Product: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Rating: 5.0
Blockbuster filmmaking at its best
Spider-Man 2 finds Peter Parker dealing with the harsh realities of being a superhero. His grades are slipping, he can't keep a job and his relationship with Mary Jane is non-existent. How is he to be a normal person when he must spend his nights slinging through the city after New York's villains?With this set-up, Spider-Man 2 attempts to break the mold of the superhero genre. Yes, there is a sub-plot dealing with the multi-armed Dr. Ock, but the thrust of the story deals with the inner-conflicts of Peter Parker. Will he abandon his crime-fighting ways and become a better student, nephew, employee and boyfriend? This film actually builds character development and gives the audience a Peter Parker that everyone will want to pull for.But the film does not abandon it's comic book roots. The eye-candy fight scenes are enhanced by unbelievable technological advancements made since the first Spider-Man. The incredible creation of Dr. Ock works as the special effects' greatest invention. His mechanical arms work with him in such a realistic way that many moviegoers will swear actor Alfred Molina really had those things fused to his spine and wired to his cerebellum.So much of the success of these films should be placed directly on the shoulders of its star, Tobey Maguire. Many questioned his original casting as the webslinger. While his past works have not exactly made him a surefire choice to play a superhero, his depiction of sensitive, lonely characters in his previous works (Pleasantville, Cider House) made him the perfect choice for Peter Parker. He is why Spider-Man 2 is able to revolutionize superhero films by allowing them to be about more than just special effects.