Marcus Flor revisits Spider-Man 2

As an adult, things take on a different perspective, especially your favourite childhood movies. That really hit home when I decided to rewatch Spider-Man 2 (2004).

As a kid, I was a huge Spider-Man fan (still kind of am), and I loved this movie! But I wasn't sure if it'd hold up all this time later. While its shine has definitely worn off in some ways, it's been brightened in others. It's got some lessons that ring truer now in my 20's, and it's also a breath of fresh air compared to current superhero movies.

Let's start with this movie's greatest strength... and weakness: it's very cheesy. From Doc Oc stealing literal gold coins to its Hollywood love story, this movie pays heavy homage to the 1960s comic from which it is based. And while that leads to a lot of stereotypical elements, it makes the story endearing, and gives it heart.

The true highlight here is how this movie approached its characters. Whereas current Marvel movies fast forward through the emotional scenes to get to the action, this one holds these moments. This really let the important moments land, and make us the audience truly believe them.

So while this movie is flawed and has aged poorly in some way, it still has it where it counts. If you want a break from super serious superhero cinema, give this one a watch if you haven't already. This is a Good.

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