Spider-Man 2
We finally saw Spider-Man 2 this weekend, and I was impressed! The feel and effects were up to the high standards of the original. I really liked the synopsis provided by the illustrations in the opening credits. Yet what really made the movie shine was that the elimination of Spidey’s origin story allowed much more time for development of plot. As the crap of life kept piling higher and higher on Peter Parker (and Mary Jane, for that matter) the tension and intrigue grew such that the final scenes—the Doc Ock confrontation, Spidey and M.J.’s conversation on the web, and M.J.’s choice—had a lot more impact.
The characterizations (and casting) were also superb. In my view the actors really did justice to Aunt May, M.J. and J. Jonah Jameson, at least in look and general feel. Even more impressive, especially given the history of Hollywood’s treatment of characters comic-book and fantasy/adventure movies, was the treatment of the movie’s hero and villain: the former is a tortured soul who’s power/responsibility is a painful burden (in many ways :), while the latter isn’t really evil but has merely become so obsessed with vindicating himself that he has lost concern for the effects of his actions.
I do have few nits to pick:
- Too many soliloquies, already! For internal monologues (e.g. Doc Ock upon finding his new riverfront lab, Peter Parker in his depressing apartment) voiceovers would work much better.
- Hmm, a self-sustaining fusion reaction that can use metal as a fuel source, but can be extinguished by dunking it in a river? C’mon…
- The final scene with Harry Osborn probably would have been better left as the pre-credit teaser in Spider-Man 3. Liz pointed out that it showed the final descent into obsession/insanity that had been happening through the movie, but I thought it was too disconnected from the rest of the story and was too much of a cliffhanger for the next movie.
Finally, the F/X team did a great job with the whole train sequence, but I swear I recognized glimpses of several buildings and stations from the CTA trains where stuff was filmed! I’ll have to confirm when the DVD comes out and I can slow things down. Funny what kind of unconscious imagery several hundred trips around the Brown Line will leave in one’s brain. :)