Product: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Rating: 4.0
Great follow up -- bodes well for the franchise!
I'm pleased to find another movie franchise that is able to sustain itself (unlike the Matrix or Star Wars).This second (of multiple?) installment is darker than the first. Spidey is full of angst and is broke. What's the last time you saw a super-hero who couldn't pay his bills?The FX are flawless and Elfman's score is great as always.What we find here is solid character development and plot complications. I'm surpised at the choices made seeming so "early" in the franchise (unless this is just a trilogy). Unmasking Peter Parker took me by surprise.A few points to pick -- I think the film did lose some momentum with the sporadic talkiness and I wished that the revelation to MJ would have taken a bit longer with more suspense. But these rough spots don't damage the vehicle as a whole.I was excited by the characters' interaction and the general plot arch. I'm no Spiderman authority (I'd have to consult my Foushee guide for plot points, but I've sadly lost that guide), but I think it is a solid second chapter in the story.****