Spider-Man 2

I've always liked Spider-Man but without actually being a big collector of the comics. I have many a comic where he guest-stars and always enjoy them. However, I can't stand the unrelenting unpleasantness poured onto Peter Parker on a monthly basis. He's an orphan; he continually blames himself for his uncle's death; the largest paper in the city holds him as public enemy number one under the vendetta consuming J. Jonah Jameson; he was always having problems with money, girlfriends and life in general; people around always end up getting hurt (Gwen Stacy died) or becoming villains (his former best friend became the Hobgoblin). I find it depressing, personally, but that doesn't stop me loving the character because he directly appeals to me as a misunderstood yet intelligent male that the world seems to dislike. This means I can enjoy the films without too much problem.

Spider-Man was a great film, capturing the essence of Peter Parker perfectly while bringing the wall-crawler to the screen with amazing CGI that showed the cool funkiness of Spidey that comic book readers knew about for ages. Spider-Man 2 is an even better film, building on the first and continuing the saga of Peter and his alter ego. We meet Peter (Tobey Maguire) again, having difficulty juggling his super-hero life with a part-time job and his studies at college. His best friend, Harry (James Franco) still holds Spider-man responsible for his father's death; Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) is still the girl he loves from afar, who secretly thinks that Peter loves her; Jonah Jameson still has it in for him; Aunt May is having money problems; life as normal for the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

Peter is introduced to Dr. Otto Octavius, who is working on a new form of energy but, in an experiment going wrong, the robotic arms he uses to handle the equipment to create the energy become fused to his spine, and the villain Dr. Octopus is born. Peter has to fight him, but he finds out he is having problems with being Spider-man, with his web fluid running out at important moments. Wanting to be closer to Mary Jane, he gives up the costume (in a scene mimicking the cover of a classic Spider-man comic almost exactly) and resumes his studies with a vengeance, to give him more time with her. But Spider-man will always be needed....

This is wonderful story-telling with note-perfect acting, fantastic direction, nearly flawless CGI and the in-jokes for the long time fans (Mary Jane is engaged to Jonah's son who, in the comics, becomes Man-Wolf; Dr. Curt Conners is Peter's teacher, who becomes The Lizard; a busker plays the infamous Spider-man theme on her violin; Peter complains about his back problem, referring to Tobey Maguire's supposed troubles that nearly stopped him coming back as Spider-man; Sam Raimi riffs on his notorious Evil Dead 2, with a tentacle cam snaking along the floor and a chainsaw and hand falling to the floor; Jonah says "What are the chances of someone called Octavius ending up with eight limbs?"). The emotional core is there, the action scenes are explosive and the seeds are set for future Spider-man stories - comic book heaven.

The big names from the last film all return, with Alfred Molina the main new addition. He is excellent as Octavius, and we are fortunately allowed to see his expressive face, unlike the one wrong note from the first film, where the wonderfully-malleable face of Willem Dafoe is hidden by an incredibly silly mask. The use of Doc Ock is perhaps too similar to Green Goblin, both being scientists who know Peter personally and who go bad and fight Spidey, but it's the added piquancy of the friendships that makes the story richer. Also, it's a common theme for Spidey foes - this film sets up a potential villain in Dr. Curt Conners, Peter's professor (and Octavius's friend); in the comics, he accidentally becomes the Lizard in an effort to regrow his arm which he lost in an accident, something that is referenced in the film by having him one-armed.

Regarding my inability to come to terms with the hell that Peter Parker is regularly put through, this film is much the same. Admittedly, it makes the hero that much more heroic for all the struggles against which he must prevail, it's just so unremitting; I know I'd just say "Fuck it" and do something else. The end of this film, unlike the perfectly tragic and heroic end to the first film, allows a ray of sunshine into the gloomy world of our hero, for which I am personally grateful. Spider-Man 2 is not only a great adaptation of the comic book, it is a great summer action film, the artistic and entertainment heights that all other blockbusters should aspire to regularly. First there was X2 and now Spider-Man 2, both being better than the still-great first film in their respective series; the third films have high, high hopes. Bring it on.

Rating: DAVID