Let me begin by admitting, I nearly fell asleep in the theatre during Spider-man 2, which is very very rare for me. But what a bland movie! I was hoping from the trailer for some redemption in at least one scene. Of course, trailers give us all the flashy highlights, and I'm not one to be swayed by such enticements (especially after A History of Violence). But amid the craziness, this trailer also featured a line from Peter Parker which he delivers with composure and resolve.
"There are bigger things happening here than me and you."
The shot doesn't show who he's addressing, and I had my hopes. I was rooting for it to be toward MJ, who is so caught up on their teenage-drama relationship that she misses the big picture. She gets upset because he's not around or he misses dinner, but... well... HE'S SAVING THE FREAKING WORLD, LADY!! Seriously, priority-check? You're dating a superhero, these things happen! So I was ready to see her sobbing and complaining that he's leaving again - "We only have 30 minutes left of Pride and Prejudice! Can't Doc Oc wait, honey?" I'm reminded of Frozone and his wife in Pixar's The Incredibles - "Don't you even think about running off and doin' no daring-do! We been planning this dinner for two months!" And this line from our friendly neighborhood web-slinger could be just the dose of reality she (and the rest of the American female population) needed.
So, I'm sitting in the theatre and the scene comes up... and no MJ...
Peter is standing in the penthouse of rich-kid Harry Osborne, his ex-BFFF* gone arch nemesis. Harry has been eyeing MJ for a while, but everyone knows she's going for Peter and it's gotten a little too far under Harry's skin. Okay, so far in the plot, I can understand and appreciate the line fitting here. "Harry, a crazy man with giant metal octopus arms is robbing banks and tearing apart New York city. This really isn't the time to discuss girls."
But that's not all Harry's peeved about. After all, Peter did kill Harry's dad (...sort of) in the first movie. This is where it gets tricky. Because Harry is pissed, and nothing's going to shut him down from seeking revenge. And Peter misses something, apparently, because this is where the line decides to land.
"There are bigger things happening here than me and you."
Really? You killed his dad, dude! (well... sort of) And you don't think that little issue should be resolved between you two as soon as possible? If killing your best friend's dad (sort of) isn't a big thing, what the heck is?! Go get 'em, Tiger... go get 'em...
(*note: yes, BFFF is a reference to Pineapple Express, starring the same James Franco)
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