|
MOVIES SPIDER-MAN 2
This is the best superhero movie ever made. I had to wait to see it again before I could claim that - just to make sure I wasn't getting in over my head. But I can easily say that. The original "Spider-Man" was glorious - it was my favorite comic book character brought to life on the big screen, and done in a way not to upset the longtime fans and to make it believable and realistic to the movie-going public. The results were fantastic. But Raimi has outdone himself with part 2. He's already "got" the audience - they go into "2" knowing and accepting that Peter is Spider-man and has these powers and has these problems. The table has been set. The origin story is always the toughest to pull off, and it's been done. Now, Raimi gets to have fun with these characters and their interactions. And we are all lucky enough to be able to witness it. I love the opening credits, which feature paintings of various scenes from the first movie - a classy way to easily bring us back into the world of Spider-man. As the action opens, Peter is a pizza delivery boy trying to hold onto his job. It's a great sequence, and I won't ruin it for those of you who haven't seen it. But, it sets a tone for the rest of the movie. Peter has a lot of problems. Yes, he's Spider-man. But, he can't hold onto a job, he loves MJ but can't tell her, he loves his Aunt, but she's got money problems and is still dealing with the loss of Ben, he hasn't had the best relationship with his friend Harry, he's always tired, his grades are dropping, he just never seems to catch a break. All of these themes become more intense as the movie moves on, and it weighs upon Peter to the point he has to decide - Spider-man or Peter Parker. The glorious, exhilarating life of a superhero, with all of its pain and isolation, or the ho-hum average life of Peter Parker, with normal pursuits of knowledge, love and success? We're also introduced to Dr. Octopus, one of Spider-Man's greatest villains. He starts out as Dr. Otto Octavius, a brilliant man with a loving wife and a dream of providing energy to the world. His character is treated with a ton of respect in this movie. His character is given more depth than the 40+ years of comic books have done. And Molina does a fantastic job as both the scientist and the villain. His advice to Peter and his willingness to sit with him and teach him, not just about science but about life are great. But, a mishap with his experiment turns Otto into Dr. Octopus, a psychotic scientist, bent on finishing his work. This all sets up Spidey vs Doc Ock, which takes place in pieces - in a bank, on rooftops, on a train, in a warehouse. The battles are breathtaking; immense attention to detail, so much so that you may want to watch them again, in slow motion. But they are not the main draw of this film. The battles are certainly not the reason I gave this 5 stars. It's the characters. It's the story. It's the acting. I literally laughed out loud watching this movie. I also teared up during other scenes. And I felt pride in other scenes. All of the characters are brilliantly portrayed, and the scripts give us ample opportunity to be sucked into each of their stories. Peter's secret love, Aunt Mae's pride, MJ's yearning for Peter, Harry's hatred and thirst for revenge, Peter's regret over his uncle, Otto's ambition.... it's all so moving. We feel for all these characters, and the plot interweaves their stories into the superhero/villain ones to produce the total package of "Spider-man 2". I give kudos to Raimi. And you can tell he enjoyed making this movie too. There are some trademark things of his in here - the Doc Ock surgery scene is all him, the use of Bruce Campbell, the elevator scene - fantastic! The only faults I can find are minor and not even worth mentioning in this review. Raimi has upped the bar on the comic book superhero movie - I just hope he can keep this ride going with part 3 (coming in 2007). Quality: 9.0 Visuals:
9.0 Intensity: 9.5 reviewed
2005
|
