The following is an in-depth story analysis. If you haven't watched this movie, you might want to before reading this review.
When I reviewed the first Spider-Man film, I made the comment that Peter Parker wasn't proactive enough. I didn't like that he was depicted as often so depressed and bruting, compared to the early comic book Peter Parker, who had a lot of the same problems, but even at his most depressed, would be sarcastic and joke his way through his troubles. Mary Jane too, was too overly dramatic to me. I wanted her to be overconfident rather than having insecurity issues; take her problems in stride than pretend they weren't there. Sam Raimi interpreted these characters differently from how I knew them, and so, I'm not going to complain that this movie has those same characterizations that I don't like; it's a sequel and those characters are already established. In fact, Spider-Man 2 takes Peter and Mary Jane's uncertainties and insecurities and addresses them. Both characters' arcs become all about how they deal with their problems; about growing as people; about becoming more proactive. While the first film was a superhero origin story, this one is a coming of age story.
This movie was critically acclaimed, and some reviewers, like Roger Ebert, went as far as to say that it was the best comic book movie ever made, at the time, of course. I think that's because it manages to balance layered characterizations with being a fun summer blockbuster. This is really well illustrated with the opening scene. Peter Parker is struggling to keep his pizza delivery job because he keeps showing up late to work. His boss tells him that he has a customer who's been waiting twenty minutes for their order, and if he doesn't get it there in eight minutes, he's fired. This instantly tells us that Peter is having a hard time managing his dual identity. Being Spider-Man doesn't give him enough time to keep up with his regular life, but at the same time, we get to see him web swinging through New York with a stack of pizzas; we hear a guy jump to a conclusion that Spider-Man stole the pizzas, and we see a guy try to eat some of the pizza after Spider-Man tries to leave it on a ledge for a minute. This is how a fun, superhero blockbuster should work. The fun action scenes tell us something about the character, and further the narrative.
It also impressed a lot of reviewers for making a likable villain in Doctor Octopus. That's the film's most common praise and I completely agree. The movie doesn't fall back to a revenge plot, or a generic world domination plot; it creates the best kind of villain: the one who doesn't think he's a villain; and even better: one who's an extremely likable guy at the beginning. This is a far cry from the two dimensional, egotistical mad scientist from the comics, who was always a lot of fun, but wouldn't translate as well to the screen as this reimagining. He's a legitimate scientist doing a huge fusion experiment; trying to harness sunlight power to create cheap and renewable energy. We like him because he has a noble goal in mind. He's not just out for fame and fortune, like his financial backer, Harry Osborn. I'm glad there's a scene about this. Harry tells Otto how he's going to make them both filthy rich, and Otto says that it's not about the money.
He's not an overly simplistic character, either. Otto Octavius could easily have been a perfect character whose mind is taken over by his robotic arms. Instead, he made a mistake in his calculations; he was overconfident, thinking there was no way he could've made a mistake; no way he could be endangering anyone. Peter warns him that dealing with a highly unstable substance like tritium, he could be putting the whole city at risk if he makes even the slightest error. And Otto brushes him off saying he's taken every precaution.
He's not an overly simplistic character, either. Otto Octavius could easily have been a perfect character whose mind is taken over by his robotic arms. Instead, he made a mistake in his calculations; he was overconfident, thinking there was no way he could've made a mistake; no way he could be endangering anyone. Peter warns him that dealing with a highly unstable substance like tritium, he could be putting the whole city at risk if he makes even the slightest error. And Otto brushes him off saying he's taken every precaution.
Ultimately, his experiment fails, and the city is in danger, until Spider-Man manages to pull the plug on the experiment. After the inhibitor chip is destroyed, the A.I in the robotic arms influence him to try his experiment again, but as we see at the end, he actually has the ability to control them if he really wants to. He's a real character, and not just a two dimensional one who's possessed by an artificial intelligence that makes him do evil things. What happens after he starts listening to the robotic arms is his fault. His selfish desire to finish his work and to make up for losing his wife, led him to do terrible things, which by the end, he's made to pay for.
