Jasonic Reviews Spider-Man 2

When does a superhero sequel stand out enough to outdo the success of its predecessor both financially and critically? When it's excellent enough for observers like me to review! Although that answer may not exactly be 100% accurate, I very much concur with the general consensus that Spider-Man 2 is, without a doubt, among the greatest superhero films of all time. While it may not have been recognized as much as its predecessor two years before it, it surprised many viewers with being surprisingly superior to the original in just about every way. Bear in mind, I am not here to review it as a sequel, but as its own movie so, with it being my first true sequel review (not counting Star Wars: The Force Awakens), I will do my best to look at it through its own lens instead of constantly referring back to the original based on it. Plus, with the worldwide release of Spider-Man: Homecoming soon to be here, I figured now would be the best time to go back and take a look at, what many -- myself included -- consider to be the best Spider-Man film to date.

***SPOILERS AHEAD*** (but it's an older film, so who cares?)

Two years after the events of Spider-Man, Peter Parker (played once more by Tobey Maguire) is struggling to balance his personal and work with his Spider-Man crime-fighting always getting in the way of success. On top of that, he's grown more distant from his two best friends Mary Jane Watson (played once more by Kirsten Dunst) and Harry Osborn (played once more by James Franco), the latter of whom is trying to make big fortune through the brilliant work of Oscorp genius, Dr. Otto Octavius (played by Alfred Molina). When the doc's experimentation on a fusion reactor goes haywire, Harry's dream sinks right before his eyes and Ock becomes a madman due to his mechanical harness tentacles malfunctioning and taking control of him. With Peter caught in the middle of the chaos of yet another villain on the loose, his best friends falling out, and his personal feelings about himself and MJ, it's up to the brainiac-turned-Web-head to make his choices count. Whether he gives up on his dreams or gets what he wants most, ultimately Peter will soon witness what makes him the best he could possibly be.

Right off the bat, one can already tell the movie has a great premise full of strong themes. No longer weighed down by the details of the origin story, the movie has a chance to get right into the story and claim its own identity. With plenty of legitimate character building among the major characters, there's enough weight and dimension for people to talk deep about the film and take it seriously. Here, we are given more insight into the psychology of Peter Parker/Spider-Man with why he does what he does; having previously become Spider-Man to stop criminals simply to make up for Uncle Ben's death, he soon realizes his heart just isn't in it anymore. Between MJ losing faith in him as a friend and her being engaged to J. Jonah Jameson's son, John Jameson (played by Daniel Gillies), of all people, he begins to lose his powers due to an emotional and psychological imbalance in his mind. What becomes of him is him making a choice of whether he should quit being Spider-Man and live a normal, more productive life, which he ultimately acts on due to still feeling guilty about Uncle Ben. Some may consider this a selfish move on Peter's part, but, to me, it feels more like you just want him to be happy. Eventually, he does rediscover happiness through confessing his responsibility toward Ben's death, Aunt May (played once more by Rosemary Harris), in return, delivering a speech about there being a "hero in all of us", and MJ being threatened by Doc Ock all of which urges him to turn back into Spider-Man out of responsibility -- a brilliant, more stronger way of becoming a superhero than anything. And Tobey Maguire still plays him so well, especially this time around.

Not only does the film expand on many ideas introduced in the first movie, but it also enhances them too. Pretty much everybody, at this point, has gushed over how wonderfully complex and well-constructed Doc Ock's villain arc is compared to... well, many other superhero movie villains -- and, of course, Green Goblin, but I digress. We are initially given a teacher-mentor angle on Otto and Peter's relationship -- something that wasn't in the original comics -- and find out that the two share many of the same beliefs regarding science (the main idea being that "intelligence is a gift, not a privilege"). Unfortunate for Octavius, his hubris to make the fusion reactor experiment work results in the untimely death of his wife and the melding of his harness tentacles to his brain causing him to lose control of his own will. Unlike most comic book movie villains, which inspire genuine anger from me (especially the more they torture the heroes), everything building up to his downfall causes me to feel more sorry for Ock when he ultimately goes crazy and tries to finish the experiment because it's all he has left. However, by the end of the movie, he is perfectly set up for redemption when, at the end of his and Spider-Man's final fight, Peter confronts Octavius face-to-face and encourages him to regain control of his tentacles using the "intelligence is a gift, not a privilege" phrase from before (this I like to consider Ock's version of "with great power comes great responsibility). The finality of his choosing to redeem himself through sacrifice to stop the unstable fusion reactor by drowning it in the river is what ultimately seals Doc Ock in my book as one of the best onscreen villains in superhero film history. Of course, I can't forget how awesomely Alfred Molina unforgettably portrayed this character so well.

