Movie Review :: Spiderman 2

Movie Review :: Spiderman 2
Posted :: Jul 1, 2004 by Haggs

MOVIE: Spiderman 2
Actors/Actresses: Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina
Genre: Action and Adventure
Rating: 10/10

Spiderman 2 has to be one of the very few sequels to a great movie that I have actually liked and thought were better than the original. Most of the original cast remains and pretty much anybody that died in the last movie makes a cameo appearance in a flashback or dream sequence in this movie. The movie starts a few months, or a maybe a year, after the end of the first movie. Spiderman (Maguire) has been hard at work keeping the good people of New York City safe and free from terrorists and bank robbers. He has had to give up a lot in order to keep the city safe, and his family and friends don’t seem to think as highly of him as they did before. Mary-Jane (Dunst) has a new boyfriend, Harry (Franco) is now managing Oscorp and is in the final stages of developing a project to harness the energy of the sun. This project is led by a scientist named Otto Octavius (Molina), whom we all know by one way or another will become the freaky 8 limbed dude named Doc Ock.

I thought Spiderman 2 was very different from the first one; the characters have changed a lot but you are still able to relate to them. The citizens of New York city have also developed a very strong bond with Spiderman, and in a very exciting scene on top of an L train, they even assist Spiderman (you’ll have to see the movie to know what happens). This movie is very intense. The characters performances are supreme, and if you have read the comic books passionately like I have, you will notice that many of the camera angles and way that city and the fight scenes are shown are exactly the same as they would be seen in a comic book frame. Also the fight scenes are incredibly involved; the camera moves wildly with Doc Ock and Spiderman when they are fighting on walls and ceilings that you don’t know which way is up, but you are still able to keep track of the pace of fight. Even the casting is superb. The editor in chief of the ‘Daily Bugle’ displays a great performance that is sure to draw some laughs, and the scenes with Peter Parker and Mary Jane are very moving unlike many other movies out there (i.e. the new Star Wars movies).

Overall Spiderman 2 is am excellent movie, with a great story, exciting fights, moving scenes, and superb acting. Don’t hesitate to bring the kids along since the fight scenes are sure to keep them on the edge of their seats but they aren’t too intense to make them depressed or have nightmares. You could even bring your grandma along, and she would probably enjoy the scenes with Aunt May and her kick-ass umbrella (once again, watch the movie to see what I mean). If you are only going to go see one movie this summer go see Spiderman 2.

Toby Maguire out of costume. Who could possibly suspect that he's the real Spidey?

Just another day for Spiderman.

Intro splash image © 2003 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Photos by James Devaney - © WireImage.com - Image courtesy WireImage.com
Thanks to AI Member Nightwatchman for contributing this article!