I’m listening to the Sam Raimi series on the Blank Check podcast, so I decided to write about Spider-Man 2 and 3. I don’t know why, but I didn’t have much to say about the first film, even though I like it quite a bit. But that’s how I’m doing things these days: if I don’t have anything to say, I’m not going to force it. So here are some thoughts on 2.
Sam Raimi’s involvement with comic book movies both interests me and bums me out. On the one hand, you get a unique director presenting their take on a comic book property. But on the other hand, the massive franchise keeps him from doing the type of movies that built his film nerd fan base in the first place.
Because of this, the overt Raimi moments in these films are my favorite parts. For whatever reason, I didn’t appreciate this as much when I first watched Spider-Man 2. But with this rewatch, I was blown away by one scene in particular that was so fucking Raimi it felt like it was from a different movie.
The scene is when Doc Ock is being operated on after his mishap. There’s a bit of a Universal monster vibe since a villain is being born, but more than that, this is an Evil Dead scene. As Doc Ock’s mechanical arms begin to act on their own, a true horror scene begins.
There’s wind, snap zooms, and a lot of screaming. One is reminded of the tree attack in The Evil Dead. It’s two minutes of Raimi awesomeness. The stylistic choices alone make it one of my favorite scenes in the trilogy, but the appearance of a chainsaw is the icing on the cake. The close up on the doctor’s face followed by the snap zoom on the chainsaw is nearly identical to Ash finding the chainsaw (or any other tool or weapon, for that matter) in the Evil Dead series. It’s just an amazing sequence that feels like it’s there just for the Raimi fans.
Beyond the Raimi stuff, I still enjoy this trilogy on a pure comic book level. One of my least favorite tropes of the comic book movie world is the reluctant hero…when it doesn’t make sense. Typically, a reluctant hero like Wolverine or the Hulk is presented as someone who hates their abilities and wants a regular life. But when no regular life is presented or even seems possible, I don’t give a fuck. Quit your fucking whining, Logan, and use those goddamn indestructible claws and carve up some bad guys. And do it without being a bitch about it!
Peter Parker, on the other hand, has a life that is being ruined by his heroic obligations. I feel for him in a way that I don’t for the “normal” versions of other superheroes like Logan and Bruce Banner. Parker’s life completely sucks, and it’s all Spider-Man’s fault. Of course, he would be reluctant to the point of giving up.
This isn’t to say that I want to see a Peter Parker movie. I always want superheroes to be superheroes. I just don’t like that the writers get lazy and just make the majority of them reluctant because they need to add another dimension to their character and can’t think of anything else aside from, “What if they didn’t want to be a hero?” If it’s earned, as it is here, then it does make the character more interesting. And it makes the heroic moments more powerful because you know the sacrifice Parker is making every time he puts on the mask.
We all know that Parker is going to choose to be Spider-Man, but we also know what he would be doing if he gave it up. He could have a chance with Mary Jane, and his education could lead to a fulfilling career. What have we seen of Wolverine when he’s not part of the X-Men? A cage fighter. A depressed, alcoholic limo driver. Yeah, it really makes sense that you’d want to give up your room in Xavier’s mansion to live a “normal” life, you sad, almost immortal bastard. And what about Bruce Banner? Hiding out in a soda factory in South America until he gets pissed off enough to destroy the place? Just keep your big green ass in the Avengers lab and accept your fate.
Normies like me watch these movies to see something amazing and wonder what we would be like with special powers. If you’re going to try to make me feel sorry for one of these heroic fucks for having powers, then you better make a damn good case for why their lives would be better without the power. Spider-Man 2 does that, and that’s what makes it an upper tier comic book movie.
Random Thoughts
Peter Parker and Norm MacDonald in Dirty Work both start their hero journeys the same way: losing a pizza delivery job because a boss can't let go of the antiquated "thirty (or twenty-nine in this case) minutes or less" gimmick. Who ends up being the bigger hero of the two? That's up to you.
Holy shit, this movie has a lot of screaming.
That is some piss poor placement of the inhibitor chip, Doc. That thing looks like it would break if he just happened to look up too quickly. It had no chance holding up during an ill-advised scientific presentation.
Joey Coco Diaz comes to Spider-Man's defense in this.
Why do the fights in this look better than the new Spider-Man movies?
Mary Jane is the most distressed damsel in cinema history.
I really wish Doc Ock would have put on a shirt before he went to kidnap Mary Jane.
Ah, the good old days of the Stan Lee cameo when it really was just a cameo and not a fourth-wall-breaking distraction.
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