Review of Spider-Man 2 (2004) by Douglas C — 05 May 2014

A consummate continuation of 2002's original, Spiderman 2 is both entertaining as a standalone film and as a film that furthers the arc that was well built by the first film. Alfred Molina is refreshing as a deviously maniacal Doc Ock who is hell bent on wrecking Peter's and most everyone else's lives with a degree of relish.

James Franco's Harry Osborn really comes full circle as his motives are more fleshed out and central to the narrative. The only weak link is Kirsten Dunst who, in my eyes, was the wrong choice for the part entirely as she doesn't lend credibility or authenticity to her character's comic origins as the magma hot lover and companion to Spiderman.

I kept thinking about her role in Jumanji the entire time I watched her in this and in 2002's Spiderman. In any event, the sum of its parts yields a far superior film that credits its world building and does a lot of tasteful nods to the comics.

If only Spiderman 3, as overstuffed and ambitious as it was, continued in this film's trajectory of quality.