Review: Spider-Man 2
June 28, 2004; Regal Falmouth #1
* * * * (out of 4)
I’m pretty sure it’s against my religion to say anything bad about this movie. What religion that is exactly, I’m not quite sure, but that’s not the point. The bottom line is this movie delivered to me on all counts, with barely a single disappointing frame. But be warned: this is the movie I was born to see.
Spider-Man 2 finds Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) two years after the first installment. Now enrolled at Columbia, Peter is spending more and more time as Spider-Man, and his normal life is suffering because of it. He is losing touch with his friends and his aunt, and his grades are suffering. Desperate to get back on track, Peter vows to end his career in crime fighting, and focus on everyday life – especially his pursuit of Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). An accident involving Peter’s idol, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), forces Parker to don his spandex once again to save the day. Octavius, now driven mad by grief and rage, blames Spider-Man for the death of his wife and the destruction of his life’s work, and will stop at nothing to rid the world of the webslinger.
First let me say how happy I am to see Sam Raimi emerge as a credible, big-time, go-to director. You might call the first Spider-Man his big break, but as much fun as that was, it didn’t feel like he was completely comfortable making a big-name movie and using his personal style which has made him famous. He seemed to move towards more mainstream directing. This insecurity does not exist in Spider-Man 2. This movie sits comfortably in the realm of Sam Raimi movies, and is recognizable as one; from sweeping action shots to askew angles during tension to trademarks like the cameo by a chainsaw, this is a Sam Raimi movie through and through, in the veins of Army of Darkness, Darkman, or The Gift. And let’s not forget the nepotism… someday, Bruce Campbell will star in a REAL movie!
More than adding his own touches, Sam Raimi delivers a two-hour living Spider-Man comic book in all its glory. The feel of New York is perfect, the villain is menacing with good reason (a shortcoming of the first film), the romance is interesting, the dialogue is a bit overdone – there are a few sections in which Parker and Octavius go into full-on monologues, but they fit into the mold of the comic world, allowing the audience direct access to a character’s mind without the need for a thought bubble. If I didn’t know better, I would say that Brian Bendis (current writer for Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man series) somehow got hold of the script for twenty minutes and added some authenticity.
And then the performances. Maguire is fantastic and fully settled into Peter Parker’s skin, which in my mind is much harder than pulling off the webslinger. Anyone can be sarcastic and heroic; the point in Spider-man 2 is to show how fully devastating one life is on the other. Molina gets the perfect amount of screentime pre-accident to establish Otto Octavius as a real character, not just a bad guy in need of thwarting. J.K. Simmons, though his part has a bit less impact in this installment, chews scenery like a pro and steals every single scene he is in. Even Kirsten Dunst, the weakest link in the first movie, delivers where she needs to in this one. Raimi spends a bit more time fleshing out Mary Jane, making her more of a full person, and that gives Dunst more to work with. Of course, who can rule out Raimi regulars Ted Raimi and Bruce Campbell? Smaller parts, but pivotal, to be sure!
There’s nothing I didn’t like here. The movie is consistently fun; everyone involved gives all they can give to make a fantastic movie. If I had buttons, this pushes every damn one of them. Best superhero movie ever? I might go that far… at least until Spider-Man 3.
June 28, 2004; Regal Falmouth #1
* * * * (out of 4)
I’m pretty sure it’s against my religion to say anything bad about this movie. What religion that is exactly, I’m not quite sure, but that’s not the point. The bottom line is this movie delivered to me on all counts, with barely a single disappointing frame. But be warned: this is the movie I was born to see.
Spider-Man 2 finds Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) two years after the first installment. Now enrolled at Columbia, Peter is spending more and more time as Spider-Man, and his normal life is suffering because of it. He is losing touch with his friends and his aunt, and his grades are suffering. Desperate to get back on track, Peter vows to end his career in crime fighting, and focus on everyday life – especially his pursuit of Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). An accident involving Peter’s idol, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), forces Parker to don his spandex once again to save the day. Octavius, now driven mad by grief and rage, blames Spider-Man for the death of his wife and the destruction of his life’s work, and will stop at nothing to rid the world of the webslinger.
First let me say how happy I am to see Sam Raimi emerge as a credible, big-time, go-to director. You might call the first Spider-Man his big break, but as much fun as that was, it didn’t feel like he was completely comfortable making a big-name movie and using his personal style which has made him famous. He seemed to move towards more mainstream directing. This insecurity does not exist in Spider-Man 2. This movie sits comfortably in the realm of Sam Raimi movies, and is recognizable as one; from sweeping action shots to askew angles during tension to trademarks like the cameo by a chainsaw, this is a Sam Raimi movie through and through, in the veins of Army of Darkness, Darkman, or The Gift. And let’s not forget the nepotism… someday, Bruce Campbell will star in a REAL movie!
More than adding his own touches, Sam Raimi delivers a two-hour living Spider-Man comic book in all its glory. The feel of New York is perfect, the villain is menacing with good reason (a shortcoming of the first film), the romance is interesting, the dialogue is a bit overdone – there are a few sections in which Parker and Octavius go into full-on monologues, but they fit into the mold of the comic world, allowing the audience direct access to a character’s mind without the need for a thought bubble. If I didn’t know better, I would say that Brian Bendis (current writer for Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man series) somehow got hold of the script for twenty minutes and added some authenticity.
And then the performances. Maguire is fantastic and fully settled into Peter Parker’s skin, which in my mind is much harder than pulling off the webslinger. Anyone can be sarcastic and heroic; the point in Spider-man 2 is to show how fully devastating one life is on the other. Molina gets the perfect amount of screentime pre-accident to establish Otto Octavius as a real character, not just a bad guy in need of thwarting. J.K. Simmons, though his part has a bit less impact in this installment, chews scenery like a pro and steals every single scene he is in. Even Kirsten Dunst, the weakest link in the first movie, delivers where she needs to in this one. Raimi spends a bit more time fleshing out Mary Jane, making her more of a full person, and that gives Dunst more to work with. Of course, who can rule out Raimi regulars Ted Raimi and Bruce Campbell? Smaller parts, but pivotal, to be sure!
There’s nothing I didn’t like here. The movie is consistently fun; everyone involved gives all they can give to make a fantastic movie. If I had buttons, this pushes every damn one of them. Best superhero movie ever? I might go that far… at least until Spider-Man 3.
posted by Matt S. at
12:24 AM
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