Uncle Sam (Raimi) needs you... to see this film.

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2004)

I'm sitting at my computer, trying to think of things to say about this film without sounding as though Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire were my lovers & this movie was the greatest sexual experience of my life. It's that good. I have read all the reviews and heard ordinary people wax lyrical about this film, but no one has done it justice. This is almost perfect film making. It is actually a summer blockbuster that has the brains to match its considerable brawn. The story picks up 2 years after the first movie with Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) struggling to make ends meet as he juggles life as a student, pizza delivery boy and superhero. Along with this, he still pine's after Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and is getting increasingly frustrated at not being able to tell his best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco) that his father was the Green Goblin and wasn't murdered by Spider-Man. Harry Osborn is now the head of Oscorp scientific research department, previously ran by his father, where he is funding the genius Dr Otto Octavius' work on creating a new form of energy that sustains itself therefore creating cheaper safer electricity for the world. Things go wrong for Dr Octavius when he demonstrates the creation of this new energy using 4 metal tentacles that are attached to his torso that he controls with his mind. He loses control of these in an accident, that also kills his wife & they proceed to take over his mind and his body. After this all hell breaks loose as Doc Oc, as he is now known as courtesy of J.Jonah Jameson (J.K.Simmons) the editor of the Daily Bugle, goes on a rampage of robbery and destruction. OK, so its hardly Shakespeare. But you don't expect or even want the Bard when you are watching a summer blockbuster about a superhero. But when you've got a director with the talent and balls of Sam Raimi you know it will be more than your usual no-brainer, CG heavy, popcorn toss-fest (Van Helsing anyone?). This man just gets better & better. Here is a man who has managed to keep his cult status and low budget sensibilities, yet produce a dazzling, eye-popping visceral thrill ride that not only leaves you breathless, but makes you care for its main characters. He has also been able to incorporate some of his trade mark visual quirks to please his Evil Dead fan-boy fan base. When Doc Oc's tentacles go on a rampage in an operating theater, you have a tentacle cam flying towards a chainsaw wielding surgeon. You half expected Bruce Campbell to be the surgeon (he pops up later on in his usual Sam Raimi cameo). You also see Raimi's love of slapstick shine through in a memorable pizza delivery sequence. But for all the impressive visuals & stunning action set-pieces, the elevated train smack down between Spidey & Doc Oc is worth the entrance fee, it's the smaller moments that make this film. The moments when you see Peter Parker at his most vulnerable, torn between what he wants and his responsibility that comes with his great power. Seeing his anguish at his inability to help his Aunt May keep up mortgage payments on her house as well has not being able to tell her that he was indirectly responsible for his uncle being murdered. When you see Mary Jane waiting in vain for Peter's love and commitment or seeing Harry Osborn obsessing over Spider-Man, seething at the thought of his best friend protecting the man he thinks murdered his father. Even Doc Oc's struggle with his own sanity and the blurring of right and wrong in his ever maddening mind. The entire cast give there characters real depth and believability that is a credit to them and again Sam Raimi for trying to emphasize the need for strong believable characters as well as stomach churning, edge of your seat action sequences. Again Tobey Maguire fits easily in to the Spidey suit (although it does ride up in the crotch sometimes) and gives a superb performance as our torn hero. James Franco is excellent as the brooding Harry Osborn & Kirsten Dunst is, well, Mary Jane. Alfred Molina is clearly having a whale of a time as Doc Oc, showing he more than just a cartoon style villain like the Willem Defoe's Green Goblin. He actually creates a villain that you can feel for. And lets not forget the wonderful J.K.Simmons. He provides the comic relief with gusto relish. Chewing up and spitting out scenery and cigars in equal measure. If I had to pick a fault, it would be the limited screen time of J.K.Simmons, who is one of the most watchable character actors around at the minute. But that is just a minor gripe. Spider-Man 2 is a triumph from start to finish. A rare breed of film that actually surpasses it's predecessor in every way. Not many films can say that, X2, The Empire Strikes Back and The Godfather 2 being the only ones that really spring to my mind. Sam Raimi has truly raised the standard that all films, not just summer blockbusters, have to try to match. It's not just the greatest comic book Superhero film ever made, its one of the best films of the last 20 years, ranking along side The Lord of the Rings trilogy for sheer cinematic pleasure. Mr Raimi you are a genius. I'm just disappointed that I have to wait 3 years for the third installment of this marvelous roller-coaster ride.