COMMENTS ON "SPIDER-MAN 2," AND OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST:

Today was quite the full day for me. My boss’ shipment of 2005 clothes is a week late, so there isn’t anything for me to do around the office at Nautica. As a result, I got the day off. I didn’t get paid for it, unfortunately, and I also had to turn on the AC at home because it was hot.

However, having the AC on made my room comfortable enough for speech-writing. Have I mentioned my internship for a burgeoning non-profit organization yet? Normally, I write press releases, or I research on-line and write lengthy reports. But last week my boss mentioned a keynote speech she has to deliver at a large charity concert August the 16th. She asked me if I was interested in whiffing out a few drafts. Since my Nautica job doesn’t offer any kind of mental challenge (though it sometimes gives me eyestrain), and I can already play up the agenda of our little organization, I agreed to step up to the plate.

My first two drafts of the speech, composed over the last two nights, were laughably bad. But this morning, I pounced on the keys first thing, and, I don’t know… everything just seemed to click together. I can’t say whether my boss will love this third draft, but I think it’s got potential. In fact, I like it so much, I have no doubt that my boss will immediately toss it aside and ask me to come up with something new.

After e-mailing her the speech, I decided to reward myself by going to a movie. I hadn’t seen "Spider-Man 2" yet, and since it was only 11 a.m. on a weekday, I got into the bargain matinee. Now, normally I would post a full review on the movie, but unless you’ve been avoiding all television, radio, or print ads for the last month, you know that critics love it, and you know that audiences love it. For me, the only issue was: Does the movie live up to its hype?

My God, does it ever. I would be shocked to see another movie this summer that is as thoroughly entertaining as "Spider-Man 2." It is alternately funny and moving, and it absolutely nails the comic book character—the first four-color superhuman who is as human as he is super.

The plot rehashes one of the great comic book storylines: Peter Parker decides to give up being Spider-Man. Working two menial jobs and trying not to flunk out of Columbia is tough enough for any teenager. But Peter Parker is also Spider-Man, and fighting crime is really starting to wear him down. Coupled by the dangers inherent in drawing longtime crush M.J. into his crimefighting web, and the fact that his powers occasionally stop working, Peter is sorely tempted to turn in his red-and-blue tights.

There’s a few villains thrown into the mix, too. But the heart of the film is Peter’s journey to find himself—is he a man, or Spider-Man? The same question was put to Kal-El in "Superman II," but that doesn’t blunt "Spider-Man 2’s" effectiveness. After all, the quest for identity is universal.

Now, before you accuse me of simply echoing the prevaling critics’ opinion, let me say that I liked the first "Spider-Man" movie, and many critics did not. Yes, I thought some aspects of that screenplay were either wrong (Peter Parker beating up the bullies) or cliched (Could there have been a less-contrived premise for M.J. lip-locking Spidey than his saving her from muggers…?). And of course, there was the ending (Anyone else have trouble buying that M.J. was now in love with Peter?).

A new screenwriter (Alvin Sargent) was brought in for the sequel, and he gives it a thoroughly serious tone. Sure, there are contrivances, like the fact that Aunt May, Peter, and one of the key villains happen to be in the same place at the same time. And there’s that non-existent subplot involving The Daily Bugle. It’s supposed to be this extremely influential newspaper, and J. Jonah Jameson brags about turning the public against Spider-Man with his daily front page headlines decrying him as a menace. If that’s the case, why doesn’t Spidey ever catch any flak when he’s swinging around in public? My guess: Those bits were left on the cutting room floor.

And there is that odd bit involving an Asian violin player and a certain Saturday morning cartoon theme song. But at the same time, there’s no cheesy rasslin’ stuff, or high school brawls cross-bred with "The Matrix," which is a definite improvement.

What does return is the tension between our erstwhile protagonists, who are still pining for each other. Somehow, it works this time. I actually sensed something complimentary about their personalities that wasn’t there before. For example, M.J. has these two moments: the first, when she’s sitting on the front stoop of her old house, waiting for Peter; and the second, when she’s walking home from her Broadway debut of "The Importance of Being Earnest." Both times, she has this aloof thing going on. You sense that she’s as much of an introverted, lone wolf-type as Parker.

I expected this movie to blindside me with action and special effects, and possibly some weird first-person perspective tracking shots, courtesy of Sam Raimi. "Spider-Man 2" delivers on all that, and as a bonus, gives us characters we care about, including a surprisingly sympathetic villain in Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock. I admit to not knowing much about how Doc Ock’s robotic tentacles work in the comics. But in the movie, once an inhibitor chip is destroyed, they take over his mind for long stretches.

I found it interesting that when the machines are controlling Ock’s brain, he’s all sinister sneers and droll one-liners ("You’ve got a train to catch," being my favorite). In other words, he behaves and talks the way villains in most other summer blockbusters behave and talk. Which isn’t much of a surprise, I guess. With few exceptions, most of those flicks are so blandly impersonal, and populated by characters so lacking in remotely human traits, that they could’ve been churned out by robots.