Spider-Man 2

Wow! This is so superior to the first installment, it makes you wish more sequels could be so wonderful. From the opening credits until the close, this movie held me enthralled. It is a remarkable achievement, and an absolute blessing in this age of the wholesale whoring of concepts developed in successful first films into rubbish sequels.

Spider-Man seemed a bit of a mess to me, not knowing whether it wanted to be a drama or an action film, and achieving neither with distinction. Spider-Man 2, however, knows exactly what it wants to be, and how to go about achieving that ideal, and is really very brave. Not many directors would have taken the chances Raimi has here – the prolonged section of drama and conflict that marks the mid-section of this film runs the risk of alienating more youthful or thoughtless viewers, but Raimi pushes on and delivers the most developed super-hero character to have graced the screen. We are aware of the internal conflicts that plague Peter Parker, and understanding of the interacting hopes, dreams and desires that drive him. It would have been so much easier to follow The Matrix Reloaded route and just show us more super-hero action and stunts.

The choices made by the director were only made possible by a stellar performance by Tobey Maguire. He is excellent, and really does make you feel the impact of the various choices and decisions Parker is forced to make. Maguire plays nuances well, and is able to be believably forceful, and at other times bashful and inhibited. Dunst is passable in a limited role this time around, and Franco does his best as Parker’s best friend and Spidey’s worst enemy.

The CGI is almost without flaw – there are moments of unreality, but generally the graphics are excellent. The image of Doc Ock carrying MJ up the wall of the building is a great example – it looks extremely realistic. Much of Spider-Man’s webslinging looks perfect too, but there are occasional glitches. The sound is fine, and the editing is an excellent example to the idiots responsible for cutting The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

I watched this film with my mate Sean, who was so in awe afterwards that he couldn’t speak until we were halfway home, at which point he pronounced it a 12 out of 10! I wouldn’t go quite so far, but this really is an excellent film, a shining light in a sea of mediocre sequels and tired action sequences. Roger Ebert called it “maybe the best superhero film I have ever seen”, and I have to agree. I am racking my brains to think of another with the depth of character, brilliance of direction, or excellence of visual effects, and I am unable to. The Matrix would be the only competitor, and it is one of my top ten all-time! This is an awesome film, that I hope to enjoy again very soon indeed.