SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004) REVIEW
Spider-Man 2: Balance
The following is a review of Rami’s second Spider-Man film. In this review of Spider-Man 2, I will explore the concept of balance, specifically how Peter has to balance both his persona’s. I hope you enjoy!
Holy crap, people weren’t kidding about this movie! I see now why it’s the most loved out of the Raimi trilogy. From the jokes, to the cinematography, to the acting, everything was top notch. But let’s start the analysis.
MJ still kind of sucks in this movie. Not because of Dunn’s acting, she did better in this movie then in the last. I just don’t like that she’s always a basic DID (Damsel In Distress). However she introduces an interesting idea of balance that this movie explores. Whenever Peter gives up either part of his lives, he just can’t keep living. He loves school, MJ, Harry and Aunt May. But being Spider-Man doesn’t allow him to prioritize those aspects of his life that he loves. On the other hand, he clearly loves to save people. Even though he saves that little girl in the fire without his powers, you can see the regret on his face when he finds out there was someone else who died in the fire. He could have saved them if he had his powers. His need to be Spider-Man has grown past honoring Uncle Ben. It’s developed into part of his identity and in turn shaped himself and the people around him.
The people of New York are definitely part of that change. The train scene in particular was masterclass. I loved that Peter treats New York like his family and they do the same to him. They banter with each other, but whenever trouble arises they protect each other. And there is no other scene in this movie that shows this better than the train scene. After Spider-Man saves the passengers on the train, the passengers in turn try to protect him from Otto.
Speaking of Doc Ock, I was very scared of him. His ‘birth’ on the surgery table was both hilarious and horrifying. His fight at the bank was also very cartoony. And even when Aunt May got kidnapped she didn’t take it lying down. Who knew that a spider fighting an octopus would be as entertaining as it was.
The movie was paced really well until the end. That part was kind of rushed, with the big speech to redeem the bad guy, and MJ finding out about Peter being Spider-Man. But overall, it was an awesome movie. Music was great, close ups were perfect, and I was overall surprised by how much I liked this movie.
I audibly cheered when Peter got his powers back in the café.
Also James Franco did a really good job setting up for his reveal as the new Green Goblin.
What did you guys think? Did you grow up with this movie, or are new to it like me? Let me know your thoughts!