Hey folks, Harry here... this time we get a more detailed look at the SPIDER-MAN 2 stuff shown - and damn if it doesn't sound spectacular. Here ya go... try not to turn green...

Hi there Harry,  

I've noticed a few stories on ShoWest, but no one has sent you anything on the kickass reel that Sony presented for Spiderman 2. Holy Shit!  It was pretty damn cool. They showed the new trailer and save for a few spots, all the effects work was finished.  

What really kicked ass was the seven minute sequence they showed from the film, and it wasn't a tease. They showed an entire action sequence.  

The sequence starts atop a clock tower and features a bout between Spidey and Dr. Octavius. After taking several swings at each other several stories above the city, the two heavyweights fall from the clock and land on top of a moving train.  

Then the sequence really kicks into high gear as the two fight while on top of the speeding train. A couple of moments reminded me of that Mission Impossible climax in which Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt pursues Jon Voight on top of a bullet train, only here,  these fantastical happenings are far more believable because we're dealing with the Marvel universe.  

The entire sequence is