Every sequel is first and foremost judged against its predecessor, and thus the question on everyone's mind is, "Is Spider-Man 2 better than the first one?" I think the answer is a complicated one. Spider-Man 2 suffers a bit in the storyline but makes up for it (and then some) in the action, surprises, and humor. I think the first one probably had better acting (especially by Willem Dafoe) and had a better story, but personally, I felt that the 2nd one is more fun to watch.
After a comic-book style title sequence, Spider-Man 2 begins by showing us the down-side of being Spider-Man. It's not all the glamour and glitz that we might expect. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is not getting enough sleep, is late to work, is struggling in college, and is in dire straits financially. What's more, being Spider-Man is turning out to be a thankless job. Later, when he realizes that he's probably lost the one woman he cares about (Mary Jane, aka MJ, played by Kirsten Dunst) he finds that his Spidey powers are failing him from time to time and his frustration with this and with his whole life drive him to quit being Spider-Man and to start living for Peter Parker. This could not have come at a worse time, for meanwhile a brilliant scientist, Dr. Octavius (Alfred Molina), has created something that has gone horribly wrong, despite his calculations and meticulous planning. He becomes Doc Ock (or Dr. Octopus) and is beginning to wreak havoc on the city as he steals and plunders in order to finance his science experiment...
When the movie was over, I realized something. Spider-Man 2 is not unlike a couple of other key movies that feature the number 2 (which was today's sponsor on Sesame Street, by the way). It can best be compared with another movie series, albeit an unlikely one: Austin Powers. You see, Spider-Man, just like Austin Powers in Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me, loses his "mojo" and with that his self-esteem and "Spidey" (not Austin) Powers. HAHAHA. The same plotline can be found in Superman 2. Superman gives up his super-powers in order to get it on with Lois Lane, and to me and every other pre-pubescent boy at the time, that was REALLY STUPID!
And that brings me to my next point, which I am reiterating from my review of the original Spider-Man. And that is this. Who out there most wants to watch Spider-Man, pretend they're Spider-Man, etc? It is young boys. But who does this movie play itself towards? I'd probably say girls in their late teens and early 20's. This movie is rated PG-13 which cuts out a lot of the young boys right there. And to those parents thinking of taking their, as Yoda would say, "Younglings," to see this movie, let me warn you. There is plenty that may be inappropriate. There are several scary scenes, but even scarier than that is the fact that at least half of the movie is a love story.
Since when is Spider-Man supposed to be a love story? Sure the comic books and cartoon had a hint of a love story in there, but it didn't dominate the themes of heroism, good vs. evil, etc.
And speaking of the love story, it is the most frustrating love story I've had to sit through since Forrest Gump. MJ really reminds me of Jenny from Forrest Gump because she is always dissing Peter Parker, and even though she "claims" to love him, she has no problem running around with other guys and getting engaged and stuff like that. It is not until she sees him in his Spider-Man suit that she realizes what she's missing and comes running back. Man...if I was Spider-Man, I'd be like, "Screw you MJ. I'm going out with Chocolate Cake Girl!" Chocolate Cake Girl is introduced in this movie as a young, waif-like daughter of Parker's landlord who, although terribly shy, musters up the courage to offer Peter some chocolate cake. Personally, I thought she was much hotter and much nicer than MJ, hence my statement. Most importantly, Chocolate Cake Girl liked Peter for who he was WITHOUT knowing about his Spidey Powers. A girl who likes you for who you are, even when your nothing, AND brings you chocolate cake is pretty much the perfect woman if you ask me.
