Spider-Man 2 (2004)

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The critically acclaimed sequel to Spider-man, Spider-man 2 released on 2004 continues the story of Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire. The sequel also brings back most of it's original cast like, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco and it puts a new villan in play. Dr. Otto Octavius also known as Docor Octapus, or Doc Ock, played by Alfred Molina, joins the plot as a scientist gone mad after a failed experiment with a very powerful but unstable subtance called trillithium. It's the second film in the Sipder-man trilogy, and it was followed by Spider-man 3 in 2007.

Plot

The movie continues the story of Peter Parker. His life is now falling apart as he must balance his life as a normal person with his life as a super-hero. He arrives to his job as a pizza delivery-man late due to his life as Spider-man and decides to get to the location faster by using webs instead of his motorcycle. However, with his vantage point over the city he sees some children at risk of being hit by a car and goes to save them. This costs him dearly as he is late with the delivery and thus loses his job. Peter's only source of income is now as a photographer for the Daily Bugle, and he only gets paid if he provides pictures of Spider-man. Peter is uncomfortable doing this since the paper's editor, J. Jonah Jameson, uses the pictures with vicious stories accusing the webbed hero of being a criminal.

Peter misses another of his college classes with Dr. Curtis Connors. Peter apologizes and says he will turn in an overdue paper and will write it on Doctor Otto Octavius. Connors remarks that Octavius is a good friends of his. He then warns Peter that if he skips the paper he will have to fail him.

While webbing through the city, Peter temporarily loses his ability to shoot webbing, which nearly causes him to fall to his death.

Peter's Aunt May throws her nephew a surprise birthday party. She invited Harry Osborn and Mary Jane Watson, two of Peter's longest friends. Peter admits he had not seen them in a while (presumably because he had been busy as Spider-man). The party grows tense when Harry points out that Peter is obviously connected to Spider-man as he gets such good pictures from him. Harry then says he plans to avenge his father (Norman Osborn)'s death, which he blames on Spider-man. He then asks Peter "If you knew who Spider-man was, you would tell me, right?" Peter refuses to answer.

Later, when Mary Jane and Peter are alone she tells him she misses him. She then says she is dating someone, which disappoints Peter who likes her very much.

Peter sees that Aunt May is going to be evicted from the house, since she is elderly and her husband died so suddenly. Aunt May says "If I knew who was responsible for his death, I would..." and then stops talking. Peter knows he is responsible, as he refuses to stop a criminal from robbing a person he disliked and that criminal then killed Uncle Ben.

Making friends

Harry arranged a meeting between Peter and Dr. Octavius. At first, Octavius is annoyed as he is very busy, but since Harry funds his research he obliges. Peter and Octavius hit if off and spend hours discussing science; Octavius then invites Peter to dinner with his wife, Rose. Octavius says he has developed a new fusion reactor he is certain will find an alternate and unlimited energy source.

Peter, Harry, and a group of scientists attend a demonstration/experiment of Octavius's reactor. To manage the equipment Dr.Octavius has created four very strong mechanical arms impervious to heat and magnetism, attached to his spine. Actually the four arms have a very powerful artificial intelligence that could cause Dr. Octavius's sub-concious to take over, the doctor wears Inhibitor Chip, which prevents this from happening.

Four mechanical arms

Dr. Octavius miscalculated his equations and the reactor begins to cause a far too strong magnetic force that begins to rip the building apart. Octavius refuses to let anyone pull the plug as he says it would destroy his life's work. As metal beams are sucked towards the reactor, Harry is nearly hit, but is rescued by Peter in his spidey suit. Harry says "this doesn't change anything!" Spider-man pulls the plugs, but not before Rose Octavius is killed and Octavius is knocked unconcious.

Harry Osborn is ruined by the scandal of Octavius's failure.

