Spider-Man 2

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Warning, there are spoiler elements included in this review. I tried to stay far from giving everything away, but there are elements of the movie that are revealed. Don’t worry though, there is a lot more left out than included.

In a summer filled with discord and conflict, we needed a hero to bring us all back into focus. And just when we thought he had left us and wouldn’t return, we get a new and better dose of heroism from none other than Spider-Man. While our young hero may be going through some difficult times of self-searching, the lessons he learns are lessons that will benefit us all. Not only are we exhilarated by the movie experience of the summer, but we come away feeling good and finding answers about the struggles we go through in our own lives -- we realize they have value and help us become the very person we need to be to help the planet we live on.

A funny thing happened this summer: a prophet of the dangers of fear gave us a movie that only increased that fear. As debate and conflict goes on abut the political climate in America, leave it to Stan Lee and the folks at Marvel Comics to remind all of us across our planet of the mighty lessons learned from a simple, childlike comic book and story. While in my review of the first Spider-Man movie, I stated that Spider-Man was the most spiritual of all comic book heroes, Spider-Man 2 lets us know that those spiritual truths come at a cost, a cost of finding oneself in order to have the capability of giving love to others.

Sequels to movies are a funny thing. More often than not, they are a disappointing letdown, and it is rare that one finds a sequel that is actually better than the original. There are all kinds of reasons for that generally: lack of plot development, a tendency to forget about character development, cheesy special effects -- and I could go on and on. What we have in Spider-Man 2 is a rare and wonderful exception, a sequel that is even better than an excellent predecessor. Spider-Man 2 has conquered Van Helsing to become my favorite movie of the summer -- and believe me, that says a lot.

Those that read my review in 2002 you know that I am a fan of comics and especially Spiderman. I was the first in line in 2002 and I was again the first in line this year for the follow-up. My son Nathan was with me again, and we had awaited this showing for some time. For the first Spider-Man, we were at the theater for a sold-out show at about an hour and a half before show time. This year we arrived an hour before the movie and even then, the theater ended up being only about half full. Not much to worry about though, it won’t take long for this special effects, plot-laden exploration into self-acceptance and self-understanding to take hold. We all crave that dose of love and understanding, and this movie delivers. Just like the original, expect not just action and story, but more of a story that will cause you to think, and one that is packed just as full as it could get with spiritual parallels.

The story of Spiderman 2 begins two years after the conclusion of the first Spiderman. Mary Jane has gone her way and become an actress and model. Peter Parker has continued with the dual role of Spider-Man and, of course, Peter Parker the photographer. Between part-time work as a pizza deliveryman, working at school, and everything else, Peter comes to the realization that he just doesn’t have time for Mary Jane and the things that he truly loves, and that includes being Spider-Man.

How can he come to the knowledge of how to love while at the same time serve humanity? This reminded me of the call of Jesus to those who choose to follow him:

You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life. – (Luke 14:26) (Contemporary English Version)

For many that call is difficult, and it is one of the things that causes great confusion. It is also a conflict that rages within the heart and soul of Peter Parker. He is reminded of the lesson from his Uncle Ben: “With great power, comes great responsibility.” But that responsibility also requires sacrifice and difficulty. Peter, played beautifully by Toby Maguire, realizes that cost and even recognizes that it may cost him the loss of his great love, Mary Jane, played by Kirsten Duntz. To give up something that you love is easier said than done, but eventually Peter recognizes that he is being torn between his desire and his responsibility. The good that Spider-Man can accomplish and the love that he has for Mary Jane will both require great sacrifice, and by the time he comes to the realization of what he needs to do, he has put himself at risk of losing everything.

Sacrifices are made by many. Whether they be coaches, teachers, preachers, missionaries, or the little lady taking meals to the elderly for Meals on Wheels, all make sacrifices. The lessons portrayed in Spider-Man 2 are lived out before our very eyes on a daily basis. Often those sacrifices are made at a cost that we don’t fully understand. Spider-Man 2 helps us understand the sacrifice that others make. There are real heroes, but those heroes often have struggles and a need to be given freedom to serve.

Eventually Spider-Man decides to give up being Spider-Man. Prior to his final decision, though, he struggles because he has heard young boys tell of how important Spider-Man is and we see the salvation of Aunt May by Spider-Man -- and a little assistance by the hands of an Angel. Yet, he is just unsure of who he is and who he should be. As he starts to lose his Spidy power, we begin to realize that in part that power is tied in some way to his understanding and desire to use the power. When we lose the passion for the things we are called to, we often lose the power that comes with the passion, the gifts and talents that each of us possess.

