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Spider-Man 2 Reviewed [updated]
Update: 06/30 15:42 GMT by T : This article has been pulled; the Spider-Man 2 review which appeared here was reposted without credit or permission from chud. (Read it in its original context.) We welcome original feature-length articles, but not plagiarism.
Some reviews of Spider-man 2 have mentioned that Sam Raimi is not all that comfortable with CGI ... which means that he tends to focus more on the human element rather than the blockbuster aspects of a movie. Given the depth of Peter Parker as a character, this seems like a reasonable trade off that helps make this better than the "typical" comic hero movie ...
There are plenty of attractive females in Hollywood, in Califnornia, in America, and on this planet. To be a first-rate actress requires more than sex appeal; it requires acting talent (which has nothing to do with sex appeal... e.g. Cathy Bates is a fantastic actress). I realize we've arrived at a point in our culture where "hot" is equated with smart, talented, kind, forgiving, passionate, loving, and worthwhile... but physical appearance has absolutely nothing to do with any of that. Yes, Ms. Dunst is attractive and I'd certainly have intercourse with her given the chance... but that alone doesn't mean she should be cast in A-list, high-budget movies. There are plenty of other extremely attractive (many moreso than her) actresses with much more talent in this world. So no, sex appeal does not make up for lack of talent. Yes she's pleasing to look at... and if she can't act she would be better off being a model and having still pictures taken of her.
That being said, I agree that she gave a very good performance in ESotSM, and I don't think she was horrible in the first Spider Man... I've never considered her a horrible actress (like, say, Samantha Mathis). I will see SM2 tomorrow and frankly I'll be surprised if she gives such a horrible performance that it makes me wish someone else had been cast.
Stupid people make stupid things profitable.
> For example the excellent train fight takes place on an elevated train in a part of the city where there are no elevated trains -- but it doesn't matter. The film makes it work, so that you don't even think about it
HOW THE HELL SHOULD I NOT THINK ABOUT AN ELEVATED TRAIN LINE WITH A DEAD END THAT WOULD THROW A BRAKELESS TRAIN RIGHT INTO FIFTH AVENUE!?!?!?!?!?!?!
also, they transformed spider-man into super-man!
- add eyeglasses to alternative identity. check
- not a smart ass. check
- CAN STOP A FSCKING TRAIN WITH ITS BARE HANDS! check
oh! the humanity!
Damn right. And with the Moore film, people couldn't wait to come out and complain about it not being relevant to Slashdot... not today tho. You're the first, though it's already crossed my mind!
Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
-- Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
Fair enough. I can see that you are thinking for yourself. Keep it up.
Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
-- Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
I saw it yesterday and the thing that stands out most in my mind, granted I'm a geek, but when the fusion reaction goes out of control -- critical in fact, and starts magnetically sucking all metal towards itself and fusionically threatens the entire city!?
That's right, I said fusion.
It appears that one of the basic requirements for writing a film these days (and I like to write) is to have not only no knowledge of science, but preferably a vacous gaping city sucking fusion orb where even the most basic science knowledge should be.
Also a complete lack of knowledge of trains is helpful. You might notice an elevated line that is built to go two stories to a dead end at... THE RIVER. Exactly where are the engineers? The physicists? Were you all killed by Doctor Octopus?
And where is Ozcorp getting its never ending funding from? Why wasn't this stock shorted by everyone after their CHIEF SCIENTIST went nuts in the last movie and started killing people? These are details that could have been written into the film, but instead are just thrown away in favor of cliches. The other things that actually save this film from the dreck pile are 1) the performance of J.K. Simmons (the angry editor guy), who once again steals every scene that he's in, on top of being strongly written. (every time that Tobey is in the newspaper office he might as well be invisible.) Meanwhile, Alfred Molina (Doctor Octopus) does a stellar job with second rate lines. Now he is an interesting character -- and, unlike spidey, his CG didn't look fake. Why not make a film about him rather than the bland kid in the spider suit?
Romance is one of the things that saves this film -- because make no mistake about it it's the exact same formula that you've seen and know and love. If you like that film that you've seen a dozen times -- this is it too! Now with extra romance. It's fun for what it is, but don't expect more than cliches.
Is it just me, or isn't there so much more that could be done with film?
The baby's fine -- please stop sending business cards.
While Hellboy certainly wasn't of Spiderman caliber, I feel that neither the $2 nor the two hours I spent to see it were wasted. Yeah, it's a campy low-budget film, but it aint bad for all that. I'll go to the sequel.
