Spider-Man 2 is loved by MCU fans, both in comics and in films. Spider-Man, the character has been adapted time and again, especially in the movies. Marvel’s film history is scattered, albeit an interesting one. Most of the characters in the movies are adaptations from their comic book series. The Marvel Universe, in movies, can be split into three distinct parts- Sony’s, the Fox-Verse and MCU’s journey. Each of them holds special rights over the characters in their movies. Spider-Man is one of the most loved characters in the MCU. There is a special deal between Disney and Sony over Spider-Man movies. These movies had adaptations of Spiderman that were either loved by the audience or critiqued by them. The one movie that stands apart from all others is Sam Raimi’s “Spider Man 2”. Let us see why no other Spider-Man movie holds a candle to it.
1. Spider-Man had real-life troubles: Spider-Man 2 is set two years after the events in the first movie. Peter is struggling to manage his superhero duties and his personal life. And the toll that it takes is there for all to see.
2. Spider-Man has no money: Peter is pining for Mary. But he stays away from her because he doesn’t want to see her hurt. Peter is struggling with his college grades. He has no money to pay his rent (Superheroes don’t get paid!) and runs away whenever he sees his landlord. His apartment is filthy because he has no time to clean it! Peter loses his job as a pizza delivery boy, and his career at The Daily Bugle is also uncertain. It can’t get more authentic and genuine than this.
3. Overwhelmed by guilt and grief: The dual life is exhausting Peter. He feels guilty for not saving Uncle Ben’s murder. He is profoundly aggrieved and is also very scared of confessing anything to Aunt May. Harry, his best friend, hates him because Spiderman killed Henry Osborn, AKA The Green Goblin. So he feels lonely and weighed down by grief and guilt in Spider-Man 2. Once again, a situation the audience can relate to.
4. Stressed Spider-Man loses his powers: Stress plays havoc with everyone, even Spider-Man. Spidey suddenly loses his powers and is no longer able to crawl walls and shoot webs. The reason is plain to see but never spoken out loud. It’s a psychological issue. Peter is unhappy and stressed and so is unable to perform in Spider-Man 2. He even leaves his costume in an alley. The audience’s empathy is inevitable.
5. The Action Scenes in Spider-Man 2 are spectacular to watch: The action sequences are clear and clean. They are fluid scenes of thrilling movement. Of course, the reason is Sam Raimi, who is a master of camera work. The movie has many memorable action sequences, such as the fantastic train scene, Doc Ock unleashed inside a hospital are some personal favorites.
6. It shows simple emotion and heartfulness: In the train sequence, Spidey is exhausted but still tries to save the train from crashing (courtesy Doc Ock). When the train stops, Spider-Man nearly falls off the platform. The people there pull him back and lay him down on the platform. But he loses his mask, and they see his face and realize that he’s just a kid. They try to protect him from Doc Ock and fail to. But hey! It’s emotion and heart! Plain and simple!
7. It has a morally ambiguous Villain: Alfred Molina made Doc Ock come alive. Doc Ock is a freak. He’s scary, truly complex, and evil. Not your quintessential bad guy! Spider-Man had a worthy adversary in the form of Doc Ock. Their face-off scenes are entertaining and lively.
8.Spider-Man 2: A Rare Superhero Flick: We have Spider-Man – sad, guilty, stressed. He then loses his powers and even leaves his costume in a side alley. But despite his exhaustion and personal struggles, he also rises to protect his city and his people from the menacing Doc Ock. We, as the audience, can genuinely relate with Peter and Spider-Man. It is a surprisingly mature and refreshing approach to a fun comic book film.
9. The Song playing over the end credits nailed it: The words of the song by Dashboard -“Confessional”, and the movie are a perfect match. The song may have you reaching for the remote to lower the volume, but it does hit the right note emotionally!
