Dressed like a spider, he looks like a bugWe should all just give him one big hug

I have a confession to make. I love superheroes. I've always loved superheroes. And when I'm an old man farting away in a wheelchair, I'll still love superheroes. Even though I've only owned about ten hero-centric comic books in my life, I've always had a keen fascination with magic men (and women!) in tights righting wrongs and slamming evil. I've formed the briefest of acquaintaces and the longest lasting of friendships around them; I still remember discussions on how Batman could pound the shit out of Wolverine and why Superman isn't as great as everyone thinks he is. I've watched as heroes were deconstructed and revelled in their eventual reconstruction. If you ever meet me, I will eventually ask you which power you would rather have; invisibility or flight. (In case you're wondering, invisibility has it, at about 99 percent of people polled. And hey! Hold on, I'm going somewhere with this.) And then comes the ultimate question. If you could have the powers of any superhero, which one's would you like to have?

EVERYBODY answers Spider-Man.

Everybody. And don't say you'd like somebody else's powers, because you're lying. And if you haven't figured out the point of this post yet, you're an idiot.

But first, let's flash back to the end of April two years ago. As is the case with most blockbuster movies, the hype machine for Spider-Man was in overdrive. Nary a minute would go by without a reference to the web-slinger. There were the ubiquitous commercials. There were the product tie-ins. Massive merchandising. And the Calgary Sun rather infamously decided an interview with Canada's biggest Spider-Fan was worth the front page. Now, the typical response to such massive hype as this from the public is a collective "Meh." But not this time. Every new scrap of information concerning Web-Head was gobbled up and followed by a clawing desperation for more. And when opening weekend came the theatres were absolutely PACKED; to the tune of $114 million if I recall correctly. Your humble blogger would be remiss if he didn't say he got swept up in all this as well. Although since I'd been waiting for this movie ever since James Cameron was attached as director, it would probably be better to say that I was leading the charge instead. And given all these inflated expectations, given the longing I had to see this movie swelling in my chest every minute of every hour of every day since the clock hit midnight on New Years 2002, I was probably disappointed, right? You can bet your fucking testicles I WASN'T. (Or ovaries, as the case may be.) This was the only movie in recent memory that made me want to stand up and cheer. That made we want to cry. That made we want to shake my fist at screen and yell, "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" This was a rare thing; a blockbuster movie with heart. That it was a movie about one of the greatest superheroes ever created made it all the sweeter. I left the theatre dazed; as soon as I stumbled in the door of our house I told my roommates rather simply that if they didn't go see Spider-Man I was going to kill them. Although my movie recommendations are usually taken with a grain of salt - see Kung Pow: Enter the Fist - they went to see it anyway and conceded that it was as great as I had said. Millions of other people apparently did the same thing, because Spider-Man eventually grossed over $400 million domestic. And thus, the inevitable sequel.

Spider-Man 2. This isn't the title I would have chosen for it. I mean, take a cue from the damn Batman movies! Don't tack a damn number on the end! It would've been far better to call it "The Amazing Spider-Man". That way, for the even-more-inevitable sequels to follow, you have a wealth of other titles to glean from any one of his monthly series. And why am I bitching about the title? Because, quite frankly, that's all I can find to bitch about. This. Movie. Is. Flawless. Forget the hype machine that's once again spinning out of control. Forget all the extraneous celebrity bullshit that's being dragged into the spotlight. And hey, while you're at it, forget any bally-hoo about the special effects. Because as soon as the first frame is in view this movie will have your heart tangled up in webbing. [Pause for groaning.] And isn't that what really matters? Isn't this what movies are for? It takes a movie like Spider-Man 2 to make us realize all the horse manure that's been shoved in our faces ever since Star Wars initiated the blockbuster craze way back when. Which isn't to say that the technical side of this movie is suffering; the amount of loving craft put into every single shot is eclipsed only by the Lord of the Rings series. Raimi and company, take a bow. But the story's the thing, as my uncle says just before he passes out in the fireplace at our family reunions, and this is a wonderful story. And if you don't think so, then you are wrong. So much for the sanctity of opinion, eh? They've managed to make the out-of-mask character development stuff as engaging as the battle sequences. This is a feat that's rarely accomplished by most superhero movies. See Daredevil, for an example. Or don't; can't really blame you there. Even more unbelievable is that the supporting cast turn out to be actual People, not cardboard cut-outs who do bizarre things solely for the purpose of plot. Every exchange is wholly organic; nothing feels contrived. Except for one small part of the train sequence, but what follows will crack the hardest of hearts. Watch and you'll see.

In fact, that's all I really need to say about Spider-Man 2. Watch, and you'll see.

P.S. To Film Snobs: Sometimes things are popular because they're good.

P.P.S. One of the other journals I regularly read posted a rather negative review, saying that it was boring. I'm started to feel disappointed in the younger generation, dagnabbit. In other news, Ebert gave it four stars out of four, which just about makes up for his panning of the first Spider-Man.