SPIDERMAN 2
US, 2004, 118 minutes, Colour.
Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, Donna Murphy, Bill Nunn, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, Cliff Robertson.
Directed by Sam Raimi.
Sam Raimi deserves our congratulations for having directed a blockbuster movie, Spiderman, that blended the comic-book fantasy derring-do with a blend of humane sensibility and humour. He deserves our congratulations for having made a sequel that capitalises on all the qualities of the original movie and makes them even better.
This is an assured film, the makers confident in their abilities to provide exciting and entertaining action, along with some spectacular stunt work (crashing and rolling cars, chases up the sides of walls, a fight on top of a speeding train), with computergraphics to create a New York which is really a US Metropolis, and a tour-de-force villain, complete with vicious mechanical octopus-like appendages. But, Raimi has no hesitation in quietening the action to spend a lot of time exploring the intense and complex personality of Peter Parker. Tobey Maguire is completely at home in the role and has made it his own. Peter is the shy, even clumsy introvert, unable to hold down a job, failing in his studies, inarticulate in his inability to express his love for Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst making her more than a two-dimensional screaming heroine under threat – which she also does), awkward in relating to his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), unwilling to tell his friend, Harry (James Franco) the real identity of Spiderman who was responsible for the death of his father.
His work in keeping law and order and rescuing those in danger means that Peter has difficulty with his true identity. His inner potential, a more extraverted hero, emerges when he is Spiderman. He has a highly developed sense of responsibility and duty which he sees as requiring self-sacrifice in renouncing his love for Mary Jane, especially since Spiderman’s enemies would put her life at risk (which they do). Aunt May gives him a strong pep talk about the need for heroes, pointing to their young neighbour who wants Spiderman to return.
Alfred Molina is fine as Dr Otto Octavius, a sincere if ambitious scientist whose experiments go disastrously wrong and mutate him into Dr Ock, an eight-limbed monster. He is not an innate villain. He makes tragic choices but is finally confronted by Peter and follows his conscience. Rosemary Harris may never have dreamed that she would appear in a film, held aloft over the city by Dr Ock, hanging on to a gargoyle by her umbrella and falling to be rescued by Spiderman. Very welcome is the return of J.K. Simmons as the politically incorrect editor of The Daily Bugle with a penchant for throwaway one-liners that give bite to the dialogue. (Even Cliff Robertson and Willem Dafoe, who must have been disappointed that they died in the original, have an opportunity to appear in vision sequences.)
Spiderman 2 has us looking forward to the next instalment.
1. The impact of this film, after the original? Its broad appeal, the comic-book action, the conspiracy theories, Spiderman as saviour, restorer of law and order? The human interest, love, self-sacrifice and responsibility?
2. The expectations from the first film and this sequel building on them? The connection between the two films?
3. The blending of comic strip and fantasy with law and order, media issues and satire, with love, friendship, family? With identity? With the horror of scientific experiments gone wrong, the potential for destruction?
4. The importance of editing and pace, action and computer graphics, the musical score and the songs, the theme from the television series?
5. The New York setting, real, composite, the use of Chicago? The modern metropolis? The apartments, the world of wealth? The Daily Bugle and the press offices? The laboratories and their extravagance, the college and education? The streets, the spectacular car crashes, the flying stunts? The multi-ethnic New York and the variety of people in supporting roles from different cultures?
6. The introduction to Spiderman, seeing him in action, familiar, the lessening of Spiderman heroics until the confrontation with Dr Octavius? The emphasis on Peter Parker, his action as Peter, especially the rescuing the child from the fire?
7. Peter Parker, his age, his pizza job and failure, delivering as Spiderman? His being sacked? His living alone, going to see Aunt May, the surprise birthday party, his friendship with Harry, with Mary Jane? The discussions with Mary Jane and his inability to declare his love for her? Mary Jane’s play, Peter trying to get there, the crash, his being Spiderman, the cantankerous usher? The discussions about the play, her disappointment, his seeing himself as an empty chair? The phone call, her hanging up, his speaking the truth after she hung up? His studies, their not going well, the comments of the lecturer? His helping Aunt May, the bank, the difficulties and her wanting to be independent? The build-up to his sense of failure, taking photos for the editor, the editor continually firing him, his going to the social, Mary Jane and her engagement, his hanging up his costume, the editor putting it on the wall? His friendship with Harry, his refusal to identify Spiderman to Harry?
8. Meeting Octavius, the discussions, his theories? Harry and his supplying the money? Octavius’s wife and her collaboration? His being affirmed by Octavius? Present at the demonstration, the spectacle, its failure, the hideous transformation of Octavius into Dr Ock? His wife’s death?
9. Octavius as a good man, his theories, hopes, friendship with Peter, giving him good advice? The failure of the experiment, his decisions, hubris, admitting his errors, wanting to be a success? His becoming a monster? His brutality in the hospital? The fusion and his becoming an octopus? His decision about the future, the robbing of the bank, the fighting of Spiderman, taking Aunt May as hostage? His ability to climb buildings, the heavy thud of his presence? The fight with Spiderman, throwing the money, the coins over the floor? His continuing his work, building the laboratory? Harry and his bargain, that Ock get Spiderman, his taking Mary Jane, the fight in the train, on the roof of the train, Spiderman stopping it just in time? His discovering the truth, Peter confronting him, urging him to exercise his conscience, his not wanting to die a monster? Ock as a good man and a tragic flaw, an adversary with depth of humanity? As well as being comic book?
10. Peter and his studies, his improvement, his not taking any more photos of Spiderman, his discussions with Mary Jane, the engagement? His visiting Aunt May, his decision to tell her the truth about his uncle’s death and his blaming himself, her being hurt, his going back, her moving, the young boy and his admiration of heroes and wanting Spiderman back?
11. The character of the editor, his smart cracks, his staff, his son engaged to Mary Jane, the photos of Spiderman, his campaign against him, having his costume on the wall – and its being taken with a note left? The challenge to the city? The cleaning up of the lawless city?
12. Peter, his seeing the dangers, seeing people mugged, the fights, the imagination of his conversation with his Uncle Ben, Aunt May and her speech about the necessity of heroes? His response, the fight on the train, people recognising him? His going to Mary Jane but telling her that he had to be Spiderman?
13. Mary Jane, her friendship with Peter, her love for him, his inability to express himself? Going out with John, the engagement? The discussions, the experiment with her kissing John, her wanting to kiss Peter? The marriage, the bridal gown, her running away, Peter not being an empty chair, the discovery of the truth and its effect on her?
14. Harry, his character, the vision of his father and his father’s calling him weak, wanting him to avenge? His disappointment with the failure of the experiments? His decision and his being a friend for Peter?
15. Spiderman and law and order, the city, the future? The possibilities of his relationship with Mary Jane and his commitment?
16. The hero for 2004, the kind of hero, human, vulnerable, the inner strength emerging, self-sacrifice and responsibility? People’s need for a hero?
17. Spiderman as his mask, the real Peter Parker, the real Spiderman, the introvert becoming the extrovert? The inner potential being realised?