As the story progresses, character actor Alfred Molina plays the wonderful archnemesis of Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus -- or "Doc Oct," as J. Jonah Jameson, played to perfection by J.K. Simmons, calls him. (As an aside here: let me say that many of us were wanting more of Jameson in the sequel, and we got our wish -- he is as good as ever.) In the character of Doctor Octopus, we see complexity of character like none we have seen in quite some time. Molina is a wonderful theater and character actor, and many questioned his desire to take this seemingly trivial part. But the two sides presented by this complex character could have been delivered to perfection only by a great actor. Molina is as perfect for the part as any other character in this movie.

In Doctor Octopus, we see the battle within each individual. We see the struggle between good and evil, and again the spiritual parallels are numerous. He is a character that while good initially, is overcome by an evil invention in part created by him, and in part influenced by Spider-Man. Yet, that character still struggles with the voices or demons that tell him what to do, just as he struggles with aspects of revenge. The unfortunate truth is that the evil that possesses him will ultimately not only destroy him, but everything that Spider-Man loves, and potentially even the entire planet.

Several scenes that show Spider-Man after he has given up his powers reveal to the viewer his realization that there are innocent people who need his love and power. No scene portrays this as well as a scene where he goes out of his way to save a child. While he chooses to save the child by his own power, he soon realizes that his gifts and powers would have saved more than the one if only he had used the other powers that he had been given. He realizes that in and of himself he has limitations. It is then that he decides to take a leap of faith, totally sacrificing everything he loves so he can serve those that need him. His steps of faith are actually that, steps of faith. At times he gets battered and bruised, but there is enough power left in him to protect him and help him get to the place he needs to be.

By now, viewers have an understanding of the cost of his sacrifice. In many ways Peter Parker/Spider-Man takes on a Messiah role. We see him not only as salvation for the planet but for those he loves. This is played out quite beautifully in a scene a little later in the movie.

There is a scene where Spider-Man has chosen to sacrifice his own life for the sake of others. In this one particular scene, we are reminded of the sacrifice made by Jesus. We see a savior who decides to risk his own life for the life of others; he even takes a crucifixion-style pose with his arms outstretched. He is beaten, scorned, accused and put down; he has his body ripped and bloodied as if he had been scourged like Jesus; yet, he continues to offer his life for the salvation of others. In the conclusion of this scene, people see Spider-Man as he truly is. They take his body and it over their heads, knowing that he has sacrificed himself for them. They who initially rejoiced at his arrival because they saw the hope of salvation he provided, then wept at his beating and apparent death. After a resurrection scene, they rejoice again and are willing to even give up their own lives for his protection and care. They truly love Spider-Man and appreciate the salvation he has provided. While these images are not perfectly aligned to the gospel, still, I have to wonder why such explicit detail has Spider-Man mirroring the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our true Savior.

The story line concludes only after so many twists and turns that you might think you are watching an Academy Award-style drama directed by Clint Eastwood. But in the end, love conquers all. For the fans of the first movie: you are not going to be disappointed. you will laugh, jump, cringe and cry, this baby has it all, and I am ready to see it again.

In terms of assigning a rating, I can’t recommend this movie highly enough. It is the dose of joy that we all needed this summer, and the one that will get us back to caring for our fellow human, whether we agree with them, are the same as them, or not. In the tumultuous political climate surrounding our world right now, Spider-Man 2 is a breath of fresh air. Don’t just believe me, go see it yourself.

On a scale of 1-10, a very rare find indeed, a sequel that was as good as an original that was itself near-perfect. For the 8 appendages of Doctor Octopus, plus the other two villains making an appearance in the movie, a wonderful 10!

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SPIDER-MAN 1
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Fahrenheit 9/11

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Definition of Documentary:
noun (plural doc•u•men•ta•ries) factual movie or TV program: a movie or TV program presenting facts and information, especially about a political, historical, or social issue

Depending on who you speak with, Michael Moore is either a blabbering idiot or a prophetic genius. If you look at the definition of the word documentary, you become just as confused as the masses flocking to the movie theater this week.

