Spider-Man (2002)
Spider-Man is released all across the world with Tobey Maguire enacting the role of the webbed superhero. Spider-Man is not just the fiction story of a superhero, it is also a story with a real message ’’With great power come great Responsibilities’’. The film makes a mark by becoming the biggest grosser of the year with a worldwide gross of $821.7 m. The enormous pressure is on director Sam Raimi to make a sequel that compares favourably with its predecessor. Will Spidey 2 live up to the massive expectations?
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Characters:
Peter Parker - Our webbed Superhero’s alias.
Mary Jane - His long time crush.
Harry Osborn - Parker’s best friend, son of Norman ’Green Goblin’ Osborn.
John Jameson - Mary Jane’s astronaut boyfriend, son of Parker’s boss J. Jonah Jameson.
Dr. Octopus - A scientist who has become Doc Ock after an experiment.
Spider-Man 2 is unleashed to be devoured by eager audiences around the globe. I present a review of Spider-Man 2 (Spidey 2) in a question and answer format.
Q: How does it compare to the first part?
A: Spidey 2 does a great job, it is almost better than the first part. Great SFX, good story-line, excellent direction & competent performances, Spidey 2 has it all and more.
Q: Spidey succeeded because of the human touch, does Spidey 2 have the same?
A: Spidey 2 is even more humane than its predecessor. Peter Parker is penniless, his grades are falling, he is fired from his pizza-delivery job & his aunt can’t pay her apartment’s rent. To top it all, he seems to be losing his Spidey superpowers. He had rejected Mary Jane in the first film due to his fears that his enemies would harm her. That gives him the perfect excuse to get rid of his Spidey costume, start life afresh as plain Peter Parker & confess his love for Mary Jane. However Mary Jane is already engaged to an astronaut who is Parker’s boss’ son. Moreover, Peter confesses to his aunt that he is part-guilty of the death of her husband & his uncle Ben Parker.
Q: Spidey 1 preached ’’With great power comes great responsibilities’’. What is Spidey 2’s mantra?
A: Spidey 2 preaches about the role of choice in a person’s life. Parker has to choose whether he wants to carry on his responsibility as Spidey or carry on his life with Mary Jane. Mary Jane has to choose between Parker and her astronaut boyfriend John Jameson. Harry Osborn has to choose between reality (he realises that his dad was the Green Goblin) and revenge. Every principal character in this installment of Spidey has to make a choice.
Q: Who’s the bad guy this time around?
A: It’s Dr. Otto Octavious, a brilliant scientist who attaches four metal tentacles to his back during an experiment but then the tentacles command him rather than the other way round and he becomes the dreaded Dr. Octopus (Doc Ock). He robs a bank to fund his experiments and wants Spider-Man as a part of a deal with Harry Osborn.
Q: A Superhero film must have action & thrills, loads of it. How does Spidey 2 compare?
A: Spidey 2 is made at a budget of $200 m & every penny shows on the screen. Be it Spidey swinging through the New York skyline or stopping a train by using all his strength or fighting on rooftops and walls with Dr. Octopus, Spidey 2 is a visual treat.
Q: What about the performances?
A: Tobey Maguire as Spidey is utterly convincing as the superhero who doesn’t look like one. Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane tries very hard but is found lacking. Alfred Molina as Doc Ock is convincing as the mad scientist who is at the command of his creation. Commendable performances are given by James Franco as Harry Osborn, Rosemary Harris as May Parker, and J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson.
Q: What would be the final verdict on Spidey 2?
A: Spidey 2 is a film for the entire family. It is a film with a message, that even a superhero has to make choices. Responsibilities might seem like a burden, but they have to be carried on anyways. A great film with excellent performances & special effects, Spidey 2 will equal, if not surpass, the popularity of the first installment.