I could go on for hours about the other characters and how their arcs and roles are all very well-written and acted, but then this review would be bogged with character details and not enough room for technical aspects to analyze -- I will say I love Harry's arc and how he was set up as a villain for the next film, but that we'll cover another time. If anything, let's start with the basics; the action, for one, is so spectacular, my inner child breaks through when watching them. The big showdowns between Spider-Man and Doc Ock is well scripted with each making good use of their abilities to combat each other -- I mean a cephalopod and an arthropod versing one another in real life might be just as brutal, but why, in any situation wouldn't they just hug it out instead? (Spidey joke for the fans) Ranging between regular comic book madness to breakneck, high tail action, each fight scene is a pleasure to watch for any viewer whether they be a comic fan or a casual moviegoer. And, what review of this movie could ever go without talking about the epic train fight scene? It is, by far, one of the most iconic and well-put together superhero movie fight scenes of all time rivaling even that of the climactic scene of The Avengers years later. Plus, although the going back and forth between practical and CG may not yet be seamless, it's still nice to see a mix between the two especially in scenes where Doc Ock's tentacles are in the spotlight.

No movie is perfect, of course, as there are still some issues with this film that only fit the minor category. For one, MJ still seems like the unattainable girl she was in the first film, but for different reasons and, while she is in peril much less this time around, there at least is a point during the final fight where she only tries to stick up for Spider-Man -- even if she's only easily shoved aside by Ock's tentacles due to their omniscience. On topic of MJ, it's never fully delved into why she chose to marry John Jameson or even who the guy is for that matter (apart from the fact that he's an astronaut who played football on the moon, but that's about all we get). Pretty much MJ simply has another love interest to create further torment in Peter -- albeit indirectly -- and that's pretty much it. And the hospital scene with Ock's tentacles gruesomely murdering every doctor in sight, while a nice nod to director Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy, really takes a sharp turn in tone from the lightheartedness that's supposed to be Spider-Man. To give credit where due, though, many tend to complain about the film being "goofy" at some points (i.e.: the random extra screaming intensely at the mere sight of Ock's tentacles), but they're definitely not the kind of goofy that detracts from the overall story and quality of everything else.

For that matter, the film remains consistent with the identity we all know Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy to be: a fun, lighthearted adventure with a warm feeling and deep thematic elements. Part of what makes this film, in particular, feel very warm is the lighting and the ways in which every shot is set up to generate such a feeling. Not only that, but, despite the trials and hardships of every character along the way, it ultimately ends with each of them (save for Harry) achieving what's best for them. Movies like this (especially if they're superhero movies) always inspire me to achieve my dreams and never give up, no matter how tough the road getting there may be. When a film like this is done so well, it's easy for one to get their own message out of it, no matter what it may be. And what better than when a superhero film -- much less a sequel -- hits its audience with a ton of inspiration like Spider-Man 2 does?

So there you have it. As much as I felt the need to dive into many aspects of Spider-Man 2, it's only further proof that it's truly one of those films that gets people talking. It's got great story, wonderful character arcs, great acting, special effects, and action scenes, and, despite minor issues, it is a genuine piece of art that leaves everything up to the viewer to interpret and take away -- like one of those paintings in an art museum that no one knows the true meaning behind, but can look at their own way. In short, much like the first one did for superhero movies in general, this one upped the ante for superhero sequels, which, as of today, constantly and consistently try to outdo their predecessors even if they're not always the more successful films. All that said, without further adieu, I cite this movie with a solid A rating and consider it a must see for anyone interested in seeing what a true work of art is in the form of a superhero movie.

Thanks y'all for reading and, as always, I will see you in the next review!