Movie Review: Spider-Man 2
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this movie has a lot of comic
book-style action violence, though slightly less than the first
movie. Characters are in frequent peril, and some are killed.
There is some mild language and some social drinking, and one
character abuses alcohol to drown his pain.
Families who see this movie can talk about why Peter Parker would want to stop being Spider-Man. How do we know when to give up our dreams for others? Families could also talk about the statement that "If you keep something as complicated as love bottled up inside it can make you sick" and Aunt May's comment that there's a hero in all of us who allows us to die with pride. Why does Peter feel that he can't share his real self with anyone? How do we know when to trust someone with our secrets?
Common Sense Media Review
This is why they invented movies. It's a dazzling story of
love, loss, adventure, courage, heartbreak, tough choices, and
tender feelings with a rescue from a burning building, a
runaway train, a world-class villain, and a really great kiss.
It is smart and funny and touching and exhilaratingly
entertaining. S2 has sensational special effects integrated
with a first-rate script and outstanding performances to
illuminate the characters and tell the story -- and to show us
something about ourselves. But most of all, this is why they
invented movies because director
Sam
Raimi knows how to make things MOVE.
Few movies have so mastered motion. Spider-Man ( Tobey Maguire) swoops through the skyscrapers. A train hurtles across a track that just abruptly stops. A car flies through the air. Raimi is all but re-inventing cinematic story-telling before our delighted eyes.
In the first movie, we saw Peter Parker's joy in the powers he developed after being bitten by a radio-active spider. When his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) was killed because he failed to stop a thief, he resolved to devote his life to help people. And that meant no close attachments because anyone he cared about would be vulnerable to attack by bad guys who wanted to pressure him.
As this movie opens, things are not going well for Peter. Even his Spidey powers can't get those pizzas delivered by the 30-minute deadline when there are people to save along the way. Aunt May's application for a loan to save her mortgage from being foreclosed has been turned down. He is having trouble in school because he doesn't have time to do the work. His best friend Harry ( James Franco) is still angry because Peter won't tell him what really happened the night Spider-Man killed his father. Mary Jane ( Kirsten Dunst), the girl he loves, is giving up on him because he can't tell her who he really is or how he really feels. He can't even do a load of laundry without making things worse. That Spider-man suit chafes. Spidey can't even sling those webs the way he used to. The last hors d'oeuvre at the party is always snatched away just as he reaches for it. Maybe it's time to quit.
