Review: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
'I believe there's a hero in all of us.'
★★★★
Now this is how you create a superhero film! Spider-Man 2 is the best Spider-Man movie and one of the best superhero movies ever made.
The first film did a good job with the origin story, but something was lacking, and how The Green Goblin was the main focus of the story. With the sequel, this is a major improvement. It's a deeper, darker, and effective film. It focuses heavily on Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire)'s character, by giving a great character arc/development. Being a superhero at his age is tough, he's failing classes, getting fired from jobs, unable to control his feelings for MJ (Kirsten Dunst), and keeping his best friend stable with Harry Osborn (James Franco).
The film starts with Peter's job as a pizza delivery boy, who has one more chance before getting fired. Unfortunately, being Spider-Man interferes with his personal life, causing him to get fired after being late delivering pizzas. He returns home to a surprise visit from Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), MJ, and Harry Osborn. Here, we see that Harry and Peter's friendship is a bit unstable because Harry believes Spider-Man killed his father, and Peter takes Spider-Man's photos. Later, Peter finds a note from the bank addressed to Aunt May, and before he leaves, she gives him $20, despite needing the money to pay off her house. Outside, MJ asks Peter to watch her show, and he promises he will. She also has a boyfriend whom she wants to marry. When Peter attempts to attend the show, he is delayed by a crime in progress. His web fluid runs out, forcing him to take the elevator to reach the top floor. This is when he starts to realize that something is wrong. By the time he returns to the show, it has already started, and Bruce Campbell refuses to let him in. After that, he consults a doctor to see what the matter is, and the doctor suggests it could be stress-related. Meanwhile, a failed nuclear fusion experiment results in an explosion that kills Dr. Otto Octavius's (Alfred Molina) wife, transforming him into Dr. Octopus, a cyborg with deadly metal tentacles. Doc Ock blames Spider-Man for the accident and seeks revenge.
The problem with the first film was that the plot focused too much on the villain, The Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and some of the bland action. Nothing wrong with those. The Green Goblin and Peter's origins were the film's best parts. However, in this film, in this film, there are two interconnected plots. Plot A focuses on Peter Parker/Spider-Man, while Plot B focuses on Doc Ock. Even without the action scenes, the movie remains interesting. Plot A takes inspiration from "Superman II (1980)," where the hero gives up their powers to be with the love of their life, only to find that destiny has other plans. Another achievement of this movie is its tone. Sam Raimi knows when to inject comedy into scenes and when to keep things serious. It's perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
Tobey Maguire and the rest of the cast give their best performances, and it shows. James Franco is especially good, as we see the pain and struggles he goes through while desperately and eagerly trying to find his father's killer. He also struggles to maintain his friendship with Peter because Peter takes Spider-Man's photos. J.K. Simmons and Rosemary Harris continue to shine, as always. Alfred Molina as Doc Ock is perfect casting. Even Tobey Maguire gives his all in this film. My only problem with the film is the lack of development for the newer characters, especially John Jameson (Daniel Gillies), who was literally almost MJ's husband. Why didn't he play a bigger role? A character who is going to marry one of the main characters should have at least had an arc. The only reason people remember him is because he's the son of J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons). I don't know how that's possible, but it is what it is. Nobody even cares or remembers that he went to space and played football on the moon.
Regardless, "Spider-Man 2" forever remains my favorite Spider-Man film and one of my favorite superhero films of all time.