Peter Parker, a simple and honest high school student, a nerd, loves physics and biology. He even reads the latest scientific papers and writes reports about them. At school, he has almost no friends.
Maybe Harry is an exception.
Harry cos from a wealthy family. His father, Norman, owns a biotechnology company, but Harry doesn't like flaunting his wealth at school. That's how he beca friends with Peter. He craves his father's understanding, but clearly, his father doesn't care much.
In contrast, Norman praises Peter a lot.
Apart from studying and research, Peter's only other hobby is photography. When the school organizes a trip to visit the Columbia University Science Departnt, he doesn't forget to bring his cara to take photos for the school paper.
Of course, there's also Mary Jane. His lens is always focused on Mary Jane.
Robert Ebert couldn't help but admire the efficiency and richness of the storytelling. Sam Raimi truly showcases exceptional direction and narrative skill.
With just a few strokes, the character of Peter Parker and his relationships are fully revealed—
Peter's friendship with Harry, his initial eting with Norman, his situation at school, his crush on Mary Jane, and more, all unfold like a painting.
No unnecessary explanations are needed. The details of the shots and the composition of the scenes reveal the complex relationships, silently drawing the audience into the story.
More importantly, the image of Peter Parker leaps off the screen.
Getting bullied on the school bus is just the beginning.
When Mary Jane turns around, smiles, and waves hello, Peter waves back foolishly, only to realize she was actually greeting the two girls walking behind him. She didn't even notice him.
It's at this mont he rembers that Mary Jane doesn't even know who he is.
At the Science Departnt, he eagerly shares his knowledge of spiders with Harry. Harry teases him, calling it "boring." But then Harry uses that knowledge to flirt with Mary Jane, catching her attention.
Peter is stunned but not angry—
After all, Harry had just asked him if he wanted to talk to Mary Jane, and Peter had declined.
A few scenes, a few monts, and Peter's character cos to life. He's not just a flat figure; he has depth. He's kind but not naive, smart but not arrogant, gentle but not weak. Even though his face is hidden behind thick glasses, with no visible spark, he feels especially vivid and bright.
Ordinary, but not ordinary.
That sense of identification begins to form.
Not just superhero movies—almost all Hollywood savior films tend to feature handso n and beautiful won. There's nothing wrong with that; everyone likes eye candy on the big screen. But in these films, the protagonists are often perfect, living in a world that seems entirely separate from reality. The actors are also cloaked in an aura of mystery—
Undeniably, people enjoy this.
But after half a century, audiences have slowly grown tired of flawless characters and distant, untouchable heroes. They want to see more relatable, ordinary characters on screen. They want to see their own stories told.
That's why, three years ago, a film like *Arican Beauty*, which explores the disillusionnt of middle-class life, caught the public's attention. The tis are changing.
And here, it's the sa—
Effortlessly, the audience at the Chinese Theatre can relate to the characters. Peter is just like their classmate, their neighbor, or even themselves.
A sense of familiarity rises.
Ten minutes in, the movie has only been running for ten minutes, and the audience has already connected with Peter Parker. Before the story has fully unfolded, they're already rooting for him. This level of narrative craftsmanship is truly impressive.
Robert Ebert, the professional film critic for the *Chicago Sun-Tis* and the only film critic in history to win a Pulitzer Prize—
By the way, he didn't like *The Princess Diaries*, giving it a 38 out of 100.
But he's not biased. He doesn't hold a grudge against directors or actors. A bad film doesn't an he'll dismiss their future work entirely.
When Sony Columbia invited Robert to the *Spider-Man* premiere, he agreed without hesitation.
After all, the entire industry was watching this sumr blockbuster, and all eyes were on *Spider-Man*. Robert was paying close attention, too.
He was curious—could *Spider-Man* carry the weight of these expectations?
At least from the opening, Robert was satisfied. Don't underestimate these first ten minutes; they can often set the tone for the audience's impression of a movie. A smooth, efficient, and rich narrative isn't easy to pull off.
The director deserves credit.
And the actor's interpretation of the character, their on-screen charisma, is equally crucial.
What pleasantly surprised Robert was Anson.
Originally, Robert was more interested in seeing how Kirsten Dunst and Jas Franco would perform in a blockbuster, since they had already started making nas for themselves. But unexpectedly, Anson's portrayal of the nerdy Peter Parker grabbed his attention.
That was a positive sign.
Because of this, when that scene happened—
Peter takes a photo of Mary Jane, completely absorbed, not noticing the spider descending from above. It lands on his finger, bites him, and then his genetic structure begins to change.
The theater: rustling; rustling.
It wasn't loud, but you could feel a wave of excitent.
Clearly, the audience was fully imrsed in Peter's character, even in their own roles. They couldn't contain their excitent and anticipation as they entered the world on the screen—
Even if they hadn't read the comics, the audience attending the premiere had at least seen the trailer. They all knew what was coming. The spider bite marked a turning point, the mont when Peter's life would be transford.
So, one by one, they got excited, their hearts pounding, as the room filled with the shared sense of their rising adrenaline.
Is this what makes a great story?
An ordinary high school student dreaming of gaining superpowers overnight?
Sure enough, everyone has a dream of a lucky encounter.
The entire theater's attention was now fully absorbed in the world created on the big screen, including Robert, who was completely focused on Peter Parker's fate.
anwhile, Norman's biotech company was developing a serum to enhance physical strength. They hoped to secure military funding.
Despite its impressive exterior, the company was facing nurous challenges, and the serum test couldn't afford to fail. Norman desperately needed that military contract.
In a last-ditch effort, Norman couldn't wait for military approval to proceed with human trials. He decided to test the serum on himself.
anwhile, Peter returned to his Uncle Ben and Aunt May's house. His uncle was troubled by his unemploynt, but Peter had no ti to worry about it. He groggily returned to his room, feeling the effects of the spider bite, and drifted off into a deep sleep, as if going through a growth spurt.
Norman's experint seed to succeed—or maybe it failed. But when he opened his eyes, he strangled the scientist overseeing the test. At the sa ti, Peter woke up—
As if Norman's experint had been nothing more than a nightmare.
Sam Raimi was still Sam Raimi, sneaking in his love for horror movies. The entire theater broke into a cold sweat after that nightmare.
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