These frustrations and more come from a lack-luster story. However, the way in which it was filmed more than make up for what is missing in the plotline. You can really tell that director Sam Raimi was having fun with this. There were great scary parts and very exciting parts as well, but mixed throughout was a lot of humor. And it wasn't humor so much in a witty joke, or slapstick, or funny themes. It was in the style of how it was shot. It was in the sudden surprises and unexpected twists and turns. It was also in the lighthearted feel that this movie seemed to keep for most of the time. Here are some examples:
- There is a scene in which Dr. Ock is being operated on by a set of doctors attempting to remove his four metallic, snakelike limbs with minds of their own. The scene is shot in a classic horror-flick style and undoubtedly comes from Sam Raimi's background with such movies as Evil Dead and Army of Darkness. It is scary, yet hilarious because of the stereotypes that are brought forth such as chainsaws and screaming women.
- No Sam Raimi movie would be complete without Bruce Campbell who makes an appearance as a snotty usher at a theater. He refuses to admit Peter Parker into one of MJ's plays because he is late, and the scene is very funny because of how over-the-top yet somehow believable it truly is.
- There's a scene where Aunt May is trying to get a loan and is refused. She pulls out an add in the paper about getting a free toaster when opening a savings account. The loan officer informs her that she needs at least $300 in her account to qualify, which she doesn't. It is a sad scene, but just comes out funny when you watch it.
- There are several scenes which highlight the miserable woes of being Peter Parker. We see him getting hit by passers-by as he tries to pick up his books that he has dropped on his college campus. We see him at a party trying to get a drink or hors d'oeuvres from a tray and always being one second too late before they are all gone. We see him try to use the community bathroom in his apartment complex and his landlord beats him to it. All disappointments for Peter but oddly entertaining for us.
- There is a scene where Spider-Man, having lost his ability to spin a web, must take the elevator in order to get down from atop a building. The ride down is quite awkward for him, but hilarious for us.
- But my favorite scenes from this movie involve sudden surprises. We are strung along thinking to ourselves, "Oh, how predictable" when all of a sudden something completely different happens instead. For instance, there is a scene in which a huge crowd of subway passengers crowd in front of Spider-Man in order to protect him from Doc Ock. They look resolved and powerful, but Doc Ock parts the crown in all of about 2 seconds and the next thing you know he has Spider-Man in his robotic tentacles. Another such sudden twist involves a scene in which MJ begins to sneak up behind Doc Ock as she wields a 2x4 and we all expect her to whack him on the head and save her beloved Spider-Man. However, one of Doc's appendages sees it coming and tosses her aside at the last second. Hilarious!
My favorite character in this movie has got to be J.J. Jameson, Parker's boss at the Daily Bugle. Jameson is played by J.K. Simmons to a tee. He is absolutely perfect as he was in the original. Every scene in which he plays a part is so fast-paced, witty, and most of all fun. He comes off exactly as he did in the comic books and cartoons...egotistical and impatient. I love it!
But all of this would be worthless if we didn't get to see Spider-Man swinging through the air, firing his web from building to building. In this, Spider-Man 2 gives us a bit more than the original, but still leaves us wanting MORE. It is never enough in my opinion. Because to me, that is what Spider-Man is all about. I'm into the super-hero side of Spider-Man. I want to see more action, more crime fighting, and more heroic rescues. The Spidey suit is really cool. I love the mask and I don't like it when he takes it off.
But that happens more in this movie than I would have ever expected. Parker seems way to haphazard about showing people his real face...even to his enemies. That's sloppy if you ask me. But I have a theory. I think the real reason behind the mask removal is a contractual obligation to Mr. Maguire such that his face gets more screen time. If so, then that's just sad. Because let's be honest, who wants to see Spider-Man like the picture above? Nobody. Who wants the Spider-Man in the picture at the top of the page? I rest my case.
The film's ending leaves us with a lot of teasers, but leaves no doubt as to whether or not there will be another installment of the Spider-Man series. Most notably, we catch a glimpse of the next Green Goblin as Harry Osborn (James Franco) discovers his father's old suit. I'm sure that I'm just like almost everyone out there, because I can't wait for Spider-Man 3.
While it can be argued as to whether or not it is better than the original, all will agree that this is a good movie. More action and more humor make it fun to watch, but it is quite truthfully still a little slower than I would like for a super-hero movie.
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