Spider-man 2

This film is everything a summer blockbuster should be, and more. First, it is a sequel and Hollywood loves a sequel because it minimizes the thinking involved. Second, it has bankable actors in the still emerging Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. Third it has a huge budget with massive special effects splashed across the screen. This is the second time this summer; Shrek 2 was the first, where I was impressed that the sequel might be a stronger film than the first. The characters have already been introduced so that is not necessary, and the story can introduce more characters and take more time developing its story.

As with all comic book superhero franchises the Spider-man films follow a specific narrative arc. The first film introduces the hero, how he was created or how he came to have his powers, and the people who affect how he uses his powers. Generally there are the caring nurturing parents, or adoptive parents, here Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Then there is the girl that he aspires to get, usually out of his league as a mere mortal, but taken with him as a superhero. Third there is the tragic event, usually the death of a loved one, that causes the superhero to analyze his gifts and decide to do good deeds. Uncle Ben’s demise and his reminder ‘With great power comes great responsibility’ are the keys to this plot point. Then there is the villain, usually the first one is somehow close to the superhero, an old friend turned nemesis, the cause of the unfortunate event, or even a tragic casualty of the hero’s early missions. All of this is contained in the first Spider-man and replayed in graphic novel form under the opening credits in a beautiful display.

The second film is all about character development and here Spider-man 2 excels. With a strong cast of characters the quiet reflective moments are as powerful as the crashing cars and building hopping. We see Peter Parker trying to lead his double life, holding down a job as a pizza delivery boy, going to school, and trying to pay his rent during the day while web swinging at night. Of course leading two lives and leaving out those you love is difficult at times and impossible at others as Peter finds. He keeps letting those he loves down, from watching Mary Jane from afar and missing her Broadway play to leaving Aunt May alone where she can’t make the mortgage payments and loses his home. He even lets his best friend Harry down by not revealing his connection to Spider-man to his friend who is obsessed with the web spinner.

This leads to the crucial point; can Peter just choose not to be Spider-man? Spider-man is many people’s favorite superhero because he is not so heroic. He wasn’t born special, he wasn’t picked, it was an accident. Should a man lose out on all of the things he wants in life to take on a duty he didn’t ask for? Tobey Maguire does a wonderful acting job in showing us the tumultuous thought and action of a man swept away by the role in life that he did not seek.

Of course for every hero there must be a villain and here the villain is Doctor Otto Octavius physics extraordinaire who will change the world by creating maintainable nuclear fusion. As often happens when scientists monkey with natural forces beyond there control, things go wrong. His lovely wife is killed, and the four mechanical arms he created to aid in the test have taken over his higher brain function. Now there may be arguments about how smart the arms are, how they can control everything when they were programmed with a single purpose of creating this fusion reaction, and how dangerous he might really be, but this is a summer movie so just go with it. The most intriguing thing about Doc Ock is that he is able to fight with Spider-man on his own turf, mainly, hanging off of the sides of buildings. There is a stupendous fight on the side of a train as well as a number of great battles up and down the sides of the buildings.

The most impressive message from the film is that everyone has a hero in them. From Aunt May hitting Doc Ock in the head with an umbrella, to Stan Lee, the comic book creator himself, pulling a woman back from falling debris, to Mary Jane swinging at Doc Ock, Spider-man doesn’t have to go it alone, there are heroes all around. Even Doc Ock himself gets the opportunity to be heroic. This was perhaps an understated message for a summer blockbuster, but it is certainly my favorite and most endearing thought taken from the film.

The special effects are of course amazing as would be expected. Alfred Molina looks great and seems to work seamlessly with the four tentacles attached to his back. At different moments they seem to emote with him feeling his torment and pain or whispering their insidious plans to him. Spider-man swings with abandon around the city and there are even a number of Spidey shots of Maguire without his mask which is sure to please studio execs who fear hiring a big actor and hiding him unrecognizable behind a mask. The train sequence is marvelous and the best use of transportation I have seen in quite some time.

Tack on to that Sam Raimi’s favorite actor Bruce Campbell as an extremely polite usher, the use of the song Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head, and a freeze frame reminiscent of 70s television and you make this an all around treat. Scary in parts, especially in the hospital scene you can see that Raimi was a horror director, but generally good for the whole family and a must see for the summer.