Perfect Mix Between Action, Superhero, and Drama

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 2016)

Spiderman 2 is directed by Sam Raimi and once again stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, a nerdy kid attending college in New York. However, he's secretly a superhero as well, a hero that calls himself "Spiderman." After the accidental death of his last villain, the Green Goblin, the tension between Peter and his best friend, Harry, has heightened, and the connection between Peter and his love interest, Mary Jane has begun to feel uneasy. Once a new villain called Doctor Octopus has presented himself, Peter must balance his life as a superhero and a college kid while keeping his relationships intact.
Spiderman 2 is one of those rare sequels that improves upon the already amazing first film. Most everything in Spiderman 2 is great in most ways, and stands as one of the best superhero films to date. With a great villain, script, and perfectly well-rounded main character, Spiderman 2 is everything it promised to be. Sam Raimi handles this movie pleasantly, and not only built upon the first installment in the franchise, but improved upon it as well.
The confliction of the main character, Peter, is absolutely flawless. Constantly throughout the film, the script beats Peter, and the audience, over the head with his problems. His failing relationship with Mary Jane, his inability to hold a job or keep grades up, the constant feel of tension between Peter and Harry, and the new villain on the rise, Doctor Octopus, all combine to make Peter's life completely awful. As the audience, we feel these conflicts through our main character, and subsequently want him to come out on top even more than before seeing the film. This capability to emotionally feel what the main character is what makes any protagonist, whether it be Spiderman or Han Solo, great.
The acting, as well, is fantastic. Tobey Maguire, while not exactly improving upon his performance in Spiderman (2002), again does pretty well. Maguire plays a great Peter, and a decent Spidey, which add together for an ultimate success. James Franco plays an even better Harry this time around, improving upon his original performance in every way. Once again, Kirsten Dunst plays a pretty good Mary Jane. While her performance is fine, the character of Mary Jane starts to feel almost like an antagonist throughout the movie. Through her shaky connection with Peter, the audience is, at first, confused with her actions, and then just starts to get slightly annoyed with her character.
Despite all of the great performances throughout Spiderman 2, Alfred Molina completely steals the show, playing a magnificent Doctor Octopus. Although Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin/Norman Osborn was great, Molina's performance slightly tops that of Dafoe's. Molina plays an astounding villain, with an understandable motivation and a sensible plan. Doc Ock isn't just a bad guy for sake of being a bad guy; he makes sense. The viewer understands why he does the things he does, and won't take him for granted at all. From his actions to his lines, Alfred Molina's Doc Ock is one of the best superhero villains in cinematic history.
Sam Raimi also handles the direction very well. Throughout the entire film, no action is filmed poorly, with no quick or abundant cuts, and great wide shots of Spidey swinging around the city. However, Raimi knows when to cut down on the "cool" shots and such during a talking or exposition scene. He smartly recognizes when the camera shouldn't be taking over for the script, and it pays off greatly. Although he utilizes his traditional "Raimi" camera angles, it works out well, and doesn't distract at all from the plot and characters.
Now, I can't write a review of Spiderman 2 without mentioning the train sequence. The train sequence involves Spidey and Doc Ock fighting on a moving train, and it's easily one of the best action sequences in superhero film history. Everything about this sequence is absolutely perfect, and it works in every way. This particular sequence combines the genres of comic book and action so flawlessly, and it works perfectly.
The only issue I took up with Spiderman 2 was a small one, but it is present. It is very hard to explain without spoilers, but it is this: Peter's problems are large throughout this film, and it's obvious. However, one of his specific problems is only halfway present. The problem is existent, but it disappears when convenient. Like mentioned above, hard to say without spoilers, but there it is.
Spiderman 2 is one of the greatest superhero films ever created, and slightly improves upon its predecessor. I'd recommend Spiderman 2 to anyone who enjoys action and drama wrapped together in one movie.