Spider-Man 2
Rewatching the first Spider-Man recently shocked me with how much I still love it. I ran that movie into the ground as a kid, so there was a stretch where it felt kinda stale. But on my last rewatch, it completely blew me away. The pacing is phenomenal. Every scene flows seamlessly into the next. It’s just expertly crafted.
Spider-Man 2 feels completely different though. And I love it for that reason. This could’ve so easily been a remix of the first movie with Doc Ock subbed in for Gobby, but instead, they gave us something that’s way more compelling imo. It’s way more of a Peter Parker story than a Spider-Man one. There aren’t as many flashy scenes or explosions. It’s mostly just Peter being Peter. And as a kid, I didn’t fully appreciate that choice. But that was before I knew ball.
The backbone of the story is Peter’s battle between wanting a normal life and the moral obligation to be Spider-Man, and it’s brilliant. He isn’t a hero because he has powers; he’s a hero because of the choices he makes when those powers are ruining his life. And what makes it land so hard is how relatable it all feels. Who hasn’t felt torn between what you want for yourself and what’s expected of you?
The storytelling is unreal. So much of it is carried by facial expressions and simple reactions. You can read entire emotional arcs in a single look.
And Aunt May’s speech?? Genuinely one of my favorite scenes in any movie ever. She restores Peter’s powers with a single pep talk… and I 100% believe it. That shit gets me fired up!
AND THE HOSPITAL SEQUENCE?? Absolutely unhinged Raimi brilliance 🤌 No other comic book movie has the balls to drop a full on horror scene like that.
Sam Raimi is the king of sauce, and this movie is goated.