Official Spiderman 2 review thread

[Mike Olbinski]

Well, just got back from seeing it at midnight, very surprised that I got there at 9pm and was only 30 back in line...

Great flick, great story, great setup for the next one, just flat out awesome!

I will be seeing it again this weekend, and I can't wait for the second viewing. Tonight's kind of sucked slightly cause of some giggly girls in the theatre giggling at parts that weren't supposed to be funny...but overall, it was okay.

The fighting scenes were unbelievable...they've outdone themselves with this one.

Mike

 

[Shane]

Thats great I cant wait.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

**************SPOILERS****************

You have to highlight the text to read it...




Some great scenes in the movie...when he saves the train, and all the people help him and say they wont tell who he is...just a GREAT scene...

And most superhero movies will never let one of the hero's "friends" know who he is, but this one has his best friend AND MJ both knowing at the end, and I loved it.



Mike

 

[Pariah]

WOW!

I'll keep my comments to the very general for a while as not to give anything away.

~Rami really showcases Spider-Man's strength and web-slinging acumen. Very cool.

~J. Jonah Jameson is great.

~McGwire (sp?) nails Peter Parker in this one (that sounds bad, I should rephrase it probably), particularly in the "Raindrops" montogue.

~Doc Ock's arms are really good. They give the impression of mechanical muscles. Also, Molina did a very good job.

~Sets up a great villain for the third movie.

What I didn't care for (fairly minor, but might contain a *spoiler*) :

~The psychosomatic aspect/plot device didn't completely work for me.

~Doc Ock's arms were introduced somewhat cavalierly for my taste.

 

[Djaughe]

Me and the Wifey got to see spiderman! What a treat - the movie was awsome!

Remember this?

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I feel old....I remember K. Dunst from interview with a vampire...now she looks great!

*************MAJOR SPOILERS*************
Highlight at yer own risk!

Last Chance.....

The film’s opening title sequence is going to get you jazzed up before you even see a frame of the movie. It goes through an amazing sequence of images reminding us of the emotional high points from the first film.

The movie then jumps into a scene about Peter Parker, pizza delivery guy, and we get a hint of Raimi’s agenda this time out. Peter’s working for a guy who runs a pizza delivery place with a 29-minute guarantee. Even with Peter turning into Spider-Man and webswinging his way over a traffic jam, he isn’t able to make his delivery on time, and he ends up losing his job. If the first film was about how hard it was to become Spider-Man, then this movie is all about how hard it is to live with that decision and make it in the real world

Peter Parker as a student gets a chance to meet Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), a brilliant scientist who is working on a fusion project for OSCORP. Harry’s convinced that he’s finally found something that will prove he is the right choice to run his father’s company, and he’s pouring tons of money into the project. He’s the one who orders Octavius to take a little time and show Peter around. Octavius ends up really liking Peter, and in one of the few scenes in the film’s first half where Peter isn’t getting punished in one way or another, he and Octavius actually have a great bonding conversation.

When Peter misses a performance of Mary Jane’s play, despite all his assurances that he will be there, it’s because of a situation that demands his attention as Spider-Man. He tries to slip in late, but he comes face to face with a fairly snotty usher, played by none other than Bruce Campbell (actor from the Army of Darkness movie). He's funny and plays the role very nicely. You can tell he and Maguire work well together.

Peter’s so upset by how one side of his life keeps intruding on the other that his powers actually begin to fade. He finds himself unable to produce webbing at a key moment, and his eyesight is suddenly not as keen as it once was. He’s not sure what could be causing the problem at first, never connecting it to the stress of his dual life.

And that stress just keeps getting worse and worse. The day of the big demonstration arrives at OSCORP, and Peter’s there to watch as things go terribly, tragically wrong for Octavius. His adoring wife Rosie (Donna Murphy) is killed, and the AI-driven robot arms that he uses to handle the tridium samples that fuel his experiment somehow become grafted onto him when the fusion machine goes haywire.

It’s a great action moment, but even better is what happens when Octavius wakes up. You get the full measure how evil doc ock is when he kills everyone in the operating room.

Peter’s job as a photographer hangs by a thread, pun fully intended, due to his reluctance to sell photos of Spider-Man to J. Jonah Jameson
( J.K. Simmons). Jameson continues to portray Spidey as a menace every chance he gets, and it drives Peter crazy that he has to be part of that process. He does finally talk J.J. into sending him on another assignment, a society event, but he doesn’t realize what it is until it’s too late.

