Tobey Maguire

Zesty and essentially true to its source, Spider-Man does the job.

Writer-director Ross's true-believer American salesmanship—inspired by Frank Capra and honed in Dave and Pleasantville--suits this story of American entrepreneurship, optimism, and resilience.

Freer and more commanding, even as it serves the grand designs of a superheroic trilogy.

Still-relevant political observation...[and] a nifty mystery that's a bit too self-conscious for its own good.

Go-for-broke pop entertainment...more action, more humor, and more nastiness than either previous installment, often in loopy combinations.

Luhrmann approaches the story and directs his actors in ways that hold them at a distance from us: the overkill plays less as bold art and more as lack of trust in the source material.

Maguire isn’t obvious casting, but he convincingly owns the role...The actor pairs an oft-fevered, disheveled aspect with the fierce impatience and unwillingness to suffer fools that attend genius.