The original Sam Raimi Spider-Man 2 is the best superhero movie of all time. 

The sequel to the now famous and beloved Spider-Man (2002) was beyond any ordinary superhero movie and that’s because of the great minds behind the scenes. The director, Sam Raimi, and the writers worked collaboratively to deliver one of the most human approaches to such a powerful fictional character. 

Raimi always wanted his version of Spider-Man to be true and honest to the comics. He’d envisioned a story of truth and wanted to stick to the basics. Simple story and complex characters. 

For instance, Tobey Maguire played a boyish and shy Peter Parker as a typical teenager, but once he got his powers, he was able to burst out of his shell making him who he needed to be. 

Next, we have his aunt and uncle who assumed the role of parents when Peter’s parents died earlier in his childhood. They’re caring individuals who are always there for Peter.     

Then we got Peters’ friend’s, Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn who he has seemingly rocky relationships with. 

Lastly, there’s the mind controlled mad scientist gone rogue due to no fault of his own who Spider-Man has to overcome. 

At the start of Spider-Man 2, Peter’s life is out of balance. Oftentimes, he lets his friends down such as Mary Jane by not making it to her plays. His friendship with Harry has become strained because of his connection to Spider-Man. Inevitably, his grades in college suffered as well. 

To top it all off, he loses his powers. The one thing that makes him feel whole is suddenly stripped out of thin air. He is forced to walk away from being Spider-Man.

What Sam Raimi is doing here is showing a real human struggle. He wants to portray Spider-Man at his lowest point, his darkest moments. By doing so, he’s able to capture how much more developed Peter Parker is as a character, even when he doesn’t have any powers. 

It makes an audience feel more connected with his daily relatable challenges while humanizing Spider-Man. We start to see his life getting better. He’s able to attend Mary Jane’s plays, and do better in his classes. Peter’s finally able to just be Peter. But the months go on, and he starts to notice that he’s missing something. Having nightmares and anxiety ridden thoughts became normal for Peter. 

He couldn’t pinpoint why he’d had these dreams but he was certain that by removing his mask, layer by layer, would grant him an answer. There’s a sense of vulnerability that reaches the surface and is exposed for all to see.

For example, Peter happens to walk past a burning building, he goes in to look for any people stuck inside. In his search, he finds a little girl and manages to save her life by a lucky grasp. Even without his powers, he’s acting courageously and is saving other’s lives without hesitation. 

In the moment’s after making out the building safely with the little girl, he realizes that his purpose is to be Spider-Man. Seeing how he changed throughout the movie made me entranced with the unfolding narrative. 

I couldn’t do anything but root for him to get back on his feet and continue forward. 

Peter’s journey in finding himself was a long one, but he was able to witness his true self. His journey is similar to many other real, regular, honest people trying to better themselves and their lives. By the end of the movie, I realized that Spider-Man is just like me. It’s not about being a superhero, it’s about being human. 

Maybe I won’t have his powers, but I’ll make sure to keep his spirit and heart.