“With great power comes great responsibility”
After dorky science nerd and freelance photographer Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) gets bit by a genetically engineered spider on a high school excursion with his best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco) and his crush Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), he’s suddenly stronger, more alert, can climb walls and shoot webs from his wrists. He dons a red and blue suit and calls himself Spider-Man to protect his true identity. Just as Peter is getting the hang of this whole super hero thing, Harry’s father Norman (Willem Dafoe), CEO of Oscorp, is losing his mind after an experimental drug trial and starts flying around New York on a jet glider, causing havoc and calling himself the Green Goblin.
Perhaps the best live action vision of Stan Lee’s and Steve Ditko’s iconic friendly neighbourhood web-slinger, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is also one of the greatest comic book adaptations full stop. Raimi takes great care to match the tone of the film to that of the comic – its camp, colourful, over the top, full of screaming extras, striking tableaus, secret identity drama and a great care for each and every character. We’ve especially picked this one for Willem Dafoe’s unbeatable role of Norman Osborn / the Green Goblin not just for his countless memorable lines and his dastardly scenery chewing but for the tragic inner conflict he brings to this villain.