What do you want?! Shawshank 2!

Rating: 9/10 (7 June 2008)

Because when I look at various comments on these pages regarding this film, and other blockbusters, I feel that this is what people want in every film they see and I don't know why. When I go to see a drama I see a drama, when I want to see a comedy I see a comedy, why does every film have to be "The Godfather" otherwise it's badly acted and scripted?
The only films that tend to buck this trend are superhero films that have character actors as their lead. The truth is that this is a really good blockbuster film.
The story revolves around Peter Parker and his conversion from nerdy college kid to crime fighting superhero, at the same time as his nemesis, the evil Green Goblin, is spawned from his best friend's father Norman Osborn, and whilst Peter is Spider-Man, Norman's persona splits, tearing into the quiet and benign Norman, who eventually becomes the bullied victim of the controlling and evil Green Goblin.
Like most good adaptations it stays pretty close to its source material and, in some areas, improves on them. The cast are are excellent in their respective roles with particular plaudits going to Willem Dafoe whose switches from Goblin to Norman are so perfect that you are never left in doubt who is who as his persona becomes more fractured. Cliff Robertson and JK Simmons are equally good as inspirational Uncle Ben and Uninspirational J. Jonah Jameson respectively.
The action set pieces are all handled supremely well and even though some of the effects aren't brilliant, because of the overall strength of the film it matters little as the characters and story keep your interest so much that it doesn't matter if some of the effects aren't up to the standard of other blockbusters with less charm, plot and characters.
A great start to the spider-man series. Shame 3 lets the side down.
Nuff said Em