Self Indulgence Bogs Down Hero's Exploits

Rating: 6/10 (22 June 2005)

Cheers went up around the movie-going world in 2002 when "Spider-Man" hit the big screen. It was a rousing success that exceeded every expectation of movie-goers (myself included), comic book fans, critics and investing movie executives. The sequel picks up two years after the initial installment left off. The action sequences are soaring, the effects are eye-popping and the original cast and director return with a new writer who is completely dedicated to their vision. The same comic book fans, movie goers and critics again gave a tremendous vote of praise through massive waves of attendance and positive reviews. However, in the midst of all this positive noise, few have been willing to look at the fact that this blockbuster comes within a hair's breadth of collapsing under its own weight.
Peter Parker (Toby Maguire) has spent the last two years living a double life of student and the costumed vigilante, Spider-Man, when the story begins. His life is like a spinning top losing its momentum as he juggles 2 jobs, college classes, and his personal life. He tries to help his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), but feels guilt about his accidental contribution to his Uncle Ben's (Cliff Robertson) death at the hands of a mugger. Norman Osborn (as played by Willem Dafoe in the first movie) was also the costumed villain, The Green Goblin, but Peter as Spider-Man concealed that fact from the public to save Norman's reputation. As the result of that good deed, Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn (James Franco), blames Spider-Man for his father's death, and their relationship has taken on a love-hate tone because Peter continues to sell pictures of Spider-Man to the newspapers. Peter is also trying to conceal his love for his life-long friend, Mary Jane Watson (Kirstin Dunst), because he feels that his self-appointed obligation to be Spider-Man would endanger her if they become more than friends. His teachers are critical of his absenteeism. Spider-Man keeps interfering with these parts of his life. All this is happening while he lives in a dumpy apartment with no visible way out of his rut, and he begins to wonder if his double life is worth while.
As part of a class assignment, Peter soon meets with nuclear physicist, Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) who is under contract to the company Harry Osborn inherited from his father. Peter has the opportunity to bond with the scientist before a botched experiment (possibly the worst-planned in history) causes the death of Otto's wife and the ruin of Harry's corporate reputation. A tool comprised of four computerized metal arms used in the experiment becomes fused to Otto's body, and this, combined with the loss of his wife and dream, drives him to become an insane villain, dubbed "Doctor Octopus" by the press. While "Doc Ock" begins to reconstruct his failed experiment on a scale that could endanger all of New York, Peter has falling outs with everyone he cares for. The combined stress causes his super powers to falter, and he gives up his second identity. Much needed perspective comes from his break, and he starts to pull his personal life back into order. However, the villain reemerges, and Peter must rise to the occasion to save the city and the ones he loves.
People who make comic books have well-developed senses of humor, and at one point, a self-effacing issue entitled "The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man" was published. The issue parodied Peter's constant troubles by showing people getting tired of his self-involvement and him missing the world around him as he took brooding to new lows. I couldn't help but think of that comic while watching this movie. Although attention to character development has long been missing from the comic book genre in film (take Joel Schumacher's "Batman & Robin" as a prime example), the story dwells so frequently on watching Peter suffer and listen to other characters give long-winded speeches, that Peter seems unnaturally frozen from taking action to help himself  even within the confines of the story. (And that is certainly not to knock Toby Maguire's performance, which is spot-on.) He just seems to brood and worry. One example is a short scene after he has renounced his life as Spider-Man when he sees a mugging in an alley. It is a scene where anyone could simply shout to attract the police or distract the thieves, but Peter freezes in position and gives a contemplative, worried look before moving off. Renouncing a vigilante identity would not erase a person's conscience, and the scene is unintentionally laughable. This type of too-obvious exaggeration weighs the movie down.
The themes of honor, responsibility, sacrifice and what really makes someone a hero are at the very core of Spider-Man's character, and have been with him throughout most stories in his 40-year existence. However, there are so many characters giving speeches about these things, that it breaks the flow. It speaks to the filmmakers' dedication and to get Cliff Robertson to return for a single dream sequence as Peter's Uncle Ben. Although these kinds of things have occurred in the comics, the dream sequence takes on an odd tone. It is intended to be a "Star Wars" moment similar to those between Luke and Obi-Wan, but it ends up being self-important and just a touch creepy. If Peter had finally reached the end of his rope, he wouldn't take two scenes to think about quitting  he'd just quit. With that and the double tongue-lashing Peter receives from his friends at a party, you wonder if while everyone spends so much time contemplating what is important, they haven't just missed the chance to do something about it.
Raimi leaves all these scenes in (along with too many of his signature horror film close-up shots of screaming women), and they smother what is otherwise a faithful, heartfelt and fun adaptation. Hopefully, the anticipated third installment will let the characters' actions speak more for themselves.