He ends up having to take pictures of the party where Mary Jane announces her engagement to another man, J.J.’s son, the astronaut John Jameson (Daniel Gillies). It’s wrenching for him, and you can almost hear Peter’s heart break as he has to take the photos.

And still, all of this is just revving up to the real meat of the film, which starts to kick in around the time Doc Ock makes his debut as a criminal, having been driven mad by his own AI-driven tentacles. Seems he’s determined to reproduce his experiment, but on an even bigger level, and he’s going to need some funding to build what he wants. Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Peter are in a bank, trying to get a loan to help ease some of her financial problems, when Doc Ock shows up and tries to rob the place. Peter has no choice but to abandon Aunt May and change into his costume so he can try to stop Doc Ock.

That big fight forces Peter to the breaking point, and his powers seem to completely disappear. He makes a choice to take his life back, to abandon the Spider-Man persona once and for all, and he does his best to slip back into the normal life of Peter Parker. There’s a montage where we share in Peter’s joy at his decision that he’ll be able to pick back up where he left off before that fateful spider-bite. Of course, it’s not that easy, and no matter how hard he tries, he’s not really able to turn his back on people in need. The one scene in the movie happens in the middle of this stretch of the film, a dream conversation with Uncle Ben (watch closely for the Ashmobile).

Soon after, Peter reveals his role in Ben’s death to Aunt May to her obvious horror, and it works because it’s not just some lame inner voice hectoring him. He has to actually face his past actions again and see how much they hurt someone he cares for.

At the same time, Mary Jane and Harry are both wrestling with their own doubts and demons, giving us some really nice moments like when MJ asks her fiancée to kiss her upside down for comparison’s sake, or when Harry gets drunk at her engagement party and lashes out at Peter physically.
This movie builds on the ideas from the first one and isn’t just a sequel where nothing of significance takes place. These characters are growing, and everything that happens to them actually has an effect.

Once Peter realizes that his choices do cause ripples in the world around him, he’s able to regain his powers and become Spider-Man again, and the film’s second hour features several giant-scale action scenes, including the one onboard the elevated train, that are pure geek bliss.

The film runs right around the two hour mark, and it’s packed. So much happens, and so much of it is so important for these characters, that you’ll find yourself a little breathless by the end. This is relentlessly paced, and you can almost imagine turning the pages of a comic book faster and faster in an effort to learn what happens next.

By the end of the film, several people learn Peter’s secret identity, and each one of these revelations carries emotional weight. Instead of copping out and figuring out a way to reset after playing these big moments, the film plays fair and shows that Peter’s life is going to change once and for all. The last scene of the movie will send you out of the theater walking on air.

The ending of this film is enormously satisfying, but so many great ideas have been introduced that the wait will be insufferable. The last major scene with Harry is a direct echo of Willem Dafoe’s best scene in the first film, and the way the scene resolves will make you gasp. It’s audacious, and it suggests any number of terrible possibilities.

 

[Djaughe]

~Sets up a great villain for the third movie.

I think you have a guess who the next villain will be.....

********warning more spoilers**********

I know its easy to say the goblin/hobgoblin....but I suspect J.J.s son's space mission will encounter an alien and bring the character "venom" back to earth....I just can't see only 1 villain for the 3rd movie....

 

[Pariah]

This is fact and speculation, and doesn't have anyhting to do with Spider-Man 2, so I won't cover it with spoiler-camo.


JJJ's son in the comics became a werewolf, so if he gets a bigger role in the second film, it might go down that route. I guess they could blend him with Eddie Brock (heck they did it with MJ and Gwen Stacy) and give us Venom in the next film, but there's not much set-up for John to become a villain. I think they would have focused more on reasons for Jameson to hate Spidey. Plus, venom would have to be almost completely CGI and you'd have fanboys screaming about how Rami messed with his origin (originally he came from the Secret Wars mini as Spidey's new costume).

 

[abomb]

Wow, what a great movie. Ebert gave it **** and I agree that it is solid from top to bottom. Highlight for spoiler info.

OK, Doc Oct was always one of my favorite villians, but it will be great to see Hobgoblin and Spidey duke it out in S3. If memory serves me right, didn't Hobgoblin kill MJ in the comic books? How did Peter end up with Gwen Stacey?

Good times.

A-Bomb

 

[Pariah]

If you haven't been reading the spoilers, this post won't make any sense--it's in direct response to A-Bomb.

In the comics, the Green Goblin killed Gwen Stacy (Amizing Spider-Man #121) by throwing her off a bridge. Spidey couldn't save her. That scene was essentially recreated in the first movie; differences being that it was MJ and she was saved.

