Author: EVula
Date: 7/4/04
Rating: 9.7
Movie Rating: PG-13
Purchase on Amazon.com
DVD
| VHS
Buy this poster:
from MoviePoster.com
There are only two movies this summer that I have to see. Spider-Man 2 was one of them (Alien vs. Predator is the other). I've been waiting for this movie to come out with baited breath. Final verdict: total ass kickage. Spider-Man 2 is now, officially, my favorite comic book movie ever.
The movie starts two years after the first movie ends. Peter is in college, trying to hold down a job, and is stressing out about life. Hell, that's bad enough as it is, but when you add in the pressure of being Spider-Man, you can understand why Peter is exhausted. MJ has become a model and actress, and Harry Osborne has taken an active role in Oscorp, while still obsessing over his father's death at the hands of Spider-Man. Aunt May is still sad about Uncle Ben being dead, and J. Jonah Jameson is, well, an insufferable prick (big surprise there).
The new character for this movie is Doctor Otto Octavius, or Dr. Octopus. We are introduced to him as a peaceful scientist, working on developing fusion (and being sponsored by Harry via Oscorp). He has developed a set of mechanical arms to assist in his research, which attach directly to his spinal column; the arms have an advanced AI built in and Doc Ock developed a chip to keep the AI from taking over his brain (can you say "foreshadowing"?).
Well, we'd have a pretty crumby superhero movie if something didn't happen to create a supervillan, right? So Doc Ock's experiment botches, the arms are fused to his spine, and the chip is busted, causing the AI to slowly take over his personality (and cause him to be a very, very bad man). In the midst of all this, Spider-Man decides that he wants to stop being Spider-Man. The movie progresses from there.
Speaking of Doctor Octopus, his arms are almost their own seperate character. There are times where he actually talks to them (in place of merely talking to himself out loud, so it isn't too odd). It's a nice touch, and also explains why his arms are able to move so quickly; they are quite literally thinking and acting on their own. Hell, the first scene where Dock Ock is, well, the villain, happens all without his knowledge.
There is a hell of a lot more action in this movie than the first. Like X-Men 2, the second movie isn't bogged down with introducing characters and explaining circumstances; all that was done in the first movie, so the second one is free to take the characters and start wathcing them kick ass. We of course get to see Spidey handle the standard thugs who, for some reason, still think they can drive down the oddly clear roads in NYC with a dozen cops behind them without attracting Spider-Man. What smart guys. We also get to see Spidey rumble with Dr. Octopus a bunch of times, and each fight scene is quite cool. We even get to see Aunt May whip some ass. Whoo doggy!
The other thing that stands out about this movie is the comedy. This is one funny movie. Not funny "haha, they said a cheesy line that makes me groan because it's so bad," but more of a "haha, that's just damn funny." Lots of little jokes that don't get rediculous, and it isn't over-the-top trying to be funny, it's just the characters reacting to their environments with a bit of humor. J. Jonah Jameson is also a laugh riot just being himself (and very true to the comics) and gets some great lines.
The other really cool thing about the movie is, of course, Bruce Campbell. Hell yes, he's in this one too, as an obnoxious usher at MJ's play (he was the wrestling announcer in the first one). There is also a quick throwback to the Evil Dead movies in this movie, but not obvious enough that people who haven't seen them will notice anything out of the ordinary (the Evil Dead movies were directed by Sam Rami, the director of Spider-Man 2, and star Bruce Campbell. Cult classics).
The special effects are, of course, in full force in this movie, what with Doc Ock's arms and whatnot. The fight scenes between the hero and the villan are fast and furious, just as they should be. The good (bad?) doctor fights Spider-Man all over the place, from a bank to a rooftop to a moving train... it's thrills and chills, people.
There are also a handful of nods to the fans of the comics. MJ has a couple of lines pulled straight from the comics (you'll know what I'm talking about when she says it; I went to a midnight showing and everyone in the theater cheered when she said it). There is also a cameo by Dr. Connors, also known as the Lizard (he's one of Peter's professors, and a friend of Doc Ock before he goes kookie). There's also a throwback to the old animated series; the (horribly catchy and obnoxious) theme song is present for just a little bit. There's also the standard cameo of Stan Lee (the audience cheered for that, too).
Final call: go see it. You won't regret the money and time spent. If you haven't seen the first one, I'd definetly recommend it. While the second one stands by itself just fine as a film goes, the first one sets up the characters and explains why Harry hates Spider-Man so much. Now to sit back and see what X-Men 3 will bring to compete against Spider-Man 2. ;)