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SPIDER-MAN 2 By Tom McCurrie
I'll keep it simple: "Spider-Man 2" is the best superhero flick Hollywood's ever made.
(Warning: Spoilers Ahead!)
Now part of this is due to the outstanding action sequences, especially the two major mano a mano melees between Spidey and Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) on the side of a skyscraper and the top of a moving train. These are much more imaginative, and much less "animated", than the action sequences in Spidey 1.
Of course, Doc Ock himself, well played by Molina, is a visually cooler villain than the Green Goblin, as those mechanical arms make him look like a walking, talking Medusa's head. The notion that Doc Ock's "arms" have a life of their own also makes the character super-creepy, as if Dr. Frankenstein and his monstrous creation were stuck in one unfortunate body -- a horrifying, fascinating figure to watch.
Finally, unlike the Green Goblin in Spidey 1, Doc Ock has a clear, definable goal: to recreate his fusion experiment (and inadvertently level NYC in the process). This gives Spidey 2 an enormous external threat (something missing from the first movie), raising the physical stakes (and audience interest) the deeper we get into the story -- always a good thing.
But the action, effects and villain aren't the only ways Spidey 2 tops its predecessor. As "The Empire Strikes Back" improved on "Star Wars", making it deeper, richer and more emotionally resonant, Spidey 2 improves on Spidey 1 in similar ways. For example, the screenplay, written by Alvin Sargent, with a story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Michael Chabon, puts as much emphasis on depth of character as rock-em, sock-em action. Spidey/Peter Parker has terrific complexity for a superhero. Though he's certainly brave, he's also decidedly selfish -- he quits the superhero game because it leaves no time for anything else, including the girl of his dreams, M.J. (the ever more fetching Kirsten Dunst). Giving Spidey such diverse, conflicting traits makes him less the typical cardboard superhero (i.e., all good all the time) and more like us -- after all, as human beings we're filled with a wide range of often contradictory impulses. And when we see a character as complicated as we are on the big screen, we get a shock of emotional recognition that allows us to bond with him in a big way -- and that's exactly what happens with Spidey here.
Spidey 2 also gives its protagonist an excellent character arc. As mentioned above, Spidey chucks the life of a web-slinger for that of a regular guy, giving him time to win over M.J. This is an extremely daring (and extremely fresh) arc for a superhero flick -- after all, our "hero" stops helping others to concentrate on helping himself. By embracing his inner selfishness, Spidey actually experiences negative growth. But we don't turn against Spidey because he's a flawed human being, just like us. He's struggling with the eternal conflict: to do what's right or to do what makes him happy. I mean, would any of us choose loneliness over love? We can't hate Spidey for choosing the latter. Of course, when he once again dons the mask to save the city from Doc Ock, we love him even more. That's because he experiences positive growth -- he overcomes his selfishness to become a hero. And whenever you have a protagonist that overcomes both inner (selfishness) and outer (Doc Ock) obstacles, you have the makings of a dramatically powerful (and commercially viable) movie.
But Spidey 2 has more than deep characterization. It has some delicious complications that develop the story in intriguing ways. By the Third Act, both M.J. and Peter's best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco) discover Peter is really Spider-man. Though Peter pushes M.J. away, thinking she'll be put in danger if they become lovers (Spidey's enemies can use her against him), M.J. chooses Peter over her astronaut finance anyway. But will their love survive the constant peril of Spidey's "job"? And will Harry turn on his best friend because he offed his father, the Green Goblin, in Spidey 1? I can't wait till Spidey 3 to find out!
Now despite my endless gushing, Spidey 2 isn't perfect. Though Doc Ock has a much cooler look than the Green Goblin, he has pretty much the same creation story: decent guy overdoses on hubris, takes on a dangerous experiment that goes haywire, finds his "evil" side suddenly taking over and transforms into a schizo nutjob. This sense of d?j? vu makes the villain's behavior somewhat predictable, and when you can guess what's about to happen, it's much less exciting to watch. And though it's a good idea to focus on character (and thus boost emotional pull), sometimes Spidey 2 has TOO MUCH character, especially in the exposition-heavy First Act, getting the pic off to a sluggish start.
Nevertheless, I heartily recommend zipping down to your friendly neighborhood multiplex to see your friendly neighborhood Spider-man -- this is one mega-budgeted tentpole that deserves to rake in the cash.
Responses, comments and general two-cents worth can be E-mailed to gillis662000@yahoo.com.
(Note: For all those who missed my past reviews, they're now archived on Hollywoodlitsales.com. Just click the link on the main page and it'll take you to the Inner Sanctum. Love them or Hate them at your leisure!)
A graduate of USC's School of Cinema-Television, Tom McCurrie has worked as a development executive and a story analyst. He is currently a screenwriter living in Los Angeles.
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