Spider-Man 2 (2004) (1 Viewer)

[Chris_Morris]

Chris

 

[David Galindo]

Wow...what a great movie. I really, really enjoyed it better than the first. I wish my theater had the sound cranked up a bit more, though :frowning:

 

[JonZ]

Raimi talks Spidey 3...

"In an interview with The BBC, Sam Raimi confirmed he has finished the basic story outline for a third "Spider-Man" film and spoke a bit about how the events in the second one will affect the Harry Osborn/Peter Parker relationship:

"It's going to follow the natural progression of the growth of these two individuals, Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker. It will be a love story and it will track the relationship as they encounter new conflicts that separate them. And hopefully their own will and love for each other will bring them back together in the piece.

Harry will be a problem, but I'm not certain if Harry will become the Goblin or not. The thing I'm really not certain about is if he comes to feel, "Now I have the means to destroy Spider-Man - I was too weak before but now I have a way and I will become the man that my father always dreamed I could be." Or, does he feel: "Now I understand why Spider-Man had to destroy him, because he was a mass murderer and now my anger can drain away from me." It could be an answer to a question and it ends the pursuit, but I'm not certain which way to go".

Later he chatted with French site DVD Rama more about the potential villains:

"I have not decided the vilain of Spiderman 3 yet. I have to talk about it with Avi (Arad) & Laura (Ziskin), our other producer. We are currently working on several tracks. The problem is to be in Peter's mind at the end of Spiderman 2: What does he want in his life? What problems will he have to struggle with, as an adult? THEN we will find the best villain to show these conflicts".

In the same interview, Avi Arad and Sam Raimi confessed they both like Blackcat. They talked a lot about her for "Spiderman 2", but it was not the right time to use this character in the story"

 

[Lou Sytsma]

When I read quotes like that from Raimi it reinforces how fortunate the Spider-Man character is to have Sam at the creative helm for the movies.

 

[Chris Atkins]

Lou, I agree. They are taking this in the right direction, though given the setup at the end of Spidey 2, a lot would be surprised if Harry wasn't the villain in Spidey 3.

 

[Paul_Scott]

to me this sounds like more re-iteration, or just a endless variation on the middle act of #2.
at the end of the second film thay are together.
all the handwringing from Pete is put to rest because she knows now.

i'd love to see them take this down a fresher avenue now (how would MJ support Pete, emotionally, financially, etc if she is going to be staying with him?- let them have some fun- enjoy their new intimacy).

But Hardy seems to be a natural to bring in at this point for a mild work/occupational flirtation.

i also would think that an intimate relationship with MJ would 'smooth' Pete out a bit. that he wouldn't be such a nerd anymore and start taking on more of the 'looser' demeanor he had in the books when he was in college and started dating Gwen Stacey .
hell, they should bring her in as well, and embellish all the women in his life a bit, - all as potential romantic interests and show them all to be valid and have an appeal and have some kind of affection or interest in Pete/spidey, yet its clear he has eyes for no one besides MJ- and then kill her off in the last minutes of the film (like Bonds wife bites the dust in OHMS).

this would give us a film that is overwhelmingly 'upbeat' for the majority of its length, but ends on a dramatic down note, and sets Pete up to deal with the emotional aftermath (and Dunst departure) in 4.

ah well, just fun to speculate.

at this point last time, i was sure that #2 would be just something to endure (i never liked Doc Ock in the comics).


i agree Lou.
other properties should be so lucky (hopefully they will/are)

 

[Grant H]

Yeah, and maybe Tobey's back will act up again (or his wallet will be hungry) and they can re-cast. Do you think Raimi will really let the nerd act die? It's Maguire's only strength anyway.

Sure, I can see him Raimi have him go nuts screwing multiple girls at the same time like they did with Mark Green on ER. Afterall, he's never had sex and they have to bring that apartment building temptress back into it. He had the cake, now he has to eat it. Afterall, every guy goes through that sexual recklessness after he's had his first piece, right? Maguire might go for that. He's pretty damn cocky in real life.

And it would go with the sledge-hammer of subtlety approach the films have taken so far.

You're onto something, Paul. Just think along the lines of sex and you'll probably figure out the villain and storyline of the next movie. Or at least the subplot that will suck away most of the screen-time.

Hmm...premature ejaculation, impotency,.....VIAGRA! That's it!! Spidey 3 will have Pete battling the equivolent of a 4-hour hard-on that he can't control. Sounds like the symbiote suit to me. Send me my check, Mr. Raimi. I figured it out for you. There you go. Pete can do very un-Pete-like things like cheat on MJ because of the symbiote suit making him high and immoral in addition to a LOVE MACHINE!

