Spider-Man 2 (Sam Raimi, 2004) Review

Comic book sequels...you know the drill. I've mentioned countless times that comic book sequels are usually better than the previous film in the series. It's never more obvious with Spider-Man 2. The first one was good for a first attempt but there were still some huge problems with it such as some questionable casting, over the top acting and cheesy dialogue. It's all gone here. Is that better for the franchise or does it make it worse...let's find out.

Spider-Man (Tobey Mcguire) is now a symbol for New York having saved it from the threat of the Green Goblin but he begins to question whether he should continue when he has to juggle his life as Peter Parker and his life as Spider-Man. He misses deadlines with people such as seeing Mary Jane's (Kirsten Dunst) play and he starts to wear down his relationships. Meanwhile, Dr. Otto Octavious (Alfred Molina) is ready to show off his new invention which allows humans to control the power of the sun. When it makes a disaterous consequence, he dons four robotic arms and vows to destory the city for make up for what has taken from him...which may or may not have been his fault. Debatable.

I mentioned in my last review that, while it seemed like a good idea, Willem Dafoe seems a bit...over the top as the villain. This time the villain is Doctor Octopus played by Alfred Molina. He is great! I am a fan of Molian and this film reinforces the reason why. He is at his best here as he creates a sympathic yet badass villain. Maybe the trenchcoat has something to do with it. Tobey Mcguire has improved greatley. His Spider-Man is much more competant than last time.

Spider-Man 2 takes a much more serious route with the narrative. The last one was clearly a comic book film complete with cheesy dialogue but this time, it almost becomes a Shakespearean tragedy. Trust me, it works and makes characters such as Peter and Octavious much better characters. They go through some great character development. The dialogue is much better than the last time and characters like J. Jonah Jameson is are as good as ever.

Spider-Man 2 fixes a lot of the problems the first film had. The characters go through great development and the narrative is MUCH better than the last time. Green Goblin is a much worse villain than Dr. Octopus who dominates this film and is easily the most memorable part. Alfred Molina is enough reason to see this film. If you liked the last film you will LOVE this one. One more film to go in the Spider-Man series and BOY are we in for a doozy.

Verdict:
8.5/10
Manages to dump the cheesy dialogue to make room for a deep storyline. A much improved sequel.