That's what this movie is all about; sacrifice. It's about what characters want; the choices they make based on what they want; and the risks they take, or don't take. There are a lot of messages in this movie, and a lot are expertly woven together, cohesively; but one of the main messages is that, as Peter says to Doc Ock at the end, sometimes... to do what's right... we must be steady... and give up the things we desire the most... even our dreams. There are sacrifices and consequences to every pivotal action. Doing the wrong thing has consequences, as each major character discovers throughout the film, but there are also consequences in the form of sacrifices, sometimes to doing the right thing. The question is whether those sacrifices and consequences are worth it.
There are four principal characters in the movie, and so while Peter is the protagonist, and therefore the focal point, each of these characters has a journey that includes choices, risk and sacrifice. This movie explores these themes in four different ways throughout these characters:
Peter Parker. In the first movie, he made the wrong choice. He decided to not stop the burglar when he had the chance and that led to uncle Ben getting murdered. He's still paying for that choice by being Spider-Man. It really feels like he's atoning for this mistake rather than just being a superhero because he has the power. It's interfering with his life; he can't hold a steady job, he can't get to class on time and he can't be there for his friends. Most important to him: he can't be with Mary Jane, because if his enemies were to find out about her, she'd be in danger. The choice he makes is to quit being Spider-Man. For a while, things get better for him. He's getting good grades again. But something is still off. Every time he hears police sirens or sees a crime in progress, he turns the other cheek, and he feels very uncomfortable about it. Finally, there's a great scene where he runs into a burning building to rescue a little girl. It's a genuine rescue. When he gets out, one of the firefighters says, you got some guts, kid, but then Peter finds out that someone else in the building didn't make it out; someone he could've saved if he was Spider-Man using his powers. It isn't as severe as it was in the first time, but this is a similar consequence to what happened in the first movie: someone paid the price because he hadn't been taking responsibility for his powers.
So, he learns from his mistakes and becomes Spider-Man again. He meets Mary Jane and tells her he doesn't love her, which is a lie, but he's committed now. He's willing to sacrifice what he wants for the greater good. Earlier on in the film, I find him to be ultra depressed, bruting and kind of whiny, but by the end, I realize that this is all part of his character arc. He has to overcome all his insecurities and meet his problems head on, than rather to run away from them. It takes time to get there, but once he does, he's made really sympathetic, and a real hero. As a result, he's allowed to have what he wants: a relationship with Mary Jane.
Peter Parker. In the first movie, he made the wrong choice. He decided to not stop the burglar when he had the chance and that led to uncle Ben getting murdered. He's still paying for that choice by being Spider-Man. It really feels like he's atoning for this mistake rather than just being a superhero because he has the power. It's interfering with his life; he can't hold a steady job, he can't get to class on time and he can't be there for his friends. Most important to him: he can't be with Mary Jane, because if his enemies were to find out about her, she'd be in danger. The choice he makes is to quit being Spider-Man. For a while, things get better for him. He's getting good grades again. But something is still off. Every time he hears police sirens or sees a crime in progress, he turns the other cheek, and he feels very uncomfortable about it. Finally, there's a great scene where he runs into a burning building to rescue a little girl. It's a genuine rescue. When he gets out, one of the firefighters says, you got some guts, kid, but then Peter finds out that someone else in the building didn't make it out; someone he could've saved if he was Spider-Man using his powers. It isn't as severe as it was in the first time, but this is a similar consequence to what happened in the first movie: someone paid the price because he hadn't been taking responsibility for his powers.
So, he learns from his mistakes and becomes Spider-Man again. He meets Mary Jane and tells her he doesn't love her, which is a lie, but he's committed now. He's willing to sacrifice what he wants for the greater good. Earlier on in the film, I find him to be ultra depressed, bruting and kind of whiny, but by the end, I realize that this is all part of his character arc. He has to overcome all his insecurities and meet his problems head on, than rather to run away from them. It takes time to get there, but once he does, he's made really sympathetic, and a real hero. As a result, he's allowed to have what he wants: a relationship with Mary Jane.
Mary Jane. Again, like Peter, I find her to be pretty unsympathetic throughout a lot of the movie, but she makes up for it at the end, by finally making the right choice. Her arc can be interpreted in a couple, different ways. When I first saw this, I thought that she was being superficial, getting angry at Peter for not showing up at her play and everything. I kept thinking, give that guy a break, I mean, outside of being Spider-Man, he has a lot of good excuses. New York traffic alone should give you a pass, most of the time. Sometimes I feel like she's just being mean to him, and then I thought about how the first movie ended. When she kissed Peter, she seemed to recognize that he was Spider-Man, and I realize that this is her mistake. Peter's was to stop being Spider-Man, and hers is to pretend like she doesn't even know he's Spider-Man. By the way, there's a lot of evidence that she's known the whole time, like, when she tries the upside down kiss with John Jameson, and at the end when she tells Peter that she's think she's always known.
