Just a couple of problems

Rating: Null/10 (1 July 2004)

First off, this movie far surpasses the original. Primarily because it is so much better visually. The first one never looked real to me. This time around, I actually believed it was live action (sort of). Tobey MacGuire proves he was the right choice for the role.
However, my first issue with the film was the same thing that made it great: The story line. Raimi seems far more concerned with the overall big picture his trilogy (or however many films he plans to make) says. While I like the recurring story line, particularly regarding Franco's Harry Osborne and what **SLIGHT SPOILER** will inevitably be a great reprised villain role in the fourth installment, I felt a little unsatisfied with the story at hand. Molina is the greatest cinematic chameleon of our time and is wonderful hear. However, he had what felt like 20 minutes of screen time. He was NOT the #2 character, or even the #3. He ranked just barely ahead of Aunt Mae at #4, and in a dead heat with Jameson. This is not a hero vs. villain story with a romance thrown in, but rather, a romance flick with a bad guy and some action scenes. It makes perfect sense now that they pursued a lesser-known actor for the coveted role, because they knew it was a secondary character.
Lastly, the other downfall of this film is the same as the first one. As the audience, do we really believe that Kirsten Dunst is that special? That Parker, millionaire Osborne, and a freakin' astronaut all would be so in love with this girl? I know Dunst was like the 3rd choice for the role, and she would have been like the 8th-best looking girl in my high school class, but I just don't find her appealing enough to warrant all the attention.