An American Pop Movie Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (4 July 2006)

While the first SPIDERMAN captured the comic's emotional angst, the effects and battles were lackluster. I also wasn't sure about Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. In fact, while a huge Sam Raimi fan, I avoided SP2 until last week.
WOW.
If I were a kid, SPIDERMAN 2 would be my STAR WARS. This film surpasses the first in almost every way. Raimi is fully in charge here, and the film plays like a Hollywood spectacle with flourishes of indie subversion, like the brilliant "Raindrops Keep Fallin'" montage.
On top of moving and entertaining scenes, SPIDERMAN 2 delivers the very best action superhero scenes set to celluloid. More important, the action is integral to the story and leads to further character development. Even during an epic train battle, the film swings from one of the best action set pieces since the truck chase in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK to a heart-tugging finale where Peter Parker realizes the power of his responsibility.
Raimi so clearly "gets" the source material that there is no better choice for director. Just check out the bank fight between Spidey and Doc Ock, one of the most perfect comic book action scenes ever. Even the quips work perfect. Tobey Maguire owns Peter Parker/Spiderman here and the film just wouldn't work if he wasn't able to generate such empathy, strength and confusion. Alfred Molina was inspired casting and ends up as the best super villain since General Zod in Superman 2. It takes a great actor to perfectly nail a line like "Butterfingers."
This is Sam Raimi's best film, a complete summation of his kinetic film-making and generous heart (not to mention a classic Bruce Campbell moment). SPIDERMAN 2 is truly a film for all ages, minus the pious built-in studio morality. I can't think of another superhero film that brought tears to my more than once. It's the comic, stupid! And by the end of the film, after Parker has suffered the slings and arrows of misfortune, he is allowed a beautiful moment of respite and the film ends on a fantastic super high, capped by Danny Elfman's grand score (blowing away the weak first) and a wonderfully ambiguous final shot.
I've been watching this film over and over the past week, and it's left me feeling giddy and hopeful, a charge I don't get too much from recent Hollywood films. But if Columbia was willing to give the director of EVIL DEAD 200 million dollars to make a superhero film...
Go Spidey, go!