Spider-Man 2

Paul Martin, 30 June 2004/1 July 2004

Tonight, I saw Spider-Man 2 with Maria, Laura P., Sue, Scott, Pat, Chuck, Joe, Julie, P.J., James, April, and a few others. On to the main event.

Spider-Man 2 is quite possibly the best superhero movie that I have ever seen. The heart that went into it all, the characters, the incredible plot points, all the amazing twists and turns, the conflicted and real characters, make this movie one of the best movies of the year. This is probably the first superhero movie with the right formula to be up for an academy award. Too bad the academy might not even recognize it.

The opening credits were painted by Alex Ross, and artist with a fine eye for detail. They brought back key moments from the first film, preparing us for the next big adventure. We then catch up with Spider-Man as he goes on what appears to be his normal adventures, trying to pay the bills and save lives, and finding that a balance is needed for him to survive. That by leading two lives, he's missing out on so much, and losing a lot that he needs. In the process of the film, everyone that is in Peter Parker's life is at risk, and that is done exactly right, as the comic book feels the same way.

All of the characters were done really well, and Spider-Man was a spot on match with the comics. they've really outdone themselves with this installment, properly setting up the third film. But the only question is: what's going to happen next? Where does the story go from here? Well, we have a while to wait, as Spider-Man 3 may not be coming until 2007. If it's anything like this one, it's going to be absolutely fantastic. At least we've got X-Men 3 in 2006 and Batman Begins in 2005. And the DVD of Spider-Man 2.

Well, there was a tangent. Anyway, the messages of the film were many, and they were more than just "With great power, comes great responsibility." They included things like self-sacrifice, and being a hero for someone, and making a sacrifice for others. That sometimes you cannot do what you want, and that's fine, you'll live.

The music was also fantastic. Many of the themes were reused from the first film, but feel more fleshed out, and breathe life into this character. After the first film, the movie had a few themes, and none really stuck out. This time, all of the familiar music sets the stage, and fits the story and the characters perfectly. It may not be a theme like Star Wars or Indiana Jones or Back to the Future, but it's a layered theme that fits the conflicted character, and all of the people in his life. That makes the music right for the story. Better than the first film, fits perfectly as a follow-up, and the middle chapter of a three part story arc featuring some great villains.

Rumor has it that there are to be six Spider-Man films. Well, Kirsten Dunst said that she's done after the third installment unless both Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi were back, and the script was "awesome." Sam Raimi has allegedly confirmed that he is working on a story arc for the franchise that will evolve over 5 or 6 movies and that he hopes to be at the helm for all of them. We'll see what happens, after this film smashes records, and gets people anxious for the third more than ever.

10/10