Product: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Rating: 4.0
Not as fun as the first (Yes, I've seen it)
(...)Spiderman 2 is pretty good - it's darker and edgier than the first. It's not as much fun and doesn't go anywhere new in filmmaking, but does address some important issues, as the first one did. I saw it at a recording of MTV's "Moviehouse" here in LA on the 14th.Alfred Molina does a good job with Dr. Octopus, but didn't really seem like that much of a bad guy, especially with the plot addition of giving his tentacles their own intelligence. Maybe they did that on purpose, but it's harder to get into a movie where the bad guy is generally likeable. The other bad guy set up scenes were pretty good, too - we meet the Professor that probably becomes the Lizard later on in the franchise, and there's an absolutely fabulous scene where Harry discovers his dad's Green Goblin laboratory. We even got to see slightly more of the girl who becomes the Black Cat. Still no Venom, though.The plot drags some, but not that bad. MaGuire does a good job of demonstrating angst, and Dunst makes MJ stronger than she was in the first one. I wish that they would have explained why he was having the problems that he did as Spiderman, and how the problem was fixed, though.A movie with the taglines "Choice" and "Sacrifice" isn't bound to be very happy or fun. But it's a good way to spend a couple of hours, and makes some good points. The main thing I loved about it was the deemphasis on material wealth, and the idea of doing what needs to be done. Things will work out, Sam Raimi says. Well, they worked out ok for this one, and we'll be looking forward to the next installment.