A comatose Octavius is sent to the hospital. A group of surgeons try to remove the mechanical arms but the four metal appendages murder them all. Doc Ock then awakes and is horrified at what he has done, but the arms run off with him. He then says to the arms that he feels them compelling him to continue his research. He tries resisting, but eventually complies and decides he will steal the money to continue his work.

J. Jonah Jameson decides to call Octavious Doctor Octopus, or Doc Ock for short, in the papers.

Peter's work as Spidey causes him to miss a play which Mary Jane is starring in. This hurts her very much.

Aunt May and Peter go to a bank to try and renegotiate May's mortgage, but are told that there is nothing that can be done. Octavius then enters the bank and tries to rob it. Peter slips out and reappears as Spider-man. He battles Ock for a while, but his ability to shoot webbing briefly leaves him. Ock grabs Aunt May as a hostage. He nearly drops her from a skyscraper in his escape, but Spider-man manages to save her (though he loses Ock's trail in the process).

Peter tells Aunt May about how he is responsible for Uncle Ben's death, though he leaves out the part about him being Spider-man. Aunt May is furious and storms out.

Oh no!

J. Jonah Jameson publishes a story saying Spidey and Doc Ock teamed up to rob the bank. Harry gets into a public altercation with Peter, yelling at him for being so close to Spider-man. Peter then finds out Mary Jane is engaged to John Jameson, J. Jonah Jameson's astronaut son.

Peter's powers being to fade more rapidly. He goes to a doctor and says he feels ill and describes a "dream" he has where he is Spider-man and keeps losing his powers. The doctor says that is his subconcious saying he can't handle being Spidey. He then says it isn't Peter's job to worry about everything and should stop being Spider-man (though he means it metaphorically, as he doesn't know Peter is Spidey). Peter decides to quit being a super-hero.

Witness a crime

With his powers gone Peter begins making a new life. Doing his homework on time and attending to Mary Jane’s play. He approaches MJ and says he is more responsible now and could she give him another chance. She says no.

Peter ignores repeated instances where he could try to be Spidey, including letting someone be mugged. One day, though, he sees a burning building similar to the one he saved a baby from in the first film. He impulsively runs into the building to save a girl trapped on the second floor, even though not using his powers has caused them to completely fade away. Peter is nearly killed, but manages to save the girl. He then starts to fall through the burning floor, but the girl saves him. While he is congratulated for his bravery, Peter is upset to overhear a firefighter saying someone else died in the fire. He thinks Spider-man might have been able to save him.

Spider-man goes to his home and asks allowed why he can't be allowed to be happy. Someone then knocks on his door. It is his landlord's daughter, who gives him some cookies as an act of kindness. She then hands Peter a note from Aunt May. The note says May is moving out.

Peter visits Aunt May. May says she forgives Peter and he was brave to tell her the truth. She then says that the only one that night who was responsible was Uncle Ben by not giving the thief his car but that she knows Peter can be just like him.

The young boy helping Aunt May asks Peter if he knows when Spider-man will come back. Peter says he doesn't. The boy leaves disappointedly. Aunt May then tells Peter that the boy, like everyone, needs a hero like Spider-man who will take the responsibility of protecting the world and saving people like her.

Peter tries to web accross the city again as Spider-man, but his powers are now all gone and he nearly dies trying.

Doc Ock goes to Harry in his apartment and demands more of the materials needed to rebuild the fusion reactor (only bigger). As a former executive of Oscorp and the son of its founder Harry would have access to these materials. Harry at first refuses, but Doc Ock threatens to murder him. Harry then says he will give the materials to Doc Ock if he brings him Spider-man. Doc Ock says he doesn't know how he can do this as Spider-man has been gone for months. Harry says since Peter Parker photographs Spidey he will know where the webster is. As Doc Ock leaves Harry tells him not to hurt Peter.

MJ meets Peter in a coffee shop and tells him she is willing to call of her engagement with John as she knows she really loves him. He then tells her he is wrong about being able to care for her as there will always be things more important than her. MJ is very hurt, but begins to suspect he may be Spider-man. She asks him to kiss her just once. Peter doesn't know it but she is testing to see if the kiss will be like when she kissed Spider-man several months ago.

