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It ’s been 20 years since the premiere ofSam Raimi ’s 2004 superhero subsequence , Spider - Man 2 , and we can confidently say it ’s still the good superhero movie ever made . Of course , many worthy mirthful Scripture adaptations have come out in the years since , and some might declare a few as the best superhero movie out there — I can already seemanyDark KnightdefendersandAvengers : Endgametruthers readying their pitchforks to support their faves .
However , I think it ’s undeniable to say thatSpider - Man 2is the good superhero picture that ’s actually a superhero movie . WhereasThe Dark Knightsacrifices its superhero sensibilities to become a gritty crime thriller andEndgameoccasionally feel more like a “ effective hits ” compilation than an existent motion picture , Spider - Man 2wears its comic book banners high and lofty .
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It come after without subverting the genre ’s expectations or challenging its conventions — on the contrary , it embraces its sensibilities and operate well within its bounds . The outcome is an unadulterated and nigh - thoroughgoing love alphabetic character to superhero cinema that abide by its source cloth and beloved fictitious character like few , if any , superhero movies have . What makes this jewel of a movie so vivid ? A combination of elements , surely , but I believeSpider - Man 2has two crucial elements that separate it from its fellow live - legal action adjustment .
The power of a villain in the palm of Molina’s hand
Perhaps more so than any other film genre , superheromovies need a gravid baddie . Because these stories espouse a rather straightforward honorable - versus - evil approach , the villain is just as , if not more , important than the hero . Think about all the title in contention for the best superhero motion picture ever — Dark Knight , X2 : X - Men United , Endgame , Batman Returns — what do they have in vulgar ? exactly ! A cracking scoundrel .
As the best superhero motion picture out there , Spider - Man 2does not disappoint . Its villainy comes from the brilliant and somehow still Oscar - less Alfred Molina as Doctor Otto Octavius , best know as Doctor Octopus . As previously remark , the picture stick to a rather rough-cut narrative , portraying Octavius as a typical tragical figure who succumbs to his worst impulse after his wife , played by the always bang-up Donna Murphy , is fridged so his story can continue . Yet , ever the virtuoso pro , Molina assume what could very easy be an ordinary baddie and turns him into someone sinful .
The strength of Molina ’s portrait lies in his relatability . His Doc Ock is never unlikeable or , dare I say it , menacing ; he ’s not hateable or even reproachable , and at no point does one feel the indigence to see him gone . Spider - Man 2pulls a wonderful feat that seldom other movies get away with — the watcher wants Peter to deliver the goods without want Otto to lose . And it ’s not likeSpider - Man 2treats Ock as anything less than a bad guy . Raimi understands that , for a superhero movie to influence , the line between “ right ” and “ ill-timed ” must be clear define . Otto ’s action , much like Norman Osborn ’s before him , are wrong — once in a while , they ’re also evil , yet Otto himself is not .
By on the face of it choosing simplicity , Raimi invites a pack of captivating questions about the nature of evil and the essence of human nature . They are not necessarily groundbreaking — indeed , people have been asking themselves whether true evil exists since the dawn of time — but they are significant to the story ’s success . Even more beautiful is the fact that neither Raimi nor Molina ever ask them straight off . Spider - Man 2doesn’t adopt a moralistic or preachy tone , and at no point do they examine to call on the story into a philosophic journey of the ego . Yet these issues are on the screen , plain as day yet discreetly flow in between action set pieces and cheesy caper .
Transforming subtext into textbook without in reality declare it is a gift few writer have , and carry what ’s there without position it into intelligence is even rarer for an actor to accomplish . But Raimi and Molina make it look effortless . It ’s more than natural ; it ’s ordered and inexplicit . Beyond his cool gimmick and dramatic appearance , Spider - Man 2‘s Doc Ock is memorable for who he is . Not his plans or his powers or even his melodic line — he himself command the attention and set off curiosity . He ’s unforgettable by simplybeing , and that ’s an unbelievably impressive effort that no other comic book scoundrel has pulled off .
‘Lord knows kids like Henry need a hero.’
The 2nd important aspect ofSpider - human being 2‘s success is something we rarely see in movies anymore , superhero or otherwise : silver dollar . In fact , it ’s more than just unornamented honesty . Like most other Raimi movies , Spider - Man 2feels unassuming , as if the humans behind it was still the same youthful creative person who madeEvil Deadfor a hundred bucks and a dream . The shell is big , the visual result are outstanding , and the ballyhoo is veridical , but the moving picture ’s core , its soul , is very much ground in a canonic , relatable rationale .
search at Aunt May ’s now - iconic speech about heroism . There are no elaborate words or faux effort at a philosophical substance ; there ’s no pageant or ego - importance . alternatively , it ’s just a kindly old cleaning woman talking to her nephew from the heart about why everybody needs someone to look up to .
It , of course , helps that an actress of Rosemary Harris ’ caliber is present it with all the affectionateness of a loving grandmother next to a cracking fireplace , but she only helps exacerbate what is already there . Spider - Man 2isn’t afraid to wish about its hero because itlovesits bomber , and maybe you should , too . There ’s nothing wrong with postulate something , needing someone ; why else are we here if not to swear on each other ?
This fresh honesty is in every shot ofSpider - Man 2 , from Ock ’s scenes with his married woman to Peter ’s complicated telephone exchange with Mary Jane . Love is at the center of this trilogy , and the motion picture never pretend otherwise . Spider - Man 2understands the power of a phrase like “ I make love you , ” and it ’s not ashamed of using it .
Because words have meaning , just like heroes have signification , and love is still what makes the world go around . It ’s incredible that , in a movie about a guy with wanderer abilities fighting a guy with mechanical tentacles , sexual love is still the chord that ties everything together . There ’s a warmth toSpider - Man 2that makes it reassuring , a sensation that compels one to have rather than just viewer .
In an age when movies finger the need to be abrasive and more misanthropic , Spider - Man 2goes the opposite route . It care so you could manage ; it feels so you could feel . It defy to be the bravest matter anyone can be : vulnerable , emotional , flimsy . It takes more orchis to be open than to obliterate behind layers of CGI and lordliness . In its empathy , Spider - Man 2ultimately find victory .
Go get ’em, tiger
Spider - Man 2has all the elements of a great film of its writing style . It has funny , cheesy , and memorable dialogue delivered by a radical of actors who recognize exactly what they ’re doing . It has some of the best determined pieces the music genre has ever seen , let in a battle aboard a move grooming that might just be the individual bang-up action sequence in the genre ’s history . It has telling CGI that somehow looks better than most movies released in the past year . And it has all the Raimi quirk we ’ve come to expect from his movies , from a distinctive comic book visual approach to fades , party whip cuts , and Bruce Campbell .
But that ’s not whySpider - gentleman’s gentleman 2is the best comic book movie — rather , it ’s not just because of that . Instead , Spider - Man 2reigns supreme because it wants to be a desirable Spider - Man pic first and a great superhero movie second . Like its nominal reference , Spider - Man 2wants to do powerful by the friendly neighborhoods of the world . It means to celebrate and recognize rather than just entertain or distract because it understands there ’s a bit of Peter Parker in all of us . And if we all can care as much as Peter does , then perhaps there is Leslie Townes Hope after all .
Spider - Man 2is available tostream on Disney+ .
