'Spider-Man' musical opens: What critics said

NEW YORK (KABC) -- After one director fired, five serious accidents, six production delays and 183 previews, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" finally had its opening night Tuesday on Broadway.

"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" is the most expensive Broadway show ever with a staggering $75 million budget. U2's Bono and The Edge wrote the score.

Now critics are tossing in their two cents at the musical's latest incarnation.

On the plus side, USA Today gave it three out of four stars, calling this new version "more of an overt crowd pleaser."

New York Magazine wrote: "No amount of mulch or manure can cover up the music, which is, by the far, the show's greatest weakness." Overall, the publication called the show an "embarrassing dud."

The New York Times said, "This singing comic book is no longer the ungodly, indecipherable mess it was in February. It's just a bore."

The Washington Post called the Spider-Man character "emotionally static." One change the reviewer did like was that the show is now about 20 minutes shorter.

Despite everything that's been written about "Spider-Man" over the past several months, audiences don't seem to care. Box office receipts showed it's one of Broadway's best sellers.

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