SPIDERMAN 2

Director: Sam Raimi (Spiderman, A Simple Plan, The Gift, Evil Dead series, TV work)
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco

Wow! Sam Raimi (with some astounding writing by Michael Chabon) has crafted an excellent film that takes the comic book genre to its peak. With a nod to the outstanding visual achievement of the first Batman picture, this is far and away the best super-hero movie to date. Somehow a little teenage comic book was transformed into an operatic saga that will likely be one of the best pictures of the year. The story by Michael Chabon (and others) was filled to the brim with excitement and despair and adventure. Too many blockbuster screenplays consider the story just connective tissue from one action sequence to another. This screenplay knows that the action sequences exist only to heighten the emotional center of the story. Raimi's direction met the challenge set by this excellent writing with enough delightful and interesting moments to fill a summer's worth of Hollywood blockbusters. Of particular note was Alfred Molina's villain, Doc Oc, an evil genius with mechanical arms grafted to his body. This character was a complicated and terrifying combination of excellent acting and spectacular visual effects. The CGI were impressive in this film, but I still find many flaws with their excessive use in this movie (as in most others). This is a minor complaint when compared to the impressive story, however. Undoubtedly one of the better films of the year.

Standouts: Exellent script. Solid direction.
Blowouts: Not much to pick on. Well done all around.

Grade: A