Man, was I disappointed with this film - particularly the first half...

Rating: 3/10 (10 February 2005)

As far as I can remember, I've never watched a movie that's led me to want to get up out of my chair and leave the room due to frustration over what is being presented to me on the screen.
It happened during the first half of this film - Spiderman 2.
When I watch a movie, I want to be taken in by it and believe what's going on - believe in the characters and believe their situation. Is that too much to ask? I think not.
But in this film, the makers want me to believe that Spiderman can't be killed, like he is Superman in a world where Kryptonite doesn't exist. He's thrown around, he falls from tops of buildings, bounces off of walls and cars before hitting the ground face first - but gets up with nothing more than a bit of a sore back... "My back! My back!". Jeez.
The makers of this film also want me to believe that Peter Parker's character is a true, down to the bone, loser - I mean, someone who can't even take care of himself let alone the entire city of New York. This doesn't make sense. I know we're supposed to see him as unlucky, and down-and-out money wise. OK, I would accept that - but no! The makers of this film need to stress, for scene after long scene, that Parker is a NERD, a GEEK, a LO, a SER! Why? I never got this impression from anything I remember reading when I was a kid...Stan, why didn't you say anything?? Moving on to feats of strength... am I watching Spiderman in action here, or is it Superman wearing Spiderman's tights? Since when can Spiderman hold up entire building walls for like... ever, while he waits for his girlfriend to scurry away to safety? And the scene with him sticking his legs out onto the railway ties to try and slow the train - I didn't get that at all - the second (and successful) attempt made more sense for the Spiderman I know, using his webbing.
I know that anything goes in the comics, it's a make-believe world. But I'm just asking the makers of this film to try a little harder to make it believable...please! I personally feel it was the fault of the screen writers going overboard on things in the name of the mighty god of "Blockbuster Film". How about the idiotic scene where he's saving the little Asian girl from the fire? Were my eyes deceiving me or was she, after being thrown across the room to get by the whole in the floor, actually pulling parker up to safety? Was it still the little 4 year old girl, or her older, sumo wrestler sister, that comes in to save Spiderman? (insert Twighlight Zone music here)...
This brings me to my last point: Too much focus on romance! Gag me with a spoon - talk about corny. Was I watching an action/sci-fi/fantasy movie, or Gone with the Wind? I know that the really big blockbusters need a little romance in there to appease the masses, but c'mon...this was too much. WAY too much. I found myself calling out to the screen to move along, get to some action, get away from the corniness! Jeeeeeez! I'm honestly afraid to give this film a second chance and I seriously question Sam Raimi's vision and judgement. I have no idea why there wasn't more negative feedback on this film from the community - I'm hoping it's because I'm just out of touch and in no way a film connaisseur, and unable to understand the reasons this picture was so successful. Otherwise it will mean it was mass-hysteria and marketing that controlled the majority of the fan's reactions and the high scores this film obtained on this site.
Sincerely, Kwake