Spiderman 2: Being Steady

Editor's Note: This post was written July 5, but because of Internet access problems, it did not actually go online until July 12.

We're part of history! We contributed to the record-setting opening-weekend of "Spiderman 2"! I feel so good about that. It might be the best thing I have ever achieved. Even though, to be honest, I didn't really contribute, since L's dad was generous enough to buy my ticket, and since we didn't really, technically, go on opening weekend. We went on Monday the 5th—was that still part of opening weekend?

Anyhoo, it was better than I expected. If you enjoyed the first, I bet you'll enjoy (or enjoyed, since by now you've probably already seen it) this one. You get lots of neat special effects w/Spidey flying through the streets of Gotham City or wherever he is, some kisses w/the girl, several fights w/the bad guys, and a pretty spectacular subway scene that should put you on the edge of your seat.

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The movie flirts a little w/being unconventional in the sense of depriving Spidey of his powers for a while and even making it seem like he might not get the girl. Of course, these are only flirtations; being a Spiderman movie it must obviously conform to Hollywood's expectations, but it also has the added burden of having to conform to comic book expectations. I guess in mainstream comic books as in Hollywood, the hero gets the girl. I'm guessing b/c I don't know much about comic books.

"Spiderman 2" (w/its stunningly boring and unimaginative title) was also conventional in its message. Spidey spends the first bit laboring under the idea that he has to be a superhero at the expense of everything else in his life. Then, when that doesn't work (and when he seems to be losing his super powers, anyway) he abandons being a superhero completely and tries to become just a regular guy. The mad scientist suggests his loss of powers is because he's keeping love bottled up inside and that's tying him all up in knots, hence the lost powers. Of course, this extreme doesn't work so well either b/c the city begins to fall apart w/out Spiderman around to keep crime in check and also b/c Aunt May gives Spidey a lecture about how sometimes "we have to stay steady to do what's right, even if it means giving up our dreams." Spidey's dream is, of course, Mary Jane Watson, but when her life is threatened, he realizes he has to be Spiderman, even if it means losing her to another guy (an astronaut!?). So Spidey returns, kicks ass steadily, and gives up his dream by telling MJ they can never be together b/c his enemies would always try to kill her. Here's where the movie could have been good: Leave us w/a broken-hearted Spidey, choosing to battle evil above all else, and a broken-hearted MJ getting married off to a nice astronaut. Have the two of them—Spidey and MJ—pining away from each other. Leave the audience gasping in disbelief and disappointment. Then, in Spiderman 3, give us a torrid illicit love affair between the two of them as they live their secret lives with each other. Wouldn't that be great?

Maybe not. And no way it's going to happen in a blockbuster. The only thing I'm really wondering about at the end is whether Aunt May's spiel is really the "message" of the film. Sure, Spidey repeats the "stay steady to do the right thing even if it means giving up your dreams speech" to the villain to make him do the right thing (as L said, this is an action flick where in order to save the day, all the the hero ends up having to do is give the villain a good talking to), but is that really what works for Spidey, or is it just some happy medium? Is this an "if you love someone, set them free" movie? Or is this an "all things in moderation" movie?

Or is this a Hollywood blockbuster with mixed messages to guarantee a happy ending?
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Doesn't matter. It does well as a blockbuster, but I still wish it had a better title.

Posted July 5, 2004 05:09 PM | ai movies