Further lines blur between Gwen and MJ--Gwen came from a lower-middle class family, Gwen was Peter's first love interest in the comics (I think), while MJ really was a bitch to him at first instead of being the kind hearted kid we saw in the first flick.

Also, --not that it's part of the MJ/Gwen Stacy amalgam--it's my opinion that Dunst looks like Gwen Stacy (if she went blonde).

 

[abomb]

If you haven't been reading the spoilers, this post won't make any sense--it's in direct response to A-Bomb.

In the comics, the Green Goblin killed Gwen Stacy (Amizing Spider-Man #121) by throwing her off a bridge. Spidey couldn't save her. That scene was essentially recreated in the first movie; differences being that it was MJ and she was saved.

Further lines blur between Gwen and MJ--Gwen came from a lower-middle class family, Gwen was Peter's first love interest in the comics (I think), while MJ really was a bitch to him at first instead of being the kind hearted kid we saw in the first flick.

Also, --not that it's part of the MJ/Gwen Stacy amalgam--it's my opinion that Dunst looks like Gwen Stacy (if she went blonde).

So given your expert Spiderman knowledge, what do you think happens in S3? It seems they are staying *fairly* close to the comic book script.

A-Bomb

 

[Mike Olbinski]

**************SPOILERS*********************


Did any of you notice how JJ Jamison leaped from the doc to the boat ramp? It looked slightly supernatural.

Mike

 

[WaywardFan]

~Sets up a great villain for the third movie.

Which would be....??

 

[abomb]

Which would be....??

Hobgoblin played by the Osborne son. Also in the comics, the astronaut guy turns into a werewolf.

A-Bomb

 

[Pariah]

Which would be....??

Yeah, Hobgoblin. I didn't say so at first because I didn't want to give anything away. But, they started laying the groundwork for this in the first film, and go over the top with motivation in most of the second, IMO. But, the end of the film is almost like a cliffhanger with the anticipation of the hobgoblin--at least, I hope that's the direction they go and not just "oh, here's another Green Goblin power ranger."

 

[Pariah]

**************SPOILERS*********************


Did any of you notice how JJ Jamison leaped from the doc to the boat ramp? It looked slightly supernatural.

Mike

I noticed that it was very athletic and smooth, but I attributed that to it being a stuntman and not an actor. I don't think they'll do much with John Jameson in the next film. they didn't play him up enough in this one, he was hardly more than an extra.

 

[Pariah]

So given your expert Spiderman knowledge, what do you think happens in S3? It seems they are staying *fairly* close to the comic book script.

A-Bomb

If they go with 2 villains, I think the next ones will be Hobgoblin/Green Goblin and the Lizard. They introduced Doc Conners (the Lizard) correctly--Peter's professor with one arm. In the comics, he tried to find a "cure" for amputated or lost limbs by messing with Amphibian blood/DNA for it's regenerative ability. And, in classic comic-book fashion, he experiments on himself and it goes horribly wrong, and poof: super-strong, mostly crazed, half-human/half-lizard villain. Very cool possibilities, IMO.

In fact, as I type this, I'm thinking it's far more likely than Venom, tons more likely that the John Jameson werewolf and pretty likely that they'll go with a Lizard/Goblin combo.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

I noticed that it was very athletic and smooth, but I attributed that to it being a stuntman and not an actor. I don't think they'll do much with John Jameson in the next film. they didn't play him up enough in this one, he was hardly more than an extra.

Yeah, but basically spiderman stole his woman...that's gotta do something to him...

And I thought the jump looked a little more than athletic and smooth...it looks a little superhuman to me...

Mike

 

[abomb]

In fact, as I type this, I'm thinking it's far more likely than Venom, tons more likely that the John Jameson werewolf and pretty likely that they'll go with a Lizard/Goblin combo.

FWIW, I read on the IMDB mb that New Line bought the rights to Venom, so it is doubtful we see him in S3.

A-Bomb

 

[mdamien13]

I loved it!

I liked Spiderman 1 but i thought Spiderman 2 was kick ass! This is definitely my new favorite movie utilizing CGI combat sequences. Doc Ock was a great villain. Alfred Molina is a very underrated actor and I'm glad he got to show off his chops.

What I liked most about this film was the fact that you could tell it was a Sam Raimi film. The whole scene where Doc Ock takes out the surgeons in the ER was totally Evil Dead stuff. Then all of the "Doc Ock Attacks" sequences were very much a throwback to the 50's era monster films. Good stuff! Also, the physical humor was all Raimi and his love for the Stooges. And he had a pretty awesome part for Bruce Campbell (I was upset to find myself being the only one who cheered when he popped up on-screen - kids today!)

