Well, like many Spidey fans, I'm following the news on the upcoming Spider-Man 2 movie due out in July 2004.
I'm pleased to see that Toby and Kirsten are back for the second movie. I'm also relieved that Dr. Octopus is the supervillain for this movie. I had heard others talk about Venom or the Lizard. I also thought about the possibility of Harry becoming Green Goblin II in the second movie, since the possibility was hinted at in the last scenes of the first movie. Plus, Harry does become the second Green Goblin in the comic book. Of course, the downside to having the Green Goblin appear in the second movie is that it might bore the moviegoers who had seen and loved the first movie. After all, Spider-Man has fought many villains over the years besides those men who have donned the Green Goblin's costume.....
Anyway, I think putting Doc Ock in the second movie is the best way to go. He is one of Spidey's classic villains, like the Goblin, the Vulture, the Chameleon, and Mysterio. Venom and Carnage are among Spider-Man's "newer" enemies (didn't appear until the 90's), and therefore wouldn't fit in a set of movies depicting Spidey's early adventures. Best to leave the "newer" villains for the comics and various animated series.
Update (7/08/2004)--It's been over a week since I saw Spider-Man 2, and I thought I should post a review of it (like I did with the first movie).
For the most part, I enjoyed this movie more than the first Spider-Man movie. My problems with this film were mostly nitpicking: First, Otto didn't have the German accent I've associated with him the whole time I've know about him via the comics, novels, and cartoons. Second, this movie seemed to have material from about ten different comics (if not more) crammed into it. Finally, I was bothered by how much time Spider-Man spent with his mask off (but the rest of his costume on) in relatively public areas. In the first movie, this only happens twice: when he comes back to his and Harry's apartment on Thanksgiving and narrowly avoids being discovered by his Aunt May, the Osborns, and MJ in his room, and another time when he's fighting off guys threatening MJ in an alley on a dark rainy night......
All and all, I really loved this movie. There was a lot more Spidey action, and the troubles of Peter's double life were described in more detail in this movie. The special effects even better this time around, and I felt like (aside from the lack of accent and the presence of a wife) Otto looked more like he did in the comic book than the Green Goblin had in the first movie (compared with the comic book). I was also impressed with Harry's growth into a man obsessed with destroying Spider-Man, the man he blames for his father's death. Jonah was also good, really in synch with how I've seen him portrayed in the comics, novels, and cartoons.
Here's my ratings, using the same system I used in the first movie:
Subject: Story
Characterization: B
Appearance: B
Continuity: D
Subject: Hero
Characterization: A
Appearance: B
Continuity: C
Subject: Villian
Characterization: B
Appearance: A
Continuity: B
Subject: Supporting cast
Characterization: A
Appearance: B
Continuity: D
Misc. Subjects and Their Ratings
Special effects: A
Scenery: A
Fight Scenes: A
Romantic Subplot: A
In short, I thought the romantic subplot was better, but the continuity was much worse (ten or more comics from a period of years crammed into a single movie). In spite of the continuity issues, the story was compelling and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the movie. Also, the movie gives you some hints as to who the villain might be in the third movie.....
Update (11/14/2006)--I have recently seen trailers for Spider-Man 3 (due in theaters May 4, 2007). It appears from them that Harry Osborn will take up the mantle of the Green Goblin (though he might not call himself that). Not only that, but Gwen Stacy, the black symbiote costume, Eddie Brock, and the Sandman are also appearing in the movie. It looks pretty exciting. I'm not sure if Venom will play a prominent role in the film. It seems more likely (based on what I've seen and heard so far) that Venom won't appear until the very end of the film. It does look like there will be some cool fight scenes between Spider-Man (in both his regular costume and the black costume) and the Sandman....
Update (5/6/2007)--I saw Spider-Man 3 yesterday. Caution: the following contains spoilers. As I mentioned in the last update, Harry did take on the mantle of the Goblin, though I don't recall him calling himself anything while he was in costume. His memory loss after Peter beats him in a battle sounded just like what I've read about from the classic comics (though I think amnesia was more of a problem for Norman's version of the Goblin than Harry's version of the Goblin). The glider is much slimmer and more skateboard-like in the movie, but it handles well and is weapon-packed, just like the glider in the first movie.
As for the other villains: Venom did appear in the final third of the movie, and I was pleased to see how closely his origins matched the comic book. As in the classic comics, he seems much stronger than Spider-Man and immune to Spider-Man's spider-sense. The Sandman looked exactly like I remember him looking from the comic books, and (like Venom) his origins were like what I've read about from the comic books. Just like the comic books, he uses his morphing abilities to pound on his enemies and evade capture by the police.
I was a little disappointed in changes made to both Venom and the Sandman. Eddie Brock didn't look much like he does in the "classic" comics, other than being blond. Also, I recall Brock as being older and having no aquaintance of Gwen Stacy in the classic comics (in the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic book series, Eddie is about the same age and build as Peter, and Eddie does get a date with Gwen--something hinted at, but not shown, in the movie). Sandman has a (terminally?) sick daughter in the movie, something that isn't mentioned in my book Spider-Man: the Ultimate Guide, by Tom DeFalco. It did make him a more sympathetic villain than he is in the comics, so I guess I can let that slide.
My biggest complaint about the movie is that it seems a little overstuffed. The movie has three villains, two love interests, and at least four plotlines. Plotline one: Harry wishes to destroy Peter to avenge his father's death from the first movie. Plotline two: Mary Jane is upset with Peter's growing ego and shrinking attention to her due to the adulation he's receiving as Spider-Man. Plotline three: Peter is determined to get the guy who really murdered his uncle (apparently the burglar from the first movie wasn't the real killer). Plotline four: Eddie Brock is commited to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, even if it means hurting innocent people.
In my opinion, they could've saved Venom for Spider-Man 4 and spent more time in the third movie on the conflict between Peter and Harry. If I edited the third movie, I would've ended the movie with Peter removing the black costume in the church and used Eddie's transformation into Venom as the beginning of the fourth movie. One of the final fight scenes in the third movie would've been between Spider-Man (in the black suit), Goblin 2, and the Sandman. Perhaps Peter would have had an epiphany during the battle that leads him to forgive the Sandman prior to going to the church to shed the black suit. Harry could have seen Peter's gesture to the Sandman and left the battle to rethink his feelings about Peter.
Here's my ratings, using the same system I used in the first two movies:
Subject: Story
Characterization: B
Appearance: B
Continuity: C
Subject: Hero
Characterization: A
Appearance: B
Continuity: C
Subject: Villians (Green Goblin 2, Sandman, and Venom).
Characterization: B for Goblin 2 and Venom, C for Sandman.
Appearance: A for Sandman and Venom (a C would be appropriate for Brock), C for Goblin 2.
Continuity: B for the origins of all the villains, but a C for minor stuff on all the villains (as mentioned above).
Subject: Supporting cast
Characterization: B for everyone except Gwen (Gwen gets a C, because I don't remember ever reading anything about her being a model and a science student, and I do remember her HATING Spider-Man in the comics, not liking him as she does in the movie).
Appearance: B
Continuity: C
Misc. Subjects and Their Ratings
Special effects: A
Scenery: A
Fight Scenes: A
Romantic Subplot: A
