a vast improvement over the original

Rating: 8/10 (13 April 2005)

As children, most of us grow up wishing we could become gravity-defying super heroes, flying around the world, battling villains, rescuing the innocent, and fighting for truth, justice and the American way. But what if the burden of such a calling turned out to be too much for us? What if saving the world became a 24-hour-a-day/seven-days-a-week occupation that prevented us from leading a normal life and finding happiness with our one true love? That is the dilemma Peter Parker faces in "Spiderman 2," a deeper, richer, more psychologically nuanced follow-up to the rather innocuous "Spiderman" from 2002. Most of the major players from the original have returned, including director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. What's different this time around is that the filmmakers have chosen to emphasize the inner conflict Parker is undergoing between needing to fulfill the awesome responsibilities that go along with being a crime fighting super hero and wanting to chuck it all in order to win the heart of the literal girl-next-door. Parker finds that being Spiderman keeps him from fulfilling the mundane, run-of-the-mill, day-to-day commitments one needs to in order to have successful relationships with other people - most especially the girl he loves. When the conflict becomes too much for him, Peter has to decide whether or not he is going to continue to lead this double existence or return to the simplicity of life as a mere mortal. It is this added intellectual dimension that gives "Spiderman 2" the thematic heft that "Spiderman 1" lacked.
The plot, involving a brilliant scientist who inadvertently becomes a killing machine when one of his experiments goes awry, is reasonably entertaining and interesting, though it pales in comparison to the love story and the complex internal conflict taking place in our superhero's overtaxed psyche. The special effects seem vastly improved over the original, with Spiderman's movements through the air appearing considerably more graceful and natural than they did the first time around. A spectacular scene involving Spiderman attempting to arrest a runaway train racing uncontrollably through Manhattan is the action highlight of the film.
As Parker, Toby Maguire provides the emotional gravity the story needs to be effective. His shy, self-effacing demeanor draws us to the character and makes him a believable, sympathetic figure whom the audience can relate to and root for all the way through. The sweet, vulnerable, yet eternally self-assured Kirsten Dunst makes for the perfect romantic counterpart to this young man who's all thumbs and who seems perpetually tongue-tied when he isn't donning his webbed designer jumpsuit.
I wasn't a big fan of the first "Spiderman" movie, but "Spiderman 2" has an intelligence and charm that make this particular installment awfully hard to resist. Raimi may have struck out the first time around, but he has managed to hit a homer - or at least a solid triple with the bases loaded - this time at bat.