Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina
Director: Sam Raimi

Spider-Man's Off to the Top

By Mary-Ann Russon • UrbanWire

Our webby friend comes swinging back into theatres this summer with Spider-Man 2, the next instalment of the cult Marvel Comic super hero, and seems set to spin his way to the top of the box office.

Though the release of its prequel was hyped up to incredible levels, with TV spots, endorsements and merchandise galore, Spider-Man failed to live up to the heat. While still a pretty good film with strong characters, the general tone of Spider-Man was deeply depressing. The loss of Peter Parker's uncle, the inaccessibility of his long-time crush Mary-Jane, and finally the death of a close friend's father (who turned out to be the evil Green Goblin, whom Spider-Man was forced to kill) shrouded over our hero like dark, looming shadows. The film's light-hearted moments could not save the film from being drowned in misery, and the tone somehow didn't feel true to the central message of the original comic books.

Spider-Man 2 however, is a dramatic improvement. Returning about 2 years after Spider-Man left off, Spider-Man 2 sees Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) struggling to hold 2 jobs, keep from flunking out of college, pay the rent, and save New York City from imminent danger daily.

Where at first it appears that the filmmakers have decided to dump more misery on us, the tale soon takes a turn for the better when Peter realises he has a choice - he can choose to live as a regular person, and forsake his calling.

Unfortunately, there's a new nemesis out to destroy New York City, who comes in the form of Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), a scientific genius who becomes welded to a set of intelligent mechanical arms. The freak accident, not only transforming his physical being, also takes over his mind and turns him into the evil Doc Ock. Meanwhile, Peter still has the hots for Mary-Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), who's sick of Peter's mixed signals and has now got engaged to a new beau, and he's facing tension from his best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco), who hounds Peter for Spider-Man's whereabouts so that he can avenge the Green Goblin's death.

Spider-Man 2 is well acted, with strong performances from all of the main cast, especially Tobey Maguire, who slips so easily into the role of Peter Parker that you no longer look at him and see Tobey Maguire the actor but the real Spider-Man.

But what makes Spider-Man 2 so much better than the first film are not the special effects or the stunts - though they certainly are spectacular (the fluid, fast-moving shots of Spidey swinging from building to building are beautifully choreographed and animated) - it is the plot. The deep emotional message of determination against all odds and looking on the bright side comes across very clearly, and the film doesn't take that familiar cliché route whereby the hero will always go alone, and be forever separated from the one he loves (see The Incredible Hulk), or that no matter how close anyone comes to finding it out, his secret identity will always remain intact (see all the Batman movies).

Instead, the film takes a genuine look at the struggles a superhero would face if he or she were to exist in the real world, and how much courage and resilience it takes to go on day after day. Indeed, one of the most poignant scenes in the film is when Spider-Man nearly dies saving a subway train from toppling 100 feet off an unfinished track, and when he succeeds, his unconscious body is carefully passed hand by hand by passengers back into the train.

When Spidey awakens, he realises that in his haste to save the train, he has taken off his mask, and now everyone in the train - mere strangers - can see who he really is. However, the passengers in the train are so grateful to him that they promise not to reveal his identity to anyone, find his mask for him, and when Doc Ock comes for him, even stand up against the villain, trying valiantly to defend him.

A thrilling action-packed movie with a strong emotional underlying theme and a terrific plot, Spider-Man 2 is absolutely stunning. If you only get to see one film this year, make it Spider-Man 2 - you won't regret it!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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