As a student of film and one who enjoys documentaries, I have been a fan of Michael Moore ever since he exploded onto the scene with Roger and Me back in 1989. I have appreciated Michael Moore. He is one that has been, to say the least, controversial and has given the appearance of being afraid of going up against no one who might be taking advantage of the poor, especially the poor and needy people of Flint, Michigan, his hometown. Now - a number of documentaries, a book deal, and a television series later - he is back with a vengeance, and a more obvious grudge than at any time in the past, with his new movie Fahrenheit 9/11 (in which he may have the third top-grossing documentary of all time). Unfortunately, Moore may have crossed the line from Documentary Film Maker to Propaganda Film Maker.

Some will be critical of Moore, saying that he has always been involved in propaganda, but I don’t know if that is quite so true. I would say that Moore has always been involved in stating his mind. One of the things that has impressed me is that, while I have not always agreed with every position Moore has taken, he is one that has stated his position with passion and honesty. Never has he been rude and or ruthless in his approach, not even (in my opinion) during the controversial questioning of Charlton Heston in Bowling for Columbine. Those concerned about that line of questioning need to remember that he could have been a lot more critical of the "race card" played by Houston in his blaming of race for the violence in America. I could say all of those things with personal conviction and passion about Moore, that is -- until now.

If truth be told, I wanted to get up and walk out of the movie during the first 25 minutes. It was excruciating, watching the President mercilessly accused and attacked without the balance of an opportunity or occasion provided for anyone to speak on his behalf. Moore became a bully, and what was even more problematic for me was seeing that the audience was overwhelmingly supportive of the message.

In Bowling for Columbine, it became obvious, especially in watching the special features, that Michael Moore had a vendetta against President George Bush (the son). It became even more obvious in the special features because they were made sometime after 9/11/2001 and the tragic attack by terrorists on the World Trade Center. He referred to President Bush in those commentaries, just as he did at the Academy Awards where Bowling for Columbine won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, as a “Fictitious President promoting a Fictitious War.” It became obvious, very fast, that Michael Moore was going to make a film blasting our President, and that's what he did.

F-9/11 incorporates long slow-motion shots of President Bush, which present him as distorted and with unnatural images. There is also commentary about Bush lying on satin sheets and being someone who cares only for the wealthy, conveniently ignoring the fact that Michael Moore is not a poor man himself. In fact, Moore even made numerous comments about the fact that he has never made a movie that lost money. He is, again remember the comment earlier, the writer, director and producer of the three highest grossing documentaries of all time. One should not forget that while walking around in blue jeans, T-shirt and baseball cap may give the appearance of associating with the common person, Michael Moore for a long time has not been associated with that crowd himself. The reality is that even while Moore criticizes our president for sleeping on satin sheets, he himself has slept on them a number of times himself in his lifetime.

There are numerous other scenes that reveal Moore’s hatred of our President, as well. For instance, he seems to go out of his way to take comments or to present situations out of context, such as, it is a fact that a number of Presidents have worked out of Camp David or wherever their favorite vacation spot is (aside: frankly, I have always found it difficult to understand how any real work gets done within the beltway of Washington, DC, myself. Anyone who has ever lived there can testify to that difficulty). Yet, Moore takes every possible opportunity to blast Bush for taking too many vacations.

However, before many get too upset about the position of Michael Moore on the political scene, understand this, he is just as vicious in F-9/11 against Democrats as he is Republicans, and no one gets a free candy bar. Moore attacks with ferocity all within the political system; it just so happens that President Bush is the unfortunate victim and target of the largest portion of that attack. The other unfortunate truth is that Michael Moore goes beyond reason and appropriate questioning and instead enters into deliberate and inappropriate slanting of the commentary and facts regarding the President.

At first glance, one might assume I think that F-9/11 was a total waste. However, despite my serious concerns about inappropriate attacks and editorial comments on the President, I didn’t. I believe that there were also a number of entirely appropriate questions raised about the President -- questions regarding his ties to the Saudis, issues related to Bush’s connection to James Bath, and other issues raised by this film are all legitimate questions that a number of Americans would like to see answered. What about the Bin Ladens getting air transportation out of the United States 2 days after 9/11? All these matters should be addressed more extensively than they were.

There are other issues brought up in the movie though, and other explorations that Moore makes that makes this movie valuable and in some ways worthwhile.