So why does she behave like this? Instead of marrying another guy, why won't she tell him that she knows? I think it's because she's conflicted. She's selfish, but she's trying not to be. She wants him to stop being Spider-Man so they could be together, or to just be with her, regardless of the fact that he's Spider-Man; but she also wants to respect his decision not to endanger her. So, like Peter, she spends a lot of the movie being indecisive and she ends up taking a lot of her frustrations out on him. By the end, she too becomes pretty sympathetic and completes her character arc by doing the redeemable thing. Once Peter sees that she knows he's Spider-Man, and after he tells her that they can't be together, she makes the proactive choice to be with him anyway. Granted, it's really crappy of her to leave John at the altar. But I like that she takes the risk to give Peter and she what they want: a shot at happiness together. Peter tells her again that they can't be together because she'll be in danger, and she says that it's not his choice to make. If she decides to be with him and something happens to her, the responsibility isn't on Peter. She takes some of that weight off his shoulders, and I love it when she says , isn't it about time somebody saved your life? She redeems herself while simultaneously rewarding Peter for making the right choice.
So why does she behave like this? Instead of marrying another guy, why won't she tell him that she knows? I think it's because she's conflicted. She's selfish, but she's trying not to be. She wants him to stop being Spider-Man so they could be together, or to just be with her, regardless of the fact that he's Spider-Man; but she also wants to respect his decision not to endanger her. So, like Peter, she spends a lot of the movie being indecisive and she ends up taking a lot of her frustrations out on him. By the end, she too becomes pretty sympathetic and completes her character arc by doing the redeemable thing. Once Peter sees that she knows he's Spider-Man, and after he tells her that they can't be together, she makes the proactive choice to be with him anyway. Granted, it's really crappy of her to leave John at the altar. But I like that she takes the risk to give Peter and she what they want: a shot at happiness together. Peter tells her again that they can't be together because she'll be in danger, and she says that it's not his choice to make. If she decides to be with him and something happens to her, the responsibility isn't on Peter. She takes some of that weight off his shoulders, and I love it when she says , isn't it about time somebody saved your life? She redeems herself while simultaneously rewarding Peter for making the right choice.
Otto Octavius. He's the tragic character by trying to redeem himself by making the ultimate sacrifice. It seems like the greater the crime, the greater the price. Peter almost makes the same mistake twice, refusing to be the hero, but he does the right thing just in time. Octavius' sin is doing the wrong thing, and trying to fix it by doing the same wrong thing again. He knows the fusion experiment is unstable, but he tries it again, anyway. He does all kinds of terrible things along the way; he robs a bank, kidnaps aunt May, kidnaps Mary Jane, puts a whole train of people in danger, and they he puts the whole city in danger by doing a bigger version of the first experiment that was already dangerous. Before it's too late, Peter makes him realize the badness of his choice, and he gains redemption by sacrificing his life to save the city. A lot of times, the villain in a superhero movie seems to just die because he's the villain, but here, there's a great reason for it. I love the dichotomy of Spider-Man and Doc Ock. Spider-Man realizes his mistake, and accepts the sacrifices he has to make; Doc Ock lost his wife and his career and refuses to accept those sacrifices, so he continues down the same path. Spider-Man reverses his course to save himself while Doc Ock continues the treacherous course and dooms himself. However, he still remains the sympathetic and tragic character by finally owning up to his mistakes at the end, and dying with courage and integrity. He says, I will not die a monster.
