Random Thoughts: Spider-Man 2

9/10

What's this? A summer movie with characters you care about? Humor that is intentional without being cheesy or campy? Inside jokes that delight rather than distract? A talented cast nailing the characters without going over the top or chewing the scenery? An action movie where the character development is just as cared for as the special effects? Is this possible? Can Spider-Man 2 outtop the fun megablockbuster Spider-Man?

You bet your sweet ass it can.

After this, I got to say that Sam Raimi is the man. Spider-Man 2 is the best directed summer blockbuster in ages. I love how he stays true to his B-movie roots even when dealing with an A-level film like this. Check out the scene where Dr. Octavius comes to be and you'll get what I mean.

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are really great at making sad, puppy dog faces at each other. No. Just kidding. Both are great at this. Maguire is so down home on screen, even when the role requires no charisma. (I mean that as a compliment.) I don't think any actress can convey "smitten" better than Dunst. When her character is in love, you can feel the longing. Witness her work in ESOTSM when she talked to Tom Wilkinson or in this whenever she talks to Peter. Veteran character actor Alfred Molina is a great villain even though he's completely controlled and his character isn't the actual villain. The film picks up when the evil he has created takes over. From there on in, it is non-stop. God damn does this thing move, another sign of a great director: the pacing. This thing should be well-paced, and the character scenes move just well enough to provide a perfect balance. I think the train sequence is the best action scene this side of Terminator 3's road wrecking. James Franco is also good, even though you can see the direction of his character a mile away. Fantastic ending, a lot more inspiring than the first.

Kudos to everyone involved. So...do you think Spidey wears a thong? And loved the scene of Tobey mocking the behind the scenes crisis over his back. Oh well..sorry, Jake! (and yes, kevin, bruce campbell is awesome...i loved his cameo..blah blah blah..he is funny..evil dead rules)