Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews
Movie Resources
Concert Reviews
Book Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

The first Spider-man movie was credited with helping to renew the popularity of the comic book movie. It became the sixth highest grossing movie of all time in the US. This lead to high expectations for the sequel and with the way that the first movie ended there was no question that there would be one. Fans have been patiently waiting.
 
Spider-Man 2 starts off with hero Peter Parker watching his life fall apart around him while he protects the city as Spider-Man. He is doing poorly in one of his classes, taught by his favorite professor, Dr. Curt Connors; he still cannot admit to Mary Jane that he loves her and discovers that she is engaged to be married to John Jameson; his relationship with his friend Harry Osborn is growing more and more strained; and he loses his job as a delivery boy. His powers are even starting to fail. Fed up with it all, Peter decides to hang up his webs and quit being Spider-Man.
 
Peter interviews Dr Otto Octaviuis, a renowned scientist and personal mentor, for a research paper. Dr. Octavius is a kind gentleman who loves his wife and is currently working on an experiment in fusion that could have wonderful results, if it works. He invites Peter to the demonstration of his experiment. The main funding for Dr. Octavius's work is from Oscorp, now run by Harry Osborn. In order to help him with the experiment, Dr. Octavius creates a set of mechanical arms that he wears around his torso. Each of these arms has its own A.I. that plugs directly into his brain but an inhibitor chip makes sure that they don't take control. Naturally, the experiment goes horribly wrong, the arms fuse to his body, the inhibitor chip is destroyed, and his wife is killed. With the inhibitory chip destroyed, the A.I. in the arms begin to control Dr. Octavius's mind convincing him to attempt his experiment again.
 
Through a conversation with Aunt May as well as meeting a boy that idolizes Spider-Man, Peter decides to put his tights back on for the good of the city. His timing is perfect as Dr. Octavius (renamed Dr. Octopus) is robbing banks in order to finance another attempt at his fusion experiment. Harry Osborn makes a deal that he will give Dr. Octopus the rare element that he needs for his fusion experiment as long as Dr. Octopus brings him Spider-Man. Osborn also tells Dr. Octopus that the key to finding Spider-Man is to find Peter Parker. This sets up several confrontations between Spider-Man and Dr. Octopus including one on top a train.
 
Parents will have little to be concerned about with this movie except for one scene that may be too violent and scary for young viewers. After his fusion experiment fails, Dr. Octavius is taken into the hospital in order to have the arms removed. In the most violent moment of the movie, the arms come alive and start throwing the various doctors around and destroying the ER. Aside from this one scene, parents can rest assured that this is a good, fun family movie. There is little language for parents to be concerned about and the rest of the violence is all standard comic book movie violence.
 
One starting place for a discussion between parents and their children about the themes of the movie is to compare them to what the Bible says. The idea in Spider Man2 that "With great power comes great responsibility" meshes nicely with Christ's words that "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded" (Luke 12:48). 
 
Some die-hard fans may still disagree with the casting of Kirsten Dunst as the spunky Mary Jane Watson, but there is at least one line near the end of the movie to remind them of the Mary Jane that they have grown to love. Those who thought that the dialog in the first movie had none of the wit of the Spiderman cartoons will find this movie better, but still not as good as the comic books.
 
The average fan or moviegoer will be enjoyably drawn into the web of Spider Man 2 and die-hard fans will at least find it better than the original. Many parents will be grateful for a high quality family movie that they can enjoy with their kids.
 
Burton Wray July 24, 2004