Majestic movie making in every respect

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2004)

In 1981, Sam Raimi unleashed himself (and Bruce Campbell) onto the film world with his first masterpiece; The Evil Dead. Since then, Raimi has gone on to make many films, and hasn't disappointed with a single one. And that more than includes this one.
It has become a common opinion among certain people that movies which are heavy on action are brainless and therefore can't be intelligent or have an emotional impact on the audience. The first Spider-Man, and the X-Men films have already disproved this theory; but Spiderman 2 puts it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Many movies that try to blend together several elements end up falling down somewhere, but Spiderman 2 manages to blend more than a few, and blend them into one coherent masterpiece. Within the plot are elements of romance, sci-fi, action, comedy, drama, fantasy, and even a little bit of horror, Many films that have tried to blend several elements have failed, but here they all blend together nicely. All the elements of the plot come together, and all are definitely needed for the movie to flow; it is obvious that all these things weren't put in the movie just so the film could profess that it has lots of different elements; there is nothing in the plot of this movie that could be taken out without making the rest of the movie fall apart; in that way, the movie is efficient and yet expansive and ambitious at the same time.
The movie starts as it means to go on; with a very exciting pizza delivery sequence. Yes, even pizza delivery is exciting in Spiderman 2. After that the movie is a roller coaster ride; when it's not dazzling you with adrenaline fuelled action sequences, it's pulling at your heart strings with emotionally rich exchanges. Some action films let up when they aren't giving the audience an action sequence; but this one doesn't. It's exciting all the way though. Some of the exchanges, particularly the ones between Aunt May and Peter Parker are genuinely heart felt, and because the characters are so well thought-out and appear on screen as rounded human beings; these exchanges are allowed licence to make you care for the characters. The characters in the movie are a mixed bag, with each one being made up of a number of desires and insecurities, which translate onto the screen both effectively and believably, even in spite of some of them having super powers.
Technically, this movie is majestic. The action sequences are truly breathtaking and seeing Spider-Man battle Doctor Octopus around a number of different locations is an unforgettable experience. The acting is also something of note, as the movie is brought to life by a brilliant ensemble. I don't like Tobey Maguire much, but he was made for the role of Peter Parker, and he really does excel with it. The role wouldn't have been believable if it was filled by someone butch, and so Maguire makes for a believable Spider-Man. Kirsten Dunst doesn't have as much to do here as she did last time, but what she does do is just fine. The great Alfred Molina fills the role of Doctor Octopus, and like Tobey Maguire was made for the part. Simply put, he's immense in this role; he's intelligent looking enough to be believable as the scientist and nasty looking enough to be believable as the super-villain; thus capturing the essence of his character in both respects. J.K. Simmons steals the show as J.J. Jameson, the head of the newspaper in downtown Manhattan. Every scene with him is a delight and much of his dialogue is absolutely hilarious, which gives the film that all-important third dimension.
As previously mentioned, Sam Raimi started life as the director of the fantastic cult hit; The Evil Dead. Despite this film being completely different and on a much bigger scale than the aforementioned; it is evident that Sam hasn't lost his roots. Obviously giving Bruce Campbell a cameo shows this (although I'd have preferred more Bruce, myself), and Sam also reminds us of The Evil Dead with several tributes including a lovely chainsaw sequence, and a workout for the 'Raimi-cam' on the train scenario. The Evil Dead was notable for, amongst other things, the fact that it was extremely well directed. Sam Raimi is an extremely underrated talent and really should be mentioned along with the directors that hog all the praise more often. His direction is extremely assured, and he manages to make everything about the film thrilling and as interesting as it possibly could be.
Spider-Man 2 is a film that further disproves the theory that movies based on comic books are brainless and stands out as one of the very best films this decade, not to mention it being a member of the exclusive 'sequels better than the first' club. If you haven't already; see this movie pronto.