Is Spider-Man 2 still a good movie?
Tobey Maguire has become the butt of every Spider-Man meme and joke since the trilogy of movies directed by Sam Raimi. Whether it’s ugly-crying spider-tears or not-so-sexy dancing, let’s just say we’re really thankful to have had Tom Holland sweep some of this cringy awkwardness under the Marvel rug.
Hollywood was buzzing from “Black Panther’s” Oscar nomination for best picture since it was the first film in the genre to get a shot at the prestigious title, but it’s far from being first superhero film up for an Oscar.
Raimi’s 2004 “Spider-Man 2” became the first Marvel Comics adaptation to win an Academy Award, beating out “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” for Best Visual Effects. It was also nominated for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing, losing in the latter category to a different superhero movie: “The Incredibles.” Raimi’s trilogy is definitely campy by today’s standards, but were the films actually bad? Let’s go back 15 years and look specifically at the one considered to be the best of the three — “Spider-Man 2.”
Effects
This is a superhero movie about a guy who swings through New York City fighting a guy with robot tentacles, so let’s talk about visual effects right away. It won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, but that was 15 years ago. CGI has come a long way since then, and some of the moments look a little goofy in 2019. This is especially true if you’re an MCU fan. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” even makes hijacking an invisible jet look pretty convincing.
Score
Danny Elfman’s score does a lot of work to capture the setting and feel of “Spider-Man 2.” Spiraling strings cascade down like the threads of a spider’s web, accented by a bold horn section to simulate rising momentum. Peak moments are accentuated to match our hero as he contorts in mid-air like an arachnid, hanging suspended in the air. An operatic choir echoes in from time to time to remind us that this is a legendary character blessed with quasi-mystic powers. Elfman elevates the superhero story into a ballad of old. So is it good?
Yeah. It’s good.
Peter Parker
There would not be a Spider-Man without Peter Parker, and it isn’t just because that’s his secret identity. What made Stan Lee’s character so likable was the guy behind the mask — he’s a geeky kid in school who lives with his aunt, gets picked on by bullies, and struggles to keep his personal and professional lives balanced on the unwieldy platter of being a superhero. Like many of us, he’s trying his hardest to manage a double life.
Failing at the work-life balance is one of the most relatable and endearing qualities of Spider-Man, and is one of the staples for the character. As such, you’ll see it hammered home in every Spider-Man movie. Check out Spidey showing up late to graduation, for example:
The hapless hero archetype is something Spider-man will never escape, not even in ads for the NBA Finals. It’s a cornerstone of Peter Parker, and Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2” might just do it best. Not even five minutes into the movie, Spider-man swings down to save two kids from a speeding truck — all while making a pizza delivery:
In this film alone, Spider-man is a pizza delivery man, a photographer, a college student, and a superhero all at once. His girlfriend is losing interest in him and is preparing to marry another man. His best friend hates him, and accuses him of colluding with the man who murdered his father. His grades are slipping. His newspaper doesn’t appreciate him, and capitalizes on demonizing his alter ego. He feels enormous guilt for failing to protect his uncle. His widowed aunt is struggling financially. He’s late to pay rent. The list goes on.
Notice that the real problems he’s dealing with in this film aren’t overpowered villains, alien invasions, or Infinity Stones. They’re problems we all have. Being a superhero doesn’t solve his problems either; it only seems to amplify them! So how does Peter Parker deal with all these issues? He gets back up. He keeps trying. He maintains a strong moral compass. He takes the punches without complaint, and in the end, he finds the courage and the willpower to carry the mantle — the great responsibility that comes with his great power. This establishes Peter as a struggling underdog who takes adversity in stride, and as a hero that the audience is excited to see succeed.
Supporting characters
It’s the people in Spidey’s life that provide the color. “Spider-Man 2” capitalizes on his failing relationships with these characters, and how it turns Peter’s life into a huge struggle. It’s put best by The Cosmonaut in this clip, but watch out; it’s pretty NSFW!
Are the supporting characters likable in this movie? No, not really. Harry is one-note and vengeful. Aunt May comes across as oddly cold. All Peter’s employers are unforgiving, and MJ is actually quite despicable. She’s toying with Peter’s emotions, and moving to marry a guy she doesn’t really love — all because Peter can’t make it to her dumb events on time.
Sacrifice
The visual effects are good, but they’re not spectacular. The supporting cast is unlikable, and the villain is pretty cartoony. Tobey’s acting isn’t for everybody either, but we’ll go right ahead and say this movie is good. Why? One word: Sacrifice.
It doesn’t take a PhD in film to see the real conflict in this movie (Hint: It’s not Doc Ock): Peter Parker is hesitant to play the part of the hero — so much so that he’s having a hard time even using his powers.
All of Peter’s problems would be solved if he would just. Put away. The mask. And so he does! In his darkest moment, he throws the suit away, puts it right in the trash can. There’s a montage where we get to see how Peter’s life would be if he simply gave up. He’s walking proudly. His grades improve, his relationships start to rekindle, and he no longer has to worry about risking his own neck to save people.
Stepping up
Peter’s stint as a normal guy doesn’t last. Powers or no powers, a real hero perseveres and does the right thing even when giving up is so much easier. That’s the real point the film tries to make, and it’s best summed up in the runaway train scene towards the film’s end (yes, that face he makes is still hilarious):
Here, Spider-man is giving everything he’s got to save a train full of people he doesn’t know. Doing so costs him his secret identity, but it’s a decision he makes without hesitation. He makes sacrifices throughout the film, putting his pizza job on the line to save those two kids in the opening sequence. He sabotages his own date night to halt an armed robbery. In the end, he tells MJ that if he has to choose between her and saving lives, he’s going to choose saving lives. Because that’s what a hero does.
“Spider-man 2” is still a good movie because it tells a timeless story. Sure visual effects can improve and characters can be recast, but at its heart, the film is a superhero story with a message Stan Lee would wholeheartedly approve: One person can make a difference, whether they have powers or not. Being a hero is about sacrificing for the greater good and doing the right thing.
