Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Review Date: April 22nd, 2022
The sequel to the 1 that started it all, Spider-Man 2 (2004) is widely regarded as 1 of the greatest superhero movies ever made, & a blueprint for future movies in the genre. At the 2005 Oscars, the film won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, & was also nominated for both Best Sound Mixing, & Best Sound Editing.
The movie takes place 2 years after the events of the previous film, where Peter Parker struggles to manage both his personal life, & his superhero life, which dramatically affects his civilian life. He also battles Doctor Octopus, after he blames him for an experiment that went wrong that killed his wife. But anyways, let’s get down to the review of the sequel to the 1 that started it all.
CAST:
Tobey Maguire - Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Kirsten Dunst - Mary Jane Watson
James Franco - Harry Osborn
Alfred Molina - Dr. Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus
Rosemary Harris - May Parker
Donna Murphy - Rosie Octavius
Dylan Baker - Dr. Curt Connors (not the Lizard) 🦎
J.K. Simmons - J. Jonah Jameson
Willem Dafoe - Norman Osborn (cameo)
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SEQUEL TO THE 1 THAT STARTED IT ALL AWAIT!
2 years after the death of Norman Osborn, Peter Parker finds himself struggling to balance his personal life, & his life as Spider-Man. He also suffers from recurring but temporary losses of his powers in life-threatening scenarios. He even gets fired from a pizza place. But he is estranged from both his crush, & his best friend. Sounds like adult stress to me though.
PIZZA TIME! 🍕
Harry Osborn, now the leader of Oscorp’s genetic & scientific research division, is sponsoring a fusion power project by a nuclear scientist named…
Otto Octavius
who befriends, & mentors Peter. While handling hazardous materials, he wears a harness of powerful robotic tentacle arms with artificial intelligence. While Peter & Harry are attending a public demonstration, a power spike causes the fusion reactor to destabilize. Otto Octavius refuses to shut down the reactor, which goes critical, killing his wife & burning the inhibitor chip that was blocking the arms from his nervous system. Spider-Man shuts the experiment down, & saves Harry Osborn. But he is angry at him, & tells him that saving his life is not going to change anything, because he accuses Spider-Man for the death of his father.
At a hospital, the doctors prepare to remove Octavius' harness surgically. Now that the inhibitor chip’s gone, the now sentient arms defend themselves, by killing the doctors, & Otto Octavius takes refuge at a harbor. Now corrupted by the arms’ artificial intelligence, he decides to try his experiment again, by robbing a bank, so that he can fund it. The Daily Bugle dubs the scientist as…
Doctor Octopus!
Meanwhile, Mary Jane becomes engaged to an astronaut named…
John Jameson, the son of J. Jonah Jameson
Peter Parker suffers an emotional breakdown over his inability to balance his life, & loses his powers due to the stress. He quits being Spider-Man, returns to his normal life, & fails to reconcile with Mary Jane. He also finally confesses to Aunt May the truth about Uncle Ben’s death. She forgives him. But the increase in New York City’s crime rates worry Peter.
Requiring the isotope tritium to fuel his reactor, Octavius visits Harry to demand it. Harry agrees in exchange for Spider-Man, whom he still believes is responsible for his father's death. He tells Octavius to find Peter, who he thinks is friends with Spider-Man, but tells him to not hurt Peter. Octavius finds Peter, tells him to find Spider-Man, & captures Mary Jane. Her being in danger causes Peter's powers to return, becoming Spider-Man once again, & he goes after Otto Octavius.
As they battle, they fall onto a subway train. Otto Octavius sabotages it, leaving Peter to save the derailing train, which he does at a great physical toll. Then, Otto Octavius captures a weakened Peter, & delivers him to Harry. As Harry is about to kill Spider-Man, he takes off his mask, only to be shocked to see Peter Parker under the mask. Peter convinces Harry to direct him to Octavius' lair, as bigger things are at stake at the time.
They battle once again as the nuclear reaction starts to threaten the city. Peter reveals his identity to Otto Octavius, & persuades him to let go of his dream for the greater good. If he doesn’t let go of his dream, then 50% of New York City will be destroyed. Then, Octavius commands his tentacles to listen to him, & sacrifices himself to destroy the experiment, saving 50% of New York City from further destruction. Shortly after, Mary Jane sees Peter’s true identity, which he says is the reason why they can’t be a loving couple.
Harry Osborn, still devastated about the truth of Peter Parker, is visited by a vision of his own father in a mirror, pleading for Harry to avenge his death. Refusing to kill Spider-Man, Harry angrily shatters the mirror, accidentally revealing a secret room that’s full of prototypes of his father’s Green Goblin equipment. When Spider-Man 2 (2004) was filming at the time, Willem Dafoe stopped by the set to say hello to everyone, & the filmmakers decided to give him a cameo appearance.
On her wedding day, Mary Jane abandons John at the altar, & meets Peter at his apartment. She tells him that she needs to be with Peter, regardless of the risks. After they kiss, they hear police sirens, & she encourages him to go help as Spider-Man.
THE END
Spider-Man 2 (2004) is almost as good as the 1st 1. But still a great movie though. However, Doctor Octopus’ redemption had surprised audiences back in 2004. There’s a Spider-Man comic that has the 1st appearance of Doctor Octopus that I pulled off from the internet. I hope you enjoy reading it. :)
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING COMIC IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! ALL RIGHTS GO TO MARVEL & THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS!
The Amazing Spider-Man #3:
OVERALL: 9/10
End of Review