Goes well with the gas-made-me-do-it, tentacles-made-me-do-it, pattern established so far. Maybe Venom won't emerge until the end of the film or not at all. In that case, the Lizard might get tossed into it as more of a side-piece to the more internal conflict ot Spidey and the symbiote.

 

[TheLongshot]

Well, the courtship is done. Now dating is another ball of wax, with its own pitfalls. It is easy to say that you can handle it, but can she handle having a boyfriend that could have to rush away at a moment's notice? Is she going to be able to sleep at night when he's out cracking heads, or potentially getting his head cracked? Simply knowing his secret isn't nessicarily going to solve all the problems.

Now, the comments on Harry certainly are interesting. They did leave him in an interesting position, and they could go either way with that. Most of us assume that he's going to take up his father's mantle, but they don't have to do that.

#3 could be the most interesting of these films, if they do it right.

Jason

 

[Greg_S_H]

I don't agree with having MJ die, but I wouldn't mind a more upbeat movie. Some people think Peter Parker is realistic because he has problems. The writers who think that way end up making Peter's life a mess. Other people--myself included--think Peter has problems because he is realistic. That's why it always made sense that he eventually got his life together, got married, tried to have a family, and all of that. Spidey 2 indicates that Raimi is probably in the first group, but I wish he'd give the second group a try.

 

[Marvin Richardson]

Boy I'm sure glad I didn't see the version of Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 Grant did.
Seriously though, it seems to me that the "handwringing" will just change causes. Now Peter will be made to see what his enemies will do if they find out about her. MJ will have to deal with him being gone saving people all the time. Who knows, maybe John Jameson will come into it somehow.
I hope they do something I'm not expecting with Harry. I don't know what, but I'm not terribly excited about him being Green Goblin II, especially if he's going to use that butt-ugly suit, my number one complaint about the first movie. Well, that and Willem Dafoe's hysterical overacting. Definitely liked Alfred Molina's more restrained evil.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Wasn't Elizabeth Banks (Betty) looking a lot like Parker Posey?

I find it amusing that people assume that Dunst will leave just because she says so. This is Hollywood, people.

 

[Greg_S_H]

What about the Vulture for the next one? With the way the story is tweaked for the movie, they could make him be a guy Aunt May is dating. Then, Peter has the double unpleasantness of beating up on an old man and fighting his aunt's boyfriend.

Also, I wish Flash figured in more than he has. I doubt if they'll add him back at this point. To be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the actor they chose anyway, so maybe it's for the best.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

I agree Greg - serious miscast with Flash. His right hand man - ie the guy who tripped Peter on the bus - would have been a better choice.

Not sure whom I want to see as the major villian in the next flick. Seeing a Green Goblin in Spidey3 seems to be too soon though. Like Raimi says - first you have to figure out where Parker is at and then determine which villian would be best at externalizing that for the movie. I know many are against the idea but at this point a version of Venom seems very attractive if Raimi is going where I think he is.

 

[Brian_H]

The great thing about this franchise is they can take it in many different directions. Of course the scary thing about this franchise is that they can take it in many different directions. A lot of things that look good on paper, or even played as great stories in the comics, may not work as well in a movie.

I never really cared for Black Cat, but I bet they bring her in. I have a feeling a good chunk of the next movie is gonna deal with Pete and MJ dealing with Pete's life as Spidey, and the fact that there are people out there that want him dead (whoever the villain is) and people out there that want to take him away from her (Black Cat and other potential love interests for Pete).

For MJ to fear for Pete's safety, though, I think they really need to at least note that Spidey isn't fighting petty thugs and purse snatchers in two year clips, until the next supervillain comes along. They need to make some note that he's constantly out there risking his neck, and the chance of death is always there. The fact that MJ has been there for most of the final battle in the first film, and all of it in the second doesn't help, IMO, as she walked out of them with a few scratches and a scare. And, as far as she knows, so has Pete.

I think it would be cool to start the next movie right where the second left off. MJ comes by Pete's place to see if he's home from the battle he left for at the end of the second film, to find him laying on the bed, battered, just having had the ever loving shit kicked out of him. Make MJ realize that being Spidey's girl isn't all upside-down kisses and swinging around the city.

I kind of like the idea of killing MJ (even though I'm usually for keeping things as close to the comics as possible) but agree that the film should be more upbeat up until that point. I also think that, if they kill off MJ, the only person they should even consider giving the honors to is Harry. It would be hard to swallow, for me at least, if MJ dies because the Lizard drops a wall on her, or the Scorpion flings her into a wall.

