Review
SPIDER-MAN 2
Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Alfred Molina
Directed by Sam Raimi
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The second instalment in what could be a lengthy Spider-Man franchise re-tackles the theme of heroism. When Spider-Man 2 opens, two years have passed since the end of the original and Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is down in the dumps. He can’t balance his superhero identity with his regular life. He's flunking out of college. The bank is foreclosing on his Aunt May's house. His beloved M.J. (Kirsten Dunst) is dating a hunky astronaut. He is plagued by guilt over the death of his Uncle Ben. His best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco) – son of the Green Goblin – is becoming increasingly unhinged. Worst of all, Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina) – a mad scientist with evil mechanical arms – is set to destroy New York City. What's a hero to do?
Director Sam Raimi gets a lot done in Spider-Man 2: he deals with romantic yearning, hidden identity (almost every character has one), control, loyalty and responsibility, and offers kick-ass computer-generated action, geeky pratfalls, inner turmoil, self-discovery and a solid setup for Spider-Man 3. Squeezing all this stuff in makes for one long movie. Length isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when compared to other examples of its genre, Spider-Man 2 isn’t a great film – it's a surprisingly good film and that really isn't the same thing.
Still, this is as sharp as summer blockbusters – particularly sequels – get. It's entertaining, engaging and it feels deliciously expensive. It has all the advantages, after all – a sly director, an enigmatic star, a screenwriter with more experience in character drama than ass-kickery (Alvin Sargent won an Oscar for writing Ordinary People). It's almost more than a bloated marketing exercise deserves.
So let's hear it for Spider-Man 2 – it totally doesn't suck. The action is tight, the villain is villainous (Raimi loves directing guys who can’t control their evil hands) and the funny bits are funny.
The love story grows tedious. It’s central to the movie, but we can only suffer so many shots of Maguire or Dunst's face twitching with the need to say... something... significant. It’s more fun by far to watch Peter bumble through the day-to-day misery of being a superhero. |
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