Spider-Man 2's Tobey Maguire Chats with Jim Ferguson

StudioLA's Jim Ferguson chats with Spider-Man 2's Tobey Maguire about what makes this sequel better than the original.

StudioLA's
Jim Ferguson talks with Tobey Maguire about his role as web-slinger Spider-Man in this summer's blockbuster "Spider-Man 2".

Spider-Man 2, the 2004 sequel to the blockbuster Spider-Man swings into theaters June 30.

The 2002 Columbia Pictures Marvel Enterprises/Laura Ziskin Production grossed more than $820 million worldwide and became the fifth highest grossing movie in U.S. history.

Spider-Man 2 reunites the filmmakers and cast, including stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and director Sam Raimi.

In Spider-Man 2, the webslinging superhero based on the classic Marvel Comic book character, encounters a new nemesis, the villainous "Doc Ock," who is portrayed by Alfred Molina.

Two years have passed, and the mild-mannered Peter Parker faces new challenges as he struggles with "the gift and the curse," desperately trying to balance his dual identities as Spider-Man and his life as a college student. Tormented by his secrets, Peter finds that his relationships with all those he holds dear are in danger of unraveling.

Jim: Oh, what a ride - Spider-Man 2! When you were given the script for this, did you had any qualms about a sequel, because the first one was so successful. Was this a hard act to follow?

Tobey: When I finally got the script for this movie, I was first relieved because I was already committed to the film, so I was relieved that I thought it was a good script and then I was excited. I wanted to get back to work.

I dont really feel the pressure of Oh, we have to do the same numbers or outperform what we did or anything that." You know, first of all we did such great business on the first film. It was amazing. It was a great ride. Im sure this movie is going to do well. What kind of numbers it'll do? I dont know. I dont really care.

Jim: Personally I liked it better than the original, and a lot of people are saying that, too.

Tobey: Thank you, I think it is better than the first movie.

Jim: Its a good story to begin with. It deals with a lot more about relationships and choices that your character Spider-Man has to make, or Peter has to make. [Choices] that are going to involve his best friend, Mary Jane, his aunt, everybody. Everybody has choices to make.

Tobey: Yeah, everybody has choices to make. Everybodys storylines are very well developed and interwoven very well. And the action I think comes out of [the] story even more than the first movie.

The first movie I thought it was a good movie, and the origin part of the movie I thought was really good. But some of the action was a little disjointed, compared to this film. Like the villain ties into the storyline really well, and Doc Ock is a great villain.

Jim: Alfred Molina is Doc Ock, what a worthy adversary.

Tobey: Yeah, just perfect. And not to take away from Willem (Dafoe as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man) but Doc Ock is a better villain. Just a cooler villain cinematically than the Green Goblin, Im excited about it.

Jim: With all that and better effects and everything. Its a beautiful love story, its about first love and how you handle a first love. Mary Jane, of course [Kirsten Dunst] has gone on with her life, shes in a play and shes getting married. I dont want to give too much of it away, but thats a good aspect of the film, too.

Tobey: Yeah, I think so. Peter is letting his life slip away from him, because hes fulfilling his responsibilities of being Spider-Man. Hes really not doing anything for himself, and letting things go in his relationships. There are big distances between him and the people he cares about, and I think in this film we address some of that.

Jim: Well, raindrops are falling on his head, he loses his job as a pizza delivery guy, his grades are falling. What can go right for him?

Tobey: Not much! (grinning)

(Laughter)

Jim: Well, a lot will go right when you go see Spider-Man 2. You are going to enjoy this ride from beginning to end, thanks to a wonderful performance by Tobey Maguire.

Tobey: Thanks!

Jim Ferguson is a founding director of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), the largest critics organization in North America. His exclusive entertainment features are syndicated for television, satellite, online and wireless outlets worldwide.