His lens whizzes and glides through Spider-Man 2 with a kind of balletic and sometimes delightfully corny grace that is, unfortunately, missing from many modern superhero movies.įrom Spider-Man and Doc Ock’s breathtaking, viscerally effective train fight to its now iconic surgery sequence, the film is filled with some of the most thrilling and impressively constructed setpieces in comic book movie history. Instead, Molina imbues his version of Octavius with so much pathos and wry charm that he feels human even in the moments when he’s scaling tall buildings with his metal arms.īehind the camera, Sam Raimi brings the same level of visual energy to Spider-Man 2 that he did with its predecessor. Sony Picturesįor his part, Molina wisely doesn’t try to match the same magnetic, manic energy that Willem Dafoe brought as Norman Osborn in 2002’s Spider-Man.
Spider-Man 2 does what every sequel should, going bigger without losing sight of what made the first film work. The culmination of Peter’s emotional journey is so bittersweet that it remains as effective today as it was 18 years ago. Like his struggles with Mary Jane and Harry, Peter’s conflict with Octavius ultimately ties back into the questions about sacrifice and responsibility that are at the core of Spider-Man 2. In case that wasn’t enough, Peter is also forced to face a deadly enemy when one of his idols, Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), begins to wreak havoc throughout New York City. Both conflicts force Peter to confront the cost that his superhero lifestyle demands, creating a crisis of confidence within him that briefly robs him of his superpowers. Peter not only struggles to repair his friendship with Harry Osborn (James Franco) following the demise of Harry’s father, Norman (Willem Dafoe), but he also has to grapple with the revelation that his lifelong crush, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), is engaged. The film builds on many of the leftover plot threads from 2002’s Spider-Man and, in doing so, it forces Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker to reckon with his life as a superhero in ways that are compelling and insightful. Spider-Man 2 does what every sequel should: It somehow manages to be bigger and more action-packed than its predecessor without ever losing sight of the humanity of its characters.
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