Finally, if they do go the route of having MJ and Pete together, but her having trouble dealing with his life as Spidey, they HAVE to bring in someone for her to talk to about things, without telling them that he's Spidey, of course. My vote actually goes to John Jameson, I say keep him in the films and make him an all-around nice guy, like he was in the comics. Don't make him Man-Wolf or any other villain, just have him a little upset that Pete stole her, but happy that she's happy. Hey, stranger things have happened. Just give John an even hotter new girlfriend, and a throw away line that MJ walking out on him was the best thing for both of them.

Of course, if they had kept Flash in the films (I agree about the actor though, even though he went to school with my wife) it would be no contest. Have MJ lean on his shoulder (make it so he loves Spidey, like he did in the comics, and is more friendly with Pete as he's matured a little). Now, while Pete's out at night running around town with Black Cat in tow, he has someone to be jealous of as well.

 

[Paul_Scott]

i was surprised not to hear a reference to Flash being in Iraq (or Afghanistan).
in the early books, after they graduated high school, it was frequently mentioned that Flash was now a soldier, and at least one two story arc featured that prominently.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Good post, Brian H.

I agree about Flash being poorly cast. Seeing him now would be interesting, though. Making him Spidey's biggest fan, and still picking on Parker

I keep hoping Spidey III opens up with a supervillain (though a minor one) just to show it's not all fun and games for Peter as well. I voted the Rhino a few weeks back, and I'll stick to it.

Black Cat could be very interesting, especially if they give her her power. What would MJ think about some young superpowered hottie "helping" her boyfriend? BC wouldn't know he was Peter (initially or throughout, if they choose).

As to villains, I loved what Raimi said as well. I am quite ambivalent towards Venom (such a fun villain, but whored to death in the 90's). Raimi might get it right, though. The Venom visuals would be great. Even if we don't get Venom, I'd like to see the black suit on Spidey in 3. It's a great costume.

Take care,
Chuck

 

[Brian_H]

For as much as I normally dislike BC in the comics, I actually think she'd fit quite well into how the movies are coming about. I'd love to see a scene where Spidey and BC are caught by some news cameras or by another Bugle photographer (Brock, hint, hint) on a rooftop together, maybe with BC coming on to Spidey but conveniently not showing him shutting her down. We then see MJ in front of the TV fuming, or slamming the paper down in front of Pete saying "Who the hell is this tramp"?

I've always been up for a super villain opening scene, and little mentions that he's had his hands full with characters that can actually give him a fight. Without this it makes it tougher to understand why Pete had given up on his relationship with MJ at the beginning of the second film, which is two years after the first. Do you mean to tell me, Pete, that you're worried about some jewel thief or mugger finding out your identity and going after the people you love?

If they don't go with an opening supervillain scene (and I think Rhino or Shocker would be good picks) at least give us something like more Alex Ross paintings in the opening credits showing what's been going on, maybe some Bugle covers say "Spider-Man defeats Rhino" or something to that effect.

So far Pete's life has been hard because he hasn't let himself ever be just Peter Parker. I'd like to see where things go wrong specifically because he's spidey, not because of choices he's made.

 

[derek]

I think its probably time to bring in a superhero (ie Blackcat) for a new dynamic in the film franchise (both romantic tension and action buddy.) My guess is if Rami does do it...and Harry becomes GG2...look to see her take out Harry as Parker I don't think could ever do it. Would be good!

 

[Greg_S_H]

Wow! I thought I was the only one!

I agree with you about Venom, too. He started out a great character, but he was ruined in the '90s. Maybe the movie could actually go a ways towards making him interesting again.

As for Flash and Black Cat, the only thing working against that is Maguire. In the comics, Flash became Parker's friend. I just don't see the Flash we've seen in the film becoming friends with a guy like Maguire. And, I don't see the Black Cat being interested in Maguire, either. Once Parker got to college, he seemed to completely shed his nerd image. Maguire hasn't really done that in the films, and I would have to say that the comics Peter Parker was much more handsome than Maguire. I don't want to sound mean or petty, but Maguire just kind of looks odd to me. Black Cat seems pretty shallow, so I'm not sure she'd go for him. Of course, you could say, "Well, MJ went for him." But, she's kind of odd looking, too! Heh. Now I'm in trouble.

 

[Bill Williams]

Just had to put my two cents' worth in and say that Spider-Man 2 absolutely ROCKS!!! It's everything I heard about it and more, it's that good. No doubt about it, I'm picking up the DVD of this film when it comes out.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this earlier or not, only because I'm just coming on board with this thread, but has anyone seen the extremely spoilerific TV spot for the film? It gives away all of the film's climactic spoilers all within 30 seconds. To me that's not a good way to promote a film by having all of the huge spoilers from the ending put into a 30-second TV spot for the film. Why they did it is beyond me.