Only thing I didn't like - James Franco. The guy can't act his way out of a wet paper bag. He's like Paul Walker but without the good looks. Looks like we'll get more of him in part 3, too.

 

[Pariah]

And he had a pretty awesome part for Bruce Campbell (I was upset to find myself being the only one who cheered when he popped up on-screen - kids today!)

Campbell was a riot! Have you read his autobiography? "If Chins Could Kill" or something like that. It's good.

 

[Pariah]

Yeah, but basically spiderman stole his woman...that's gotta do something to him...

That's why I thought they'd make more of his raction if they planned on bringing him back. It didn't even get a close-up.

 

[Evil Ash]

Great, great movie! In short, how a superhero movie (or any summer blockbuster) should be done.

This is what happens when you have a great director doing a superhero movie that he also happens to be a big fan of (He has admitted to being a Spiderman geek and as you will find out shortly so am I). He remains pretty faithful to the comic book, which can be a pretty tough thing to do.

I was originally a bit frightened by the choice of Molina to play Doc Ock, not because of his acting skills (I actually think he is a highly under-rated actor), but because of him getting the look and not being able to be the character fully (Otto Octavius is Russian and I didn't see Molina talking with a Russian accent. Thankfully they went away from that). However, I'm glad to say that my fears were eased and Molina did a fantastic job.

Okay now for my like scenarios as it comes to the sequels (if you haven't read the comic book and/or don't want things possibly spoiled don't highlight)...

**** Comic Book Spoilers ****

As it comes to the 3rd movie its all but a given that Harry Osborne will turn into the Hobgoblin and be the main villain in the movie. What the also could do as Djaughe eludes to is have Spidey after fighting the Hobgobin save JJJ's son from a shuttle crash and discover the alien costume.

Then during part 4 have Spidey one of the supervillains left such as Mysterio (I think a good choice for a viilain in one of the movies), Scorpion, Vulture, The Lizard, etc. in the alien costume and introduce Eddie Brock and why he is so hell bent against Peter Parker. There is also the possibility of introducing the Black Cat into this (in the credits they have Felicia Hardy mentioned in part 2 although I don't remember her being introduced) to make life more interesting for Peter Parker in his personal life as well as his superhero life. As the movie ends have Spidey go against the alien costume and have it attach to Eddie Brock.

Then for part 5 have Spiderman versus Venom.

The reason you don't want to rush into having Venom as a villain is due to the reason that the reason that Venom was such a thorn in Peter's side was because as he wore the Symbiate, the costume learned all about Spiderman/Peter Parker (his strengths, weaknesses, memories, etc). If you rush the character in, you lose that aspect.

Then for the sequels thereafter, they could have a wide variety of villains left and eventually introduce Carnage.

Okay now back to part 2 ...

I'm disappointed that they killed Doc Ock since I wanted one of the sequels to have the Sinister 6 and that wouldn't be the same without Doc Ock (although I'm not completely sure he's dead).

I was also hopeful that the reason that Spidey was having troubles wasn't psychosematic but a future introduction to when Peter Parker becomes Man -Spider.

Other than that I absolutely loved it

 

[Pariah]

Why is everyone so set on introducing Venom in the next movie? They've given us absolutely no reason to believe he'll make an appearence, where as we do have reason to beleive the Hobgoblin will be there (obviously) and at least they introduced Doc Connors to lay the groundwork for The Lizard. But, venom (nor Ediie Brock) has been hinted at.

I don't think we'll see Venom. There are too many good "classic" villians to explore, as alluded to, Ash, there are 6 of 'em, and that's not even counting the Hobgoblin!

BTW, if you can't tell, I never liked where the symbiote storylines went. Venom became too weird and over the top for me, and Carnage just plain sucked. The only way I want to see Venom on the big screen is if they do a Secret Wars movie (chaa! Right, and monkeys might fly out my butt.)

 

[Brandon_Webb]

Can some geek list out the Spiderman villans and how they came to be?

 

[Pariah]

Can some geek list out the Spiderman villans and how they came to be?

Hmm. I'm wrapping up my day here at work, so I'll rattle off some villains, but don't have time to go into origins (plus I don't know the origins of a lot of them)...

Doc Ock
Green Goblin
Vulture
Lizard
Scorpion
Mysterio
Electro
Sandman
Venom
Carnage
Kingpin (also a DD villian)
Rhino
Hobgoblin

that's all I can think of of the top o' my head. There are countless others that he's fought multiple times, but I would count those (ie: Doom, the Wrecking Crew) to be other heroes' villians.