About half way through the “Bush Bash” we see some legitimate investigation into the war in Iraq itself. While there could have been mention of the atrocities that took place in Iraq under Hussein, there weren’t any to my recollection. There were, however, appropriate discussion and commentary about the options of the poor and how most of them are recruited to the military as a last resort and a last option.

Within this particular exploration, there are war-torn scenes and interviews that ought to break every heart watching the movie, from blown-up children to soldiers frustrated over the situation. While I believe Moore had to search for military personnel who would demonstrate the attitudes he wanted to present, nonetheless, he did find them and use them in F-9/11. The movie takes us from soldier to wounded, from victim (I refuse to use the term collateral damage: often, innocent people are killed in war) to family member of a Killed-in-Action serviceman. We see before our eyes the heartache and tragedy of war. We see a hurt and wounded mother, who has lost her son, approached by an ignorant protester for the war as she breaks down and wails in tears. Folks, those scenes -- those scenes where we see Moore approach the common person -- are what make Michael Moore who he is. He captures the heartache and reality of war as well as, or better than, anyone has in a very long time. And he does it with compassion toward the people he is reaching and in a way that allows them to open up to him like few others. For any viewers to not find themselves moved by someone reading the last letter of their now dead son, or grieving to the wails of a mother who has lost her innocent family to the consequences of war, is to have lost the very life that at one time made America different.

But once again, Moore has not given us the balance. We don’t see the overwhelming amount of support that the military men and women have placed in this war. We don’t see the multitudes of people in Iraq who have expressed gratitude for our men and women being there. Living in a military town, and knowing that the story presented by Moore is far from complete, I again was pulled from one direction to another. This did not, however, take away from the appropriateness of the scenes I watched.

Moore also uses humor to point out other issues. There are two situations that hit home for me. In one segment of the picture, Moore follows around recruiters for the Marines. To say the least, these two individuals and the tactics they use could cause them to be classified as “weasels.” They openly lied and manipulated the truth to reach young, poor men in the Flint, Michigan, area. In all honesty, if these two men are still working as recruiters, it is a shame. Moore's exposé of their “cornering” tactics, the lying and misinformation the recruiters used, cannot be argued against. This is especially true of most of the long scenes he used. There are numerous scenes that have very little editing and use mostly what is called long shots, where these individuals clearly demonstrate the questionable psychological manipulation used in recruiting. Moore does a great job of also showing here that the poor have paid their price for the freedom of America. Unfortunately, their rewards afterwards leave a lot to be desired: he shows one family whose son's final paycheck was docked for the fact that, because he had been killed, he didn’t work the full month.

In another scene, exploring the involvement of the poor versus the involvement of the wealthy in war, Moore goes to Capitol Hill. He questions every legislator that he can as to why it is that only one son of all of the legislators serves in the military. The reactions of these individuals, while disgusting, is also comical. Again, the viewers understand the point Moore is trying to make and can relate in ways they wish they couldn’t.

In many ways, this movie is an exploration of the failures of people, and in many ways, the failures of America. It hurts, because many of those failures exist, but for many of us it also hurts because the movie doesn’t portray the true hope that many of us have. Moore himself has stated that he hopes this movie brings America back together; unfortunately, he may have done more harm to that cause than help.

If I consider this "documentary" as just a movie, it is well worth seeing. But the fact that it is laced with misinterpretations of the truth -- lies in many cases, if you will -- is difficult to deal with. There are parts of the movie that in and of themselves are honest and therefore important to watch. Those parts are honest because in those scenes we don’t hear or see much of the Michael Moore commentary. What we see is people telling stories. Unfortunately, Moore himself blasts and blusters in this movie more than in any other he has ever done. It is obvious to those that watch that he may have never met a politician that he liked, whether Democrat or Republican.

Because of its schizophrenic nature, I am confused as to what to give as a score on my review of this movie. I would like to give it a 7 or 8, I wish I could give it a lukewarm 5, I want to give it a 3 or a 2 -- I just don’t know. If the purpose of this movie is to make me think, then not since Mystic River has a movie accomplished that purpose as well. I would like to say, “see the movie,” but I am afraid that some will not have done enough research to discern what is truth and what is propaganda. I want to say, “don’t see the movie,” but then there are things that the American People need to know before sending their sons off to war. Moore loves the troops, but he hates their Commander and Chief, calling him a False President. I just don’t know, so since I don’t know, I’ll leave it at that.

Links
—Overview
—HJ Roundtable Discussion
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
—Forum