Spiderman 2: Director’s Cut
Up until the recent release of The Dark Knight this was widely considered one of the best sequels and the best comic book movie ever made. Looking back, it’s easy to see why: as with Dark Knight, this film manages to depict the absolute living hell of being a superhero and having to live with that responsibility, albeit in a less realistic fashion than Nolan’s effort. The hook Raimi uses of course is in Peter’s love for MJ, which is why the ending is all the more satisfying. The script, dialogue and story are all superior to the first movie, as Spidey’s inner conflict draws us in and makes us feel for the character in spite of his decision to quit. The cast once again melds smoothly: Maguire continues to prove he was always the best choice for the part, despite some of his more creepy qualities, and as for Dunst, say what you will about her looks, her and Maguire had AMAZING chemistry, and it shows and carries the story thru to its emotional conclusion; Franco continues his backseat driver role here, mostly helping to set up his role in Part 3; Simmons once again is great fun as Jameson, even if the character isn’t as sharply written and biting as in Part 1, but he still manages to get the biggest laughs despite being an asshole; Rosemary Harris and Cliff Robertson (in a cameo) continue their fine support of Tobey; and many of the bit players range from stereotypes to pretty funny. However, the big drawback comes with the villian: Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock is nowhere near as compelling a bad guy as Dafoe’s Goblin was, perhaps a combination of the actor’s lack of charisma and an attempt to develop his character by having him mutter to himself, and the attempts at showing his “human” side have nowhere near the resonance of how the viewer never lost sympathy for Norman Osborn despite the Goblin taking him over. The fight scenes between Spidey and Ock are rather thrilling though, and have the same kinetic appeal as the earlier film, and Danny Elfman’s score helps drive everything home. In the end, Raimi achieves true greatness in two instances: the scene with Spidey and the people on the subway after he’s saved their lives, and the ending, a wonderful resolution and way of helping Peter put his doubts and fear of loneliness at rest…
9/10