Hit (doesn’t compare to the original)– Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco

Spider-Man 2 was not the surprise hit of the summer, but it was highly entertaining for a film based on a comic strip. According to Spider-Man comic strip guru Wesley Cram, this Spider-Man installment was highly disappointing because its plotline does not parallel that of the original comic strip. Well, unfortunately Hollywood likes to go the “road less traveled� just to upset those people who actually expect a good film. This is also seen in the horribly told Hollywood tragedy Daredevil (we will get to that later). In the Spider-Man sequel, Spider-Man is trying to be a normal human being but is overcome with his need to save the world from the horrible and corrupt Doc Ock. This movie leaves room for a sequel where the audience is left in wonderment as to what will become of James Franco’s character, Harry Osborn. James Franco provides some onscreen eye candy for the ladies but his performance is not on-par with his previous performance in Spider-Man, and The Company. While James has come a long way from Freaks and Geeks I feel that his performance was missing something relevant. Both Kirsten and Tobey return to revive their roles with the same nature that they did in the original. Both characters are likeable but not as over-the-top as I would have liked considering this is a comic strip rather than an actual drama. The best performance of the movie goes to Daniel Gillies who plays John Jameson, the man who owns the newspaper where Peter Parker (Maguire) works. His comedic performance is unstoppable. Bottom Line: Not as good as the original, but provides good entertainment for the family.

Best Scene: (as seen in the trailer/previews) When Doc Ock seeks out Peter Parker at a Cafe with Mary Jane.

Rated PG-13 for stylized action violence.
Action / Comic Book
Running Time: 2 hours 7 minutes

photo courtesy of upcomingmovies.com