Product: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Rating: 4.0
Just Plain Fun
I grew up reading comics as a kid, and Spidey was always my favorite. Several decades later, I'm still enjoying the action and antics of NYC's one and only photog/arachnid. This terrific sequel took the strengths of the first Spidey outing and built on them.Tobey Maguire is terrific as Peter and Spidey. The humanity of Peter struggling with school, job, and love life is engaging, sad, and funny. Kirsten Dunst, not to be outdone, brings more to Mary Jane this time around. She loves Peter, but is not going to wait for him to make up his mind. Alfred Molina is also fantastic as Doc Ock. He, too, brings a real humanity to his alter ego. As a dedicated scientist he simply can not let a lifetime of work evaporate, and is driven to take the necessary steps to see his work to its completion. Finally, props gotta go out to JK Simmons who literally rips J Jonah Jameson from the page and breathes life into the character.Some of the comedy was a bit over the top. Some of it was ironic, and dead-on(such as the nod to the infamous Seabiscuit injury). All in all, a great mix of action, romance, laughs, and sheer adrenaline. The movie isn't perfect. I'm especially leery about the direction we're headed for number 3, and its villain. C'mon folks... Give us Venom.For fans of the genre, or just those looking for a solid two hours of entertainment, Spiderman 2 will not disappoint.