Hello, all!
Superhero flicks really don’t get any better than SPIDER-MAN 2. The first was a great origin story in its own right and got a few plot arcs going that ran throughout the trilogy of films, but this one is where those arcs really got a lot of meat put on their bone. You’ve got the fractured friendship with Harry Osborn being ratcheted up to 11, the love story arc with Mary Jane taking some interesting turns that are somewhat redolent of THE GRADUATE, the relationship with Aunt May being tested. There’s a lot going on, and while the third installment in the series tried juggling a bit too much, this one finds that nice Goldilocks zone where everything just works.
As I’ve alluded to before, a movie like this – any superhero movie, really – depends an awful lot on the strength of the antagonist. After all, without a great villain, how could our hero be great? Doctor Octopus is a fantastic foil for our web-slinging superhero, and while Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin was a good antagonist in the first film, he just didn’t bring as much depth and humanity to that character as Alfred Molina brings in playing “Doc Ock.” Dafoe is a brilliant actor, of course, so maybe it’s just some script and directorial choices that made the difference. Either way, the baddie in this one is superb, and in my opinion, that’s a big reason why this film is even better than the one that preceded it.
Origin stories are generally saddled with the heavy lifting of establishing the characters while any sequels get to play around in the world created by the first film. Sometimes, that goes awry [I’m looking at you, MATRIX trilogy], but in this one, it works brilliantly. Perhaps the best sequence of the entire film is the action set piece where Spidey and Doctor Octopus are fighting on a subway car. The action is great and the effects demonstrate why the film won an Oscar for special effects, but the best part of the scene is after the fight is over and the people on the car see that their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is really just a kid. It’s such a good scene that it’s worth including here:
Okay, so there is at least a mild spoiler there, but the real star of the film is not the great effects or action. Rather, it’s the humanity of the superhero [and also the supervillain] that really pushes this one beyond simply being a good superhero movie into being an all ‘round good movie. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT; Day 2 - DESPERADO; Day 3 - THE ROAD WARRIOR; Day 4 - X2: X-MEN UNITED; Day 5 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY; Day 6 - DAWN OF THE DEAD; Day 7 - DEADPOOL 2; Day 8 - HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX; Day 9 - STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN; Day 10 - THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; Day 11 - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER; Day 12 - ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES; Day 13 - PADDINGTON 2; Day 14 - RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET; Day 15 - LETHAL WEAPON 2; Day 16 - FINAL DESTINATION 2; Day 17 - FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE; Day 18 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION; Day 19 - THE RAID 2; Day 20 - THE BOURNE SUPREMACY]
Superhero flicks really don’t get any better than SPIDER-MAN 2. The first was a great origin story in its own right and got a few plot arcs going that ran throughout the trilogy of films, but this one is where those arcs really got a lot of meat put on their bone. You’ve got the fractured friendship with Harry Osborn being ratcheted up to 11, the love story arc with Mary Jane taking some interesting turns that are somewhat redolent of THE GRADUATE, the relationship with Aunt May being tested. There’s a lot going on, and while the third installment in the series tried juggling a bit too much, this one finds that nice Goldilocks zone where everything just works.
As I’ve alluded to before, a movie like this – any superhero movie, really – depends an awful lot on the strength of the antagonist. After all, without a great villain, how could our hero be great? Doctor Octopus is a fantastic foil for our web-slinging superhero, and while Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin was a good antagonist in the first film, he just didn’t bring as much depth and humanity to that character as Alfred Molina brings in playing “Doc Ock.” Dafoe is a brilliant actor, of course, so maybe it’s just some script and directorial choices that made the difference. Either way, the baddie in this one is superb, and in my opinion, that’s a big reason why this film is even better than the one that preceded it.
Origin stories are generally saddled with the heavy lifting of establishing the characters while any sequels get to play around in the world created by the first film. Sometimes, that goes awry [I’m looking at you, MATRIX trilogy], but in this one, it works brilliantly. Perhaps the best sequence of the entire film is the action set piece where Spidey and Doctor Octopus are fighting on a subway car. The action is great and the effects demonstrate why the film won an Oscar for special effects, but the best part of the scene is after the fight is over and the people on the car see that their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is really just a kid. It’s such a good scene that it’s worth including here:
Okay, so there is at least a mild spoiler there, but the real star of the film is not the great effects or action. Rather, it’s the humanity of the superhero [and also the supervillain] that really pushes this one beyond simply being a good superhero movie into being an all ‘round good movie. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT; Day 2 - DESPERADO; Day 3 - THE ROAD WARRIOR; Day 4 - X2: X-MEN UNITED; Day 5 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY; Day 6 - DAWN OF THE DEAD; Day 7 - DEADPOOL 2; Day 8 - HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX; Day 9 - STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN; Day 10 - THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; Day 11 - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER; Day 12 - ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES; Day 13 - PADDINGTON 2; Day 14 - RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET; Day 15 - LETHAL WEAPON 2; Day 16 - FINAL DESTINATION 2; Day 17 - FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE; Day 18 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION; Day 19 - THE RAID 2; Day 20 - THE BOURNE SUPREMACY]
