The Best Superhero Movie

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2007)

Spider-Man 2 is the way how they should make a superhero movie.
We start out with Peter Parker having a crappy job, and keeps getting fired all the time, and live in a bad apartment, and is always late for work, and for class at the university. His relationship with his best friend is not going well, Harry blames Spider-Man for the death of his father(Green Goblin). Things aren't going well with Aunt May she has no money, and Mary Jane the love of his life is getting married. Not getting what he wants, Peter loses his powers as Spider-Man, and give up for good, having a normal life just as Peter Parker. Things go well, not until Peter's hero Dr. Otto Octavius a good-hearted nuclear scientist, who wants to create a first-ever successful self-sustaining fusion reaction for the welfare of mankind. He is a hero of Peter's, being the subject of his paper on fusion power, and the two become good friends. However, when the fusion experiment fails, Octavius is bonded with his handling equipment, four artificially intelligent mechanical tentacles. These convince him to carry on his dangerous experiments no matter the cost, in memory of his wife who was killed in the accident, and is dubbed Doctor Octopus by the Daily Bugle. Harry and Doc Ock make a deal, for Spider-Man in trade for the tritium. Spidey and Doc Ock have one awesome, spectacular, amazing fight in the subway trains, after Ock holds MJ hostage. Then Spidey is beaten and Harry unmasks Spider-Man and is stunned to discover that his sworn enemy is also his best friend. Peter awakens and convinces Harry to reveal Octavius' whereabouts so he can rescue Mary Jane. Spider-Man finds Doctor Octopus in an abandoned warehouse on a waterfront pier, where he's restarted his fusion experiment. After defeating Ock, Peter reveals his true identity to Octavius, who is dazed and whose tentacles are temporarily incapacitated, and pleads with him to stop the machine. Determined to end his doomsday experiment before it causes more harm, Octavius uses his mechanical arms to collapse the floor of the building, plunging the fusion device into the water below and him along with it. Mary Jane sees Peter without his mask and realizes that he is Spider-Man, but Peter tells her they can never be together, as he will always have enemies. Back at the Osborn Mansion, Harry hallucinates his own father, tells him to avenge his death, he finds all the goblin gear, learning his father was the Green Goblin. At the end of the film, Mary Jane leaves her wedding and finds Peter in his apartment, telling him that she has decided to be with him, despite the risks. She persuades Peter to finally let her in while accepting the need of his vows by letting him respond to a sudden call for help.
The acting is great Toby MaGuire does an excellent job as the tormented superhero who can't have his own life, and what he wants. Alfred Molina as Doc Ock was well acted. I really think he should have gotten a nomination for best supporting actor, a really great villain an the best one. Kirsten Dunst as MJ, breath taking, she was much better in this film, as the love life of Peter Parker. James Franco as his best friend, who blames spidey for his father's death, and angry at Peter for taking pictures of spidey, a great set up there. The cast was excellent!
Spider-Man 2 is the true way to make a comic book film. The sub plots worked very well, and this film shows true emotions, it's sweet, has very good romance between Peter, and MJ, and real feelings to one another, yes the actions scenes are jaw dropping and amazing, along with the incredible special effects. Spider-Man 2 has a human story, keeping its parallel plots alive and moving.The movie demonstrates what's wrong with a lot of other superhero epics: They focus on the superpowers, and short-change the humans behind them. It gives a good message, and doesn't be preachy about it. This the best comic book adaption next to Batman Begins, X2, and the original Superman. I liked many other superhero films such as Hulk, Daredevil, Fantastic 4, Blade, and more, but not enough to recommend, but Spider-Man 2 is in another category: It's a real movie, full-blooded and smart, with qualities even for those who have no idea who Stan Lee is. Spider-Man 2 is the superhero movie that would blow away, and fill amazement with comic book fans, and it's also a comic book film for people who don't like comic book films. For those of you who don't like Spider-Man, or just not into comics, watch it, you just might be surprised. 10/10