Spider-Man 2 (2004 film)

***Spider-Man 2*** is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimiand written by Alvin Sargent from a story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. The sequel to the 2002 film *Spider-Man*, it is the second film in Raimi's Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco reprise their respective roles as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, and Harry Osborn. The budget of the movie was 200 million dollars and the box office was 783.8 million dollars.

PLOT

Peter Parker struggles to balance his crime-fighting duties as Spider-Man with the demands of his normal life. Estranged from both love interest Mary Jane Watson and best friend Harry Osborn, Peter additionally discovers his Aunt May is facing foreclosure.

Harry, now head of Oscorp's research division, sponsors the brilliant nuclear scientist Otto Octavius' fusion power project. While handling the equipment, Octavius wears a harness of powerful robotic tentacle arms with artificial intelligence. In a demonstration, a power spike causes the fusion reactor to destabilize. Octavius refuses to shut down the reactor, which goes critical, killing his wife, and damaging his robotic arms; in the process, the inhibitor chip controlling the arms is rendered useless. Spider-Man arrives, and shuts down the experiment, destroying it in a massive explosion before it can do any further damage.

At a hospital, doctors prepare to surgically remove Octavius's harness. However, after the inhibitor chip is destroyed, the arms have developed sentience. They spring to life, and attack the medical crew, killing most of them. Upon regaining consciousness and seeing the carnage, Octavius escapes and hides at a harbor. Becoming increasingly influenced by the arms' AI, Octavius robs a bank to fund another experiment. When Spider-Man is attempting to save Aunt May, Octavius is upset because he stuck his webs in his business once again. The *Daily Bugle* subsequently dubs him Doctor Octopus.

Mary Jane becomes engaged to astronaut John Jameson, son of *Bugle* chief J. Jonah Jameson. Peter suffers an emotional breakdown, and temporarily loses his powers. He abandons his Spider-Man identity, returns to his normal life, and tries to reconcile with Mary Jane. A garbageman brings Spider-Man's costume to J. Jonah Jameson, who takes credit for Spider-Man's disappearance. Peter tells Aunt May that his Uncle Ben's death some time ago was his fault. May forgives him, but the rise in New York City crime rate worries Peter.

Octavius needs tritium to fuel his reactor, and goes to Harry to demand it. Harry agrees in exchange for Spider-Man's life. He tells Octavius to seek Peter, who is supposedly good friends with Spider-Man. Octavius locates Peter, tells him to find Spider-Man, and captures Mary Jane. Peter's powers are restored, and he steals back his costume from the *Bugle,* and goes after Octavius.

As Spider-Man battles Octavius, they fall onto a rapid transit R train. Octavius sabotages the controls and jumps off, and Spider-Man struggles to stop the train before the track ends. When he faints from exhaustion, the passengers carry him into one of the cars. He comes to and realizes his mask is off, but the passengers promise not to reveal his identity. Octavius returns, easily subdues Spider-Man, and delivers him to Harry.

After giving Octavius the Tritium, Harry prepares to kill Spider-Man, only to be shocked to see Peter under the mask. Saying greater things are at stake, he convinces Harry to reveal Octavius's location. Spider-Man arrives at the doctor's waterfront laboratory, and tries to rescue Mary Jane discreetly. One of Octavius's tentacles senses him, and they fight. Spider-Man ultimately subdues Octavius, reveals his identity, and persuades Octavius to let go of his dream for the greater good. Octavius finally commands the tentacles to obey him, and drowns the fusion reactor, along with himself, in the Hudson River. Mary Jane discovers Spider-Man's true identity and feelings, as well as why they cannot be together. Spider-Man returns Mary Jane to John, and leaves.

Harry is visited by a vision of his father, pleading for Harry to avenge his death. Refusing to hurt Peter, Harry shatters the mirror, unintentionally revealing a secret room containing the Green Goblin's equipment. On her wedding day, Mary Jane abandons John at the altar, and runs to Peter's apartment. After they agree to be together, they hear police sirens, and Mary Jane encourages him to respond as Spider-Man.

CAST

Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker / Spider-Man

Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson

James Franco as Harry Osborn

Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus / Doc Ock

Rosemary Harris as May Parker / Aunt May

J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson

Donna Murphy as Rosalie Octavius

Daniel Gillies as John Jameson

Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Connors

Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin

Mageina Tovah as Ursula Ditkovich

As with the previous film, Bruce Campbell has a cameo appearance, this time as an usher in the doors of MJ's show. Years later, Jeffrey Henderson who worked on the storyboards for the cancelled *Spider-Man 4* movie, released information regarding which villains would appear within the movie. One of those included Bruce Campbell's character's progression into Quentin Beck / Mysterio. *Spider-Man* co-creator Stan Lee portrays a man on the street who saves a woman from falling debris during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. Scott Spiegel portrays a man who attempts to eat some pizza Spider-Man is delivering, only to have it webbed from his hands. Joel McHale portrays a bank teller. Hal Sparksportrays an elevator passenger who has a conversation with Spider-Man. Donnell Rawlings portrays the New Yorker who exclaims that Spider-Man "stole that guy's pizzas" and Emily Deschanel portrays a receptionist. Elizabeth Banks portrays once again Betty Brant, one of the Bugle staff and J. Jonah Jameson's secretary. Daniel Dae Kim plays an assistant of Doctor Octavius working in his laboratory. Aasif Mandvi portrays Mr. Aziz, the owner of a local pizza store. Joey Diaz portrays a similar passenger. Vanessa Ferlito portrays one of Mary Jane's co-stars. Joy Bryant appears as a spectator that witnesses Spider-Man in action. John Landis plays one of the doctors who operates on Doctor Octopus. Phil LaMarr portrays a train passenger who is most easily seen to the left of Spider-Man (the viewer's right) while the hero uses webbing to slow the train down. Greg Edelman portrays Dr. Davis, the doctor at the University, that Peter Parker sees to talk about the loss of his superpowers.