Product: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Rating: 5.0
Angst and Action
With "Spiderman 2", Director Sam Raimi delivers that rarest of beasts: an action/adventure movie with real emotional depth. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finds himself at odds with his super hero powers. His crime-fighting duties have left him penniless, red-eyed with exhaustion, and in danger of flunking out of college. What's more, his long-time love, MJ (Kirsten Dunst) is on the brink of cutting him out of her life. Although he can save children from careening cars, he can't help Aunt May stop the foreclosure on her house. So what's a superhero to do? Even the villain - brilliant scientist Dr. Octavius turned Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) - is conflicted as his mechanical arms transport him into a life of crime. However, these emotional complications do not wreck the flow of the action; the fight and chase sequences are high-paced, sometimes even too tumultuous to take it all in, and they ratchet up the tension scene by scene. The humorous and ironic moments serve as yet another layer of texture.From the stunning graphic art sequence of the opening credits to the final scene, "Spiderman 2" is a visually impressive film, even more so than the first. In this sequel, everything seems to come together, from the comic book feel to the Hollywood special effects to the acting to the screenplay itself. Although the person accompanying me complained that the film had "too much talking", I felt the balance between action and character development was perfect.If you liked the first "Spiderman", you'll like this one even more. Naturally, you can't expect an art film here, or even a drama, but Spiderman 2 excels at what it sets out to do: bring the comic book to life in an action movie.