As Peter leans in to kiss MJ, Doc Ock barged in and kidnaps MJ. He tells Peter that if Spider-man doesn't meet him at a watchtower alone by noon MJ will die.

Peter puts on the Spider-man suit and runs to the watchtower. As he does, his powers return. He finds Doc Ock there, but Doc Ock thinks MJ knows too much of his plan so he her captive somewhere else. Spider-man demands to see her, but Ock attacks him. The two do battle and end up fighting on an elevated train. Doc Ock breaks the brakes on the train as it nears a precipice. Using all his energy, Peter manages to stop the train, but ends up demasked and passed out on the train car floor. The passengers help him up and thank him. When Peter wakes up they promise never to say who he is but beg him to stay as Spider-man. Peter puts on his mask and promises to do so.

Doc Ock then bursts in and demands Spidey. The people try to stop him, but he barges past them. Spider-man is too weak to resist and gets captured.

Doc Ock presents a still-masked and chained-up Spider-man to Harry. Harry gives him the materials. He then takes an ornate dagger of his father's and goes to kill Spider-man, but unmasks him first. He is shocked and horrified to see it is Peter. He hesitates to stab him and in that time Peter manages to breaks out. Peter then tells Harry to not stab him as MJ is in danger and the new fusion reactor could destroy the city and that is more important. Harry puts a truce on their feud so Spider-man can go stop Doc Ock.

Spider-man finds Doc Ock in a dilapidated warehouse as a pier. MJ is tied up. Spider-man manages to get her free, but is unable to get the upper hand in battle with Doc Ock. The fusion reactor reaches such strength that unplugged it does not stop it. Spider-man unmasks himself and confronts Doc Ock as Peter. He says that some time you have to let your dreams go to do what is right and says he knows Doc Ock is a great man and has the strength to do it. Doc Ock resists his arms and then wrecks the pier, causing him and the fusion reactor to be drowned by the ocean.

Mary Jane watched everything and thus knows Peter's secret. Peter explains this is why she can never be the most important thing to him and why life with him will put her in constant danger.

Harry sees his father (Norman; the Green Goblin) in the reflection of his mirror and throws the dagger at it. The mirror smashes to reveal a secret room behind it filled with goblin serum and all the equipment of the Green Goblin.

The next day--her wedding day--MJ breaks off her engagement and goes to Peter's apartment. She explains that she is willing to accept the risk and his preoccuptation with being a super-hero and wants him anyway. The two kiss.

Cameo appearances

Stan Lee: Like in all of marvel based movies Stan Lee has a small cameo appearance that happens during the encounter between Spiderman and Doc Ock outside of the bank.

The great Stan Lee

Bruce Campbell: Like un all other Sipderman movies, this time Bruce Campbell has a small role as the usher in Mary Jane’s play.

The great Bruce Campbell

Joel McHale: Joel has a small role as the bank attendant who denies the loan to Aunt May.

Critical Reception

Critics loved Spider-man 2. On Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of the 241 reviews were positive (a film needs only 60% to be considered FRESH). On Metacritic, 37 reviews were positive, 4 were mixed, and none were outright negative. This gave the movie a score of 83 which had the top color--GREEN--as well as UNIVERSAL ACCLAIM, the highest rank.

Box Office

Though grossing noticeably lower than its predecessor in both the domestic and foreign box office, Spider-man was still an unquestionable hit. It opened to $88 million in the US and closed there with $373 million. Overseas, it earned $410 million, bringing its worldwide total to $783 million.

77th Academy Awards

Though not nominated for any major awards, Spider-man did receive three nods from the Academy (a large group of important figures in the film industry) for the Oscars. These were for:

Best Visual Effects WON!!!!

Best Sound Editing

Best Sound Mixing