Harry Osborn. He's the entire opposite of Spider-Man. While Doc Ock has a tragic sacrifice and changes at the last minute, Harry refuses to change no matter what happens. He wants Spider-Man to pay for his father's murder. He doesn't care what exactly happened, regardless of the evidence. But he's so obsessed of becoming his father now that Norman is gone, he feels like he has to avenge him. His father didn't really pay much attention to him and Harry seems to have bent up emotions about that, but I think that's why he acts so irrationally. He could never measure up to his father, and now that he's gone, he's still trying to impress him. Even though he does a lot of stuff that don't really make a lot of sense: remember how he was acting in the first movie, treating Mary Jane like an object of status, yelling at her when Norman freaked out at Thanksgiving, and saying that he hopes to be half the man his father is? He was never entirely living in the real world. Here, Spider-Man saves his life, and after that, Harry is more intent on seeing him pay. So, by the end, this path leads him to the only place it can: the lair of the Green Goblin, and he's set up to become the supervillain. If you've seen Spider-Man 3, you know how this all plays out, so I won't comment on the ultimate end of this character arc, but for the sake of this film, he represents the irredeemable. The character who never makes the right choice, even after given ample chances to do so.
He makes sacrifices too. He sacrifices his friends, and by the end, when he's talking to his dead father in the mirror, I'd say he sacrifices his sanity. Each character has a voice of reason. It's tough for them to do what that voice says; Peter's voice of reason is his aunt May, who's proud of him for making the difficult choice of telling her what really happened in the night uncle Ben was killed. And the scene he describes it in is very tense and beautiful, and I love Rosemary Harris' performance. She's just brilliant all the way through this movie, and it's great that she gets so much screentime. She encourages Peter to do the difficult thing. The right thing, even if it means sacrificing his dreams. Mary Jane's voice of reason is inadvertently her fiancé John, who gives her all the signs she needs to realize what she ought to be doing. I think it's funny when she shows affection for him, and he says, it's just the uniform. I think it probably is. Doc Ock's voice of reason is Peter, who reminds him about what he said to Peter earlier in the film. You once spoke to me about intelligence... you said it was a gift to be used for the greater good. I like this callback, but there's actually some lazy writing here that I ought to point out. What Otto actually said was, intelligence is not a privilege, it's a gift, but in this scene, when peter echoes this line Otto responds by adding, a privilege. That's the opposite of what he said earlier; the idea that being a privilege is something you can take or leave, but a gift is meant to be used for a certain purpose. It's Ock's own version of, with great power comes great responsibility. Finally, Harry's voice of reasoning is also Peter, who says things like, there are bigger things happening here than me and you. At least Harry has the sense to tell Peter where Mary Jane is so he could save her, but even after he knows his best friend is Spider-Man, he still won't listen to what he has to say.
I focus most on the character stuff because I think there's a lot of interesting territory to explore there, and I haven't talked much about the fun comic book stuff. Jonah is even funnier and gets to do more than he did in the last movie. He gets fun bits, like when Brant says that his wife lost her wallet and he says, thanks for the good news. I love how he starts to admit Spider-Man is a hero, until he steals his suit back from Jonah, and that aunt May is involved in an action scene. Then, she gets to smack Doc Ock in the face, and I love the gag of her trying not to fall to her death, when there's a ledge right underneath her feet. All the comic beats work and help keep the movie bright as Peter is dealing with depressing problems.
There is some lazy writing here and there. I understand what they're trying to do with Harry, but I do wish there were more things to incriminate Spider-Man in his mind. It's really hard to see Harry hate Spider-Man more when he rescues him. Mary Jane is too hard on Peter a lot of the time even if she does know he's Spider-Man, but then again, Peter can try a little harder too. I mean, he missed one performance; what was stopping him from going, the next night? Money? He's got a pal who's loaded, and hasn't quite disowned him yet.
Also, I think that there are places where the movie is too violent. The scene where the arms kill all the doctors just doesn't fit. It feels too much like Sam Raimi is overindulging because he misses making horror films. The scene where Spidey stops the train when Doc Ock attacks is just violent enough, however. We need to see Ock really exhausting him. I think that' one of the best actions scenes in a superhero film, by the way, and the people of New York getting this moment when they get to see him without his mask where he could really see their gratitude, seems to make all of his sacrifices worthwhile.
And I don't like the subplot of him losing his powers. I think it's a little too obvious of a metaphor. It just doesn't make practical sense. Why would his powers stop working just because he's insecure and uncertain? I like the metaphor that he can't be Spider-Man unless he's committed to it, but it could've been done in a more subtle way. I would've liked it if his powers were flaking out, but then there was some scientific explanation for it also.