The Best Superhero Movie Of All Time

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2015)

Remember my "Spider-Man" review? Where I said that I was an enormous fan of the character but that the film wasn't exactly a "great" superhero flick? While I said "Spider-Man" was a really good but not quite great superhero movie, "Spider-Man 2" I think is easily, without a doubt, the best superhero movie ever made. Yes, even after all the MCU movies and "The Dark Knight" Trilogy, I STILL believe this is the best superhero movie of all time. Its style, its pacing, its action, its emotion, its intelligence, its effects, its characters, its fight scenes. I could watch this movie a million times and not get tired of it. It's everything the first "Spider-Man" film should have been and for my money the gold standard for the superhero movie genre.
I love the idea of a superhero film examining just how hard it is to be a superhero; taking a look at the toll it takes on your life and just how much you have to sacrifice. "Spider-Man 2" demonstrates that perfectly. Peter Parker sacrifices any chance at true happiness he has and puts nearly everything at risk simply to protect the city and it's people. Even after he momentarily stops being Spider-Man, he still sacrifices one of the few things he still has, his trust with Aunt May, in one of the most emotional scenes ever in a comic book movie. In fact, all of these characters seem to go through some harsh hardships throughout the movie; Mary Jane is getting married despite conflicting feelings about Peter, Harry Osborne is dealing with insecurities about not living up to his father as well as having to weigh his relationship with his father with his friendship with Peter, even Otto Octavius spends the entire movie chasing an impossible dream, largely in compensation for his wife's death. All of these characters arcs are told wonderfully and I found all of them compelling and incredibly investing.
Remember how I said the romance in "Spider-Man" completely failed and almost sunk the entire movie? Not at all the case here. We see much more of Peter and Mary Jane as friends, we see them really interact beyond just being lovers and really examine and reexamine the roles they have in each others lives, we see them truly support each other in very hard times and put each other before themselves. These were things we never saw in the original "Spider-Man", but we see them here. On top of that, Kristen Dunst actually does an excellent job here now that she's given an actual CHARACTER to play, and we're rooting for her to find happiness and stability in her life just as much as we are Peter.
Speaking of Peter, Tobey Maguire completely dominates in this film. He truly manages to make Peter Parker a sympathetic and likable character here, and there are multiple scenes where he just oozes emotion. He has the awkward and dorky charm of the original, but he adds far more emotional weight and tragedy to his performance here than in the first movie.
Speaking of improved performances, James Franco does phenomenal work here. Like Peter and Mary Jane, he struggles and he often makes the wrong decisions, but you can tell this is more out of confusion and indecisiveness than any ill intent. Like Maguire, he brings far more emotional weight to his role in this movie than it's predecessor, and it's a better film for it.
Alfred Molina as Dr. Octopus may be the best villain I have ever seen in a comic book movie, he's in the top 3 no doubt. I've always been a fan of Dr. Octopus as a character since reading the comics, but I gotta say, Raimi's Dr. Octopus may be better than anything I have read in any of the "Spider-Man" comics. Molina together with a phenomenal script by Alvin Sargent turns Otto Octavius into one of the most sympathetic villains I've ever seen. The loss of his wife, his reputation and essentially any hope of a normal life leave Doc Ock to grasp desperately to the only thing that still matters to him anymore; finishing his fusion reactor. He is as much driven by regret and hopelessness as he is by passion, and Molina is great at depicting the good Doctor's sorrow, fear and brokenness. Also, kudos to the effects team on Dr Octopus's arms. The mix of CGI and animatronics on them were detailed, realistic and scary as Hell.
The style of the movie is perfect. Sam Raimi made a name for himself as a Horror movie director, and with a villain like Dr. Octopus, that style works surprisingly well. One of my favorite scenes in the movie involves Octavius's mechanical arms killing multiple doctors trying to saw them off while he is unconscious, and it truly feels like something straight out of one of his "Evil Dead" movies. It's intentional homage and it works perfectly. With that being said, the lighthearted and funny moments work just as well, what with J.J Jameson putting on Spider-Man's abandoned costume and masquerading in it around his cubicle or even charming little moments like Spider-Man shouting puns at Dr. Octopus during a bank robbery. The blend of both the dark and light aspects of Spider-Man make the film truly feel like the ultimate Spider-Man cinematic experience.
The train fight scene is easily the best fight I've seen in a superhero flick, and it's doubtful it will ever be beat. The choreography and just the unique style of the fight fit Spider-Man and Dr. Octopus perfectly and it's just oozing with excitement.
I could go on about this movie forever. It's just so GREAT. It had great heart, it had great style, it had a great story, it had great characters, it had great action, it had great effects...It's the best damn superhero movie ever. Period.