DRM 'manages access' in the same way that a prison 'manages freedom'
My god you are right... that's just pathetic on the part of the poster, and he should be banned/suspended from Slashdot for posting this as if it were his work.
Plus it was a crap review anyway as it did what I HATE in reviews which is giving away some of the best bits. ie. "And the humour was supurb like when he turned into a chicken and ate all the guest's dinners"... that may not be in this film, but you get my drift, I was reading through the review, got to a spoiler of what would have been a great SUPRISE joke and stopped dead right there...
Geeze, how hard is it to write a review that doesn't reveal jokes or plot points? Why can't people stay more generic? X's acting was Good/bad/indifferent, the CG of Y was not so hot, or was during running but crap during swinging. Etc. etc. It's NOT THAT HARD.
While you got the gist of the story correct, you are off on the names/details. Algernon is from the city, and he has invented the concept of "Bunburying". He has created an imaginary friend that lives in the country named Bunbury, who is often incapacitated. Algernon then has an excuse to go to the country (where he ends up with Jacks young ward). Jack is from the country, and creates the persona of Ernest so that he can end up meeting a girl he has fallen in love with. Ernest, if you didn't guess it, is the same as Bunbury. Long story short, both Algernon and Jack end up taking on the differing persona of Ernest, and the two women that they have fallen in love with end up in a tangle of confusion, because of the mix-up of having two Ernests. The play is a social commentary on many things, not the least of which is the foolishness of a name (which some here would do well to recognize), and was definitely put in the movie for a reason, in my opinion, if not for more than one.
Something to make sure that every slashdoter world wide will continue to worship at the idol of K. Dunst.
http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/0189-sta/du
Ahhh geek sheek, you can't resist a nerd chick!
I would rather be ashes than dust!
Personally, I don't think she was bad at all. It's just how she looks. Her face (maybe because of the droopy eyelid thing) can only express emotion in so many ways. I don't know if the reviewer wanted over the top weeping and a Joker-like smile when she was happy, but I thought Dunst pegged it. Mary Jane is kind of floating through life. Successful, but not quite happy. Kind of in a fog. And at the end... well.. nevermind. It's a great movie. One of the best action movies I've seen in over a decade as well.
./ can't support this crap. pull the review or credit the author!
If you want to get technical, Spidey has fought every Marvell villain. He has fought Dr Doom, Sentinels, Galactus, and most of the heroes.
BTW, it is the Lizard, not LizardMan. But the Lizard is almost definately to be in the third. Most likely Venom will never play a role.
For the special effects, Hydro or Sandman would be good choices.
Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
Spider-Man 2 succeeds in many ways that I did not expect, justifying my decision to watch the midnight showing and stay up past 4:00am to write a small review for my web site!
... not for shooting spider webs out of wrists, but for the human element. Above all else and beneath the mask, Spider-Man is Peter Parker, an emotional, rational being like the rest of us. He has decisions to make, and whether they make sense or even matter to anyone else, they matter to Peter Parker.
... before we are rushed through an action-packed, emotional frenzy that climaxes with one of the most satisfying endings I have ever enjoyed for what I would normally describe as an entertainment film (as opposed to being a serious film).
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Spider-Man 2. A sequel is supposed to dwell in the shadow of its predecessor, but this one does not. Spidey is beaten and humbled -- by enemies, friends, the public, and himself -- and yet he still comes across as one of the most realistic heroes imaginable
The key to this film's success, aside from Tobey Maguire's excellent portrayal of a hero torn among many difficult choices, is Sam Raimi's ability to open and close numerous plot elements while maintaining a coherent and cohesive plot. The movie takes its sweet time to inform you of what has changed, who is important, and why it is all so
I must say, this movie comes damned close. Through the first two-thirds of the movie, I kept turning to my friend and asking, "Are we supposed to feel THIS SORRY for him?" However, the ending was a big payoff, set up by Peter Parker's suffering throughout the beginning and middle. I was practically cheering when he turns around without his mask on after convincing Doc Ock to drown the reactor, and Mary Jane finally sees his true identity. Likewise I was almost yelling "YOU DUMBASS!" at the screen when he gives her his "we can't be together, too risky, blah blah blah" speech, but that in turn just helps to provoke her to leave Jameson's son at the altar. At the very end, there's all this depressing stuff (Harry becomes the Goblin, Aunt May loses her house, Jameson's son gets stiffed) but all you're focused on is Peter Parker, finally redeemed, in love, and swinging between towers as Spider-Man. That feeling of total empathy with Spider-Man is what makes the movie so great.