"Spider-Man 2" – Superhero Spins His Webs; Story
Spins Its Wheels
by Homer Yen
(c) 2004
It's tough being a web-crawling superhero. Other
superheroes have it easier. Batman can fund all
of his Bat-Toys with the millions of dollars that
his alter ego produces as the head of Wayne
Enterprises. Meanwhile, Superman never needs any
sleep, so he's on it 24 hours a day. But poor
Spider-Man (Tobey McGuire) is just a kid blessed
with a rare gift. And, with great power comes
great responsibility. So, Spidey fights crime
while his alter ego, Peter Parker, needs to pass
his college courses and pay his rent. This
requires superhuman commitment, but like the
citizens that he has sworn to protect, even our
hero needs to sleep. And he needs someone to
love.
The heart of this film possesses more humanity
than most other films about superheroes. In
fact, when you watch Peter Parker shy away from
his sweetheart, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) or
struggle to tell Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) the
circumstances revolving around his Uncle's death,
it plays more like a family drama rather than an
action-hero film. Always give credit to summer
films that want to be more than just special
effects. However, it needlessly overreaches to
deliver its message. And that message is about
the internal conflicts that churn within the
characters.
Mary Jane is torn between her feelings for the
aloof Peter Parker and for her new beau.
Parker's best friend Harry (James Franco) is torn
between his friendship with Peter and his hatred
for Spider-Man. The villain, Dr. Octavious
(Alfred Molina), struggles with his
schizophrenia. Even Bugle newspaper editor J.
Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) is torn between his
aversion for and his respect for the
crimefighter. But the duality theme is like a
broken record as Peter Parker struggles between
his desire to be a normal guy and his calling to
safeguard the city. The film just slathers us
with scenes where our hero tries to get to his
appointments on time, continually disappoints
Mary Jane, and is stressed out by his
responsibilities. Ok, there's a spider symbol on
his chest and an "L" on his forehead. Yes, we
understand that Peter Parker has human frailties
and is guided by basic human emotions rather than
vengeance or some other dark force. But enough
of the pity party.
Yet, you can't take anything away from the
marvelous special effects. The advancements in
technology continue to redefine reality on the
big screen. This is a triumphant blend of live
action and CGI animation. You never have to
perform a reality check as Spider-Man and Doc Ock
battle among the skyscrapers or melee atop a
high-speed subway. Most beguiling are those
cybernetic arms attached to the villain. They
take on an eerie life of their own whether
they're gripping concrete as he ascends buildings
or whether they're swaying ominously like cobras
before lashing out.
In the end, the action is impressive and
entertaining, but "Spider-Man 2" seemed a bit
cluttered in its exposition. The excessive
introspection seemed to weigh down the film,
making the 2-hour film seem longer than it
actually is. If it could have been condensed,
the entire package would have felt tighter, more
dramatic, more thrilling, and more rewarding.
Grade: C+
S: 1 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
==========
X-RAMR-ID: 38191
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1295077
X-RT-TitleID: 1133520
X-RT-AuthorID: 1370
X-RT-RatingText: C+
|
