Wolverine costume was unavailable.
Four costumes were stolen; Sony offered a $25,000 reward, and they were recovered after 18 months with a former studio security guard and an accomplice arrested.
James Franco reportedly joked about the lead's frog-like features, starting a lasting rivalry.

Apex Mountain

Kirsten Dunst, disputed; Tobey Maguire; Sam Raimi

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:13:02Read transcript

Spider-Man movies are not at Apex here.
Kirsten Dunst is named at Apex; The Power of the Dog and Marie Antoinette are raised against it, but Apex is defined as when she had the most juice, with Bring It On mattering more.
The lead actor is a yes, with Spider-Man 2 considered combined with this film.
For Spider-Man films overall, No Way Home is judged the Apex because of its box office after Endgame.
This is called the director's Apex unless Multiverse of Madness surpasses it, although Army of Darkness is a personal favorite; a counterpoint says Spider-Man will always be his Apex.

Picking Nits

Unnoticed powers; slow Mary Jane recognition; outburst at Uncle Ben; Harry dating Mary Jane; Harry's spider flirting; gun in drawer

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:16:25Read transcript

After webbing the tray and flipping over Flash in front of the school, no one, including Mary Jane, figures out he is Spider-Man.
Mary Jane only connects the kisses at the cemetery, after more than a year of obvious clues.
Peter blows up at Uncle Ben for no reason when he is only being dropped at the library.
Harry dating Mary Jane without telling Peter is criticized; Craig is asked whether that is acceptable and the answer is obviously not.
Peter is called a nerd by Harry, who then uses his spider facts to flirt with Mary Jane.
Harry pulling a gun from a drawer in the Osborn mansion is questioned, countered by the argument that Norman sells weapons to the military.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

James Cameron version; Peter as sociopath; best alternative director

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:19:05Read transcript

A James Cameron-directed version is judged likely better.
Lines from Cameron's scriptment are read describing Peter as an ostracized science kid and virgin.
Peter is judged a bit of a sociopath: he lies to Mary Jane about Spider-Man, lets the robber go, watches him die and lies to Aunt May.
Of the other directors considered, David Fincher could have beaten the chosen director; Ang Lee and Chris Columbus are dismissed.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Ten-episode Netflix show

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:23:03Read transcript

A ten-episode Netflix show could work and could fit Sandman and the link to Peter's parents, though it would not be as good as the film.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Green Goblin's Nikes; Green Goblin's glider

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:23:34Read transcript

The Green Goblin's Nike shoes are wanted, compared with Michael Keaton's Batman wearing Jordans.
The Green Goblin's glider is wanted, with a brief dispute over whether it counts as memorabilia.

Who Won the Movie?

Sony; Tobey Maguire; MCU

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:26:42Read transcript

Sony wins by a mile, having kept Spider-Man and anticipated franchise moviegoing.
In the short term the star won, joining Hollywood's top tier via an $825 million hit that was number one domestically.
In the long term the MCU won: Marvel saw Sony profiting and financed Iron Man with a Merrill Lynch credit line.
Martin Scorsese is named the long-term loser.

Podcast choices

Speaker not identified: Sony
Speaker not identified: Tobey Maguire
Speaker not identified: MCU

More from the conversation

Van Lathan and Charles Holmes introduce themselves via their Ringer shows and frame taking over The Rewatchables as being called up to the majors.

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Charles was nine when the film came out, saw it twice and found it frightening; he calls it the patient zero of today's comic-book-movie era.

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Van was 22 and in college; years of rumors preceded the film, which he calls the last gasp of monoculture, with a number one song and record-setting business.

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Arriving after 9/11, with Twin Towers webbing footage removed, the film is described as a way to exhale and remember how to have a good time.

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Earlier superhero films such as Batman and X-Men downplayed comic imagery; as Superman proved a man could fly, this proved a man could swing.

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Learning Spider-Man would often be CGI was worrying, but the blend of practical stunt work and CGI is praised as still nearly seamless.

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Comics context: Marvel's 1996 bankruptcy, Marvel Knights, and Bendis's 2001 Ultimate Spider-Man reintroducing a teenage Peter Parker, teased as an off-topic diatribe.

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The film opened to $100 million, reportedly the first film to do so.

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On rewatch Raimi is credited with setting the modern superhero blueprint, establishing Peter, Uncle Ben, the powers and the stakes within about 40 minutes; a girlfriend new to the MCU was confused by the first Tom Holland film.

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The film made its lead a star after Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules and Wonder Boys, an example of cashing in on a big-chance moment, contrasted with Taylor Kitsch and John Carter.

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Tobey Maguire discussing Peter like a serious dramatic role in DVD featurettes marks an era before superhero conventions; blowing such a chance leaves a stain, as with George Clooney in Batman & Robin.

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Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane is praised for vulnerability, strength and flirtation despite fanboy doubts; James Franco's Harry is framed as matching what was later learned about him.

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A proposed curse: leading men of 2002's top franchise films struggled afterward; the counterargument is a baby-face curse, with Orlando Bloom's Troy role blamed for hurting his career.

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Directors once linked to the project included James Cameron, Chris Columbus, David Fincher, M. Night Shyamalan and Michael Bay; a Michael Bay version is lampooned.

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Cameron reportedly said losing Spider-Man led him to Titanic; his version reportedly included a Brooklyn Bridge love scene, and 1990s effects are doubted as ready for the film.

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Raimi's path from Evil Dead to blockbuster maker, his long absence after Oz the Great and Powerful, and possible fatigue from three escalating CGI films are discussed.

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Darkman (1990) is described as a prototype for Spider-Man, with some shots reused.

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The long rights odyssey, the switch from Doctor Octopus to the Green Goblin that suited Raimi's horror sensibility, and Sony's need to keep making Spider-Man films to retain the rights are discussed.

Approx. transcript time · 00:33:49Read transcript

Maguire and Dunst reportedly dated secretly, and Amy Pascal reportedly warned Tom Holland and Zendaya against dating co-stars.

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A heated disagreement over whether the 2000 X-Men film is great or mediocre is called a wild take.

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A request to delete an Apex Mountain aside is immediately reversed with a request to leave it in.

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A gun-ownership aside ends with a dispute over whether Elon Musk keeps guns in a drawer.

Approx. transcript time · 01:25:56Read transcript

The closing identifies Charles Holmes and Van Lathan with their shows and names the producer.

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