A Step Forward

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2004)

Looking back on the other major super hero franchises (Superman, Batman, X-Men), I think in each case the franchise took a step backward in the sequel...that was certainly not the case here.....a good film was followed by a great film.
In my opinion, the greatest thing about the film is the nearly top-to-bottom- casting. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco are just perfect for their roles. The chemistry is dead on. Even the supporting players do exactly what they need to do for their characters.
The only problem I had in the whole film was with Alfred Molina's portrayal of Dr. Octopus. When we first meet him, he is perfect for the role...a very loving down-to-Earth person. As he transitioned into the villain, I found myself simply not believing the performance....I'm really not sure if this is a problem with how he chose to approach the role or how it was written, but it was the one thing I didn't like. Once he becomes the villain, everything was pretty good.
Overall....even Dr. Octopus...I found the characters of this two-dimensional comic book world far more three-dimensional than most films I have seen. Even if you are not a die hard comic book fan, this is a film that might give you some respect for the genre.