Spiderman II (Also known as “The Amazing Spiderman”) Starring: Tobey MacGuire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco, and Rosemary Harris. Directed by Sam Raimi. Rated: PG-13 Total Running Time: 127 minutes. Rita’s Rating*: Cheering Charms!!! *: Rita’s Rating system is based on certain spells in the wizarding world: Excellent: Expecto Patronum! (pure happy thoughts) Good: Cheering Charms (just makes you laugh) Better than Average: Wingardium Leviosa (done properly, at time it lifts the spirits) Average: Lumos (bright in some parts, dark in others) Below Average: Impedimenta (some hindrances here and there) Poor: Cruciatus (causes some rather immense pain and suffering) Terrible: Avada Kedavra (just kill me, already!) All right, let’s face it. Muggle fans of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban knew that our bespectacled hero had one, perhaps two major competitors for the position of “best summer blockbuster” of 2004. Shrek 2 is kicking up its high heels—not exactly leaving our boy wizard in the dust, but with a hefty sum ahead none the less. Whether it will top our young Mr. Potter is left to be seen. Our other foe lay in the web-slinging, wall-crawling, tour-de-force whose 2002 original stunned summer box office analysts with its amazing ascent up the money-making charts. In case you missed the metaphor(s), I’m speaking of Spiderman, people. And Spiderman II, with the possible exception of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is unquestionably the most anticipated summer movie of the season. Does it live up to the expectation? In a word…youbetcha! Spiderman II reintroduces us to Peter Parker, the homely, somewhat goofy college student who had either the fortune (or misfortune, as the first hour of the movie hints) of being bitten by a radioactive spider. A night of genetic reformulation later, and Peter is gifted with spider sense, spider-like reflexes, sticky tipped fingers, and an ability to dispense a gooey, web-like substance out of his wrists. He’s also super strong, and driven by a sense of justice…repentance for misusing his powers initially, which contributed to the death of his beloved uncle, Ben. So Spiderman, as he calls himself, spends his time swinging through the city of New York, exacting justice and saving the innocent. Only problem is, as Spiderman II plainly relates, he might not be able to save himself. Overall the sequel sails along as easily as the newly improved CGI Spidey does on a good day. Raimi, embracing the overall approval of the first movie, doesn’t diverge much from formula—once again, there’s a little camp, a little kitsch, and a lot of heart. But there are darker, slightly more bitter tones to this movie that weren’t present the first time around—Peter’s life, for example, isn’t exactly the stuff of heroes, and the filmmaker lets you know it. Unable to explain his alter ego to those he loves, Peter must live in the shadow of Spiderman—which means accepting his own reputation as lazy, unreliable, and uncaring. And to Peter’s frustration (and the audiences’) he can’t justify himself—or even explain why. Just like the original Spiderman, Spiderman II allows the personal storyline to overshadow the big battles, CGI and special effects. Not even the evil Doc Ock, played with a wondrous complexity by character actor Alfred Molina, has center stage in this story. Spiderman’s life might be complicated by tentacle-wielding evil geniuses, but that’s not his main concern. His true enemy, the one that might actually destroy Spiderman both physically and mentally, is himself. There is the occasional pitfall along the way; sometimes the camp goes over the top (one too many screaming women and crying babies for this reporter), the movie can drag a little at times, and, for some of the darker elements, deserves its PG-13 rating. But returning actor Tobey MacGuire is there to pull the audience out of the kitsch, enlivening poor Peter’s emotional turmoil with just the right amount of friendly appeal. Spiderman’s human faces save the story more often than his costumed one. Probably a good thing, because this movie isn’t so much about the costume being put on as it is about it coming off—a revelation that leads to some of the most delightful scenes in the movie, including an ending sequence that will have the audience raising a triumphant cheer. As with many summer blockbusters, the key to Spiderman II is not to over analyze the correctness of the medium; no, its not the Spiderman of your comic books, no, Doc Ock doesn’t have his accent. But here, the sometimes overly done, sometimes overly clichéd story is an element that makes this movie series what it is. Appreciate the movie for what it can be, and not for what it should be, and Spiderman II will be one of your favorites of the season. So muggles everywhere, go see it to see it, then go see it again—this time to enjoy Mr. MacGuire’s beautiful eyes and that delightful, picture perfect ending. Then, head back to that other summer flick where great blue eyes, sidekicks with red hair, pretty girls and flying through the air on whomping arms reign supreme. If you’re reading THIS review, you better! |