Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comic book movies ever made, rubbing shoulders with Superman: The Movie and The Dark Knight among the genre’s elite, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 is the quintessential cinematic take on its iconic titular Marvel superhero. After setting the template for superhero origin movies with the first one, Raimi set the template for superhero sequels with the second.
With the origin story out of the way, Raimi was able to dive right into the action in the sequel, telling the story of Spidey taking on one of his most iconic foes, Doctor Octopus, while grappling with his fading powers.
It Was Influenced By The Greatest Era Of Spider-Man Comics
When he was developing his first sequel to Spider-Man, Sam Raimi was inspired by the greatest era of Spidey comics. His main source of inspiration was The Amazing Spider-Man No. 50, “Spider-Man No More!” The shot of Peter leaving his costume in a trash can was directly taken from John Romita Sr.’s iconic cover art.
Raimi was also heavily influenced by Superman II, one of the best superhero sequels ever made, so narratively, he was in pretty good hands.
Spidey Losing His Powers Escalated The Conflict
After Spider-Man told the story of Peter Parker gaining his superpowers, Spider-Man 2 escalated the conflict with the story of Peter losing those powers.
This forced him to prove that what made him a superhero was more than just his superpowers. It’s an essential part of who he is.
Peter’s Double Life Is Suitably Hectic
While the MCU’s recent Spider-Man movies have detracted from the chaos of Peter’s life by giving him financial security, courtesy of Tony Stark, Spider-Man 2 depicted Peter’s double life as suitably hectic. Really, Peter has a quadruple life in Spider-Man 2.
He works two jobs as a pizza delivery boy and a freelance photographer, struggles to get his college assignments done on time, and he’s always there when Aunt May needs him, all while trying to juggle his responsibilities as New York’s superpowered protector.
The Dramatic Scenes Emotionally Resonate
In most blockbusters, the dramatic scenes exist only to check off the boxes of what Hollywood’s massively underestimated audience expects from a movie. The conflicts are usually generic and don’t touch on anything remotely human.
Not only do Spider-Man 2’s dramatic scenes have a true emotional resonance, but they all serve to further Peter Parker’s most essential character arc: figuring out what it means to be Spider-Man, and how to live up to his responsibilities on a long-term basis.
Aunt May’s Speech About Heroism Is Beautiful
When Peter Parker is having an identity crisis and he’s unsure about continuing his double life as a superhero, Aunt May delivers a well-timed speech about heroism. She tells Peter, “I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride.”
The speech is beautifully written, and poignantly delivered by Rosemary Harris, and it’s exactly what Peter needs to hear to get his groove back.
The Tone Is Just Dark Enough
Like many subsequent superhero sequels, from The Dark Knight to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Spider-Man 2 has a darker tone than its predecessor.
But that tone never becomes too dark, like Man of Steel or Fant4stic. It skirts along dark themes, but never in a way that detracts from the movie’s sense of fun or the generally lighthearted tone of the character himself.
It Expertly Balances Introspective Character Work With Explosive Set Pieces
One of the trickiest things about making a superhero movie is including enough introspective character work to give the action some substance, but not letting that introspection take over the movie so that it fails to deliver the goods as an action-packed spectacle.
An example of action getting bogged down in introspection is Ang Lee’s Hulk. An example of introspection being thrown out the window in favor of wall-to-wall action is, well, most blockbusters, so take your pick. Spider-Man 2 nails its balance between the two in a way that few big Hollywood movies do.
Peter Confronts His Mistakes
There’s a heartbreaking scene in Spider-Man 2 in which Peter comes clean to Aunt May about his role in Uncle Ben’s death. She forgives him, but it’s clearly very difficult for her to do so. It’s a really human moment, beautifully acted by Tobey Maguire and Rosemary Harris.
As much fun as superhero action might be, scenes like this one — and especially this one — help to elevate Spider-Man 2 above the trappings of a big-budget blockbuster.
Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock Is The Perfect Comic Book Movie Villain
After kind of bungling the Green Goblin in his first Spider-Man movie, Sam Raimi stepped up to the plate and delivered the perfect comic book movie villain in Spider-Man 2 with a brilliantly horror-tinged take on Doctor Octopus.
Most of the character’s effectiveness can be attributed to Alfred Molina’s performance. Molina deftly walked the line between the nuances of Otto Octavius’ inner conflict and the snarling villainy of Doc Ock.
The Subway Scene Encapsulates Spidey’s Character
One of the climactic action scenes in Spider-Man 2 sees Spidey fighting Doc Ock on a subway train. Doc Ock disables the train’s controls, sending it speeding toward an incomplete bridge where its engers and crew will surely die. Spidey does everything in his power to stop the train, losing his mask in the process, and within an inch of his life, he just about manages to bring the train to a halt.
Then, he’s carried back onto the train like a Christ figure and laid down on the floor, where the engers realized that the masked vigilante keeping crime off the streets of New York is just a kid. The scene encapsulates the character better than any other scene in Spidey’s storied on-screen history.
