With great Power, comes great Responsibility

Rating: 9/10 (2 July 2004)

This seems to be the mantra from which Raimi has made this the second installment of Spiderman. Great power, for Raimi has once again made a fantastic film. Breathtaking special effects and great performances abound. But also great responsibility to appease the producers and merchandise moguls who regard spiderman as a franchise not a film. This great responsibility is perhaps reflected in the film where spiderman is frustrated and (spoiler) sometimes loses his powers. This does not stifle the production but does affect Raimi's freedom to eschew cliché and shake up the lucrative formula. I would the compare this film to two other sequels: Superman 2 and Matrix Reloaded. Superman 2 because of its offbeat zest of humour and oddball characters( and lois lane is like and rhymes with Marty Jane) . Matrix Reloaded for the eyepopping action and the undercurrent(much stronger in Reloaded) that this is a stop gap to revive the franchise in peoples minds before the next installment.
(pretty Big Spoiler) This feeling is no more apparent than the end. Instead of leaving the Spidey-Mary Jane romance unrequited we have to endure a cringe worthy Runaway Bride style sequence where MJ, in resplendent white, runs to the arms of her beloved. In trying to spin a web over not really that loose ends Raimi gets entangled. (Spoiler, sorry) The ending, of spidey swinging through the Manhattan skyline whooping with euphoria, reveals a shortcoming in the super hero genre. for one, its exactly the same as the first one. Does this means that Spidey will perpetually swing along the same routes to the end of his days. In many plot elements, the films are very similar. and another question, when the novelty powers wear off will Spidey's character be inert? On second thought this question is academic because Tobey Maguire is a great actor and I doubt the novelty will ever wear off.
This film's thematic burden is a lot heavier than the originals but unlike many other films, notably Reloaded, not overbearing. while the wachowskis forced us to swallow an endless prescription of pulp philosophy pills, mostly delivered with an annoying french accent, Raimi uses a similar technique to cuaron HPATPOA: cinematic metaphor. Spidey's self doubt manifests itself in a kind of impotence, where his powers fail at important moments. His transformation in the two years since Uncle Ben's death can be seen in a nine year old boy, who idolises Spiderman. Sure, Spidey and co do have some speeches but they are poignant and pointed not prolix and pretentious.
The action and actors in this film are fabulous. Raimi directs the former with verve and scope, producing breathtaking sequences. Alfred Molina has misguided malice as Dr Ock, with his metal tentacles acting like flotsam and jetsam in the Little mermaid, corrupting his soul and justifying his nefarious activities. J.K. Simmons provides almost constant comic relief as the hypocritical, cynical newspaper editor. Maguire, Dunst and Franco reprise their original roles with maturity and aplomb, especially Maguire who grapples with many conflicting emotions in the film.
The film is also filled with subtleties that are very satisfying to uncover.
In conclusion, Spiderman 2 is a really, really good film, blending soaring action and great acting. It hardly creaks under the responsibility of the Hollywood blockbuster. but if we ask the question what if it had been made without the shackles of Hollywood? Would it be any better. It is a question, unlike that if whether or not there will be a third Spiderman, for which we will never know the answer. The words of aunt may come to mind. In order to stay steady, we must sacrifice the thing we want the most. This movie manages( just) to uphold the former while not compromising the latter. We need our heroes and Spiderman is the most human and the most uplifting. Bring on Spiderman 3.