This story starts out like something that might summarize my life if I went to Public school. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), thin and studious, chasing the bus. He finally catches up, with a little help from the beautiful Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) telling the driver to stop. Yet as he searches for a seat, no one offers. At all.

After the bus pulls up to the genetics laboratory, where Parker watches MJ silently, a fancy car pulls up to introduce Harry (James Franco) and Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe. Norman meets Peter, and quickly enjoys his science-smart personality over Harry's average kid (or less) type. Peter and Harry catch up with their class, and as Peter takes pictures for the school newspaper, Harry flirts with MJ, using info that Peter told him to impress her. Peter overhears, but says nothing. While taking more pictures, an escaped super-spider crawls onto Peter's hand and has a little taste. Peter comes home feeling ill, and retreats to his room, leaving a baffled uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) and aunt May (Rosemary Harris).

Meanwhile, under the threat of losing his military-supplying company, Norman Osborn conducts a Captain America-like experiment on himself. And it works. Sorta. Can't ask the assistant who was there, may he rest in peace.

Later Peter wakes up and- Marshmallow monkey bait!- has muscles everywhere, doesn't need his glasses, and can beat up the school bully during a little misunderstanding over his sudden talent for shooting webs out of his wrists! His relatives don't know this, but when in the car with Peter, uncle Ben tells him something that should apply to everyone: "with great power comes great responsibility." Peter, who is secretly going to the wrestling ring, shrugs this off.
After a successful match that ends in being cheated and the arena being robbed, Peter leaves only to discover that the thief (Michael Papajohn (That has to be a fake name)) has shot uncle Ben and made off with their car. After confronting the thief, accidentally killing him, and running (or swinging) away from the police, Peter realizes the value in Ben's statement.
Thus Spider-man is really born.

The Bad Stuff: There is lots of cussing, and some rather immodestly dressed females (think bikinis away from the beach. Yeah.) Characters are beat up, have guns or bombs pointed/thrown at them. MJ is cornered by a gang in the night (only to be saved by Spider-boy (twice)). Peter is cut, to the point where blood is dripping out. A certain mad (really mad!) scientist terrorizes New York (don't worry, I was fine) whilst wearing something that resembles the head of some alien in an old movie. Peter is chloroformed. People are cut, blown-up, and thrown into solid fixtures.

The Good Stuff: We hear Aunt May praying, and Uncle Ben quotes the Bible (YAAAAAAAAAY!). In a choice between saving Mary Jane or a tram full of children, Peter saves both. The Daily Bugle's boss, who has been a jerk throughout the film, protects Peter from the Green Goblin (for about 3 seconds).

There is a bunch more, but I don't want to ruin the film, which is one of the better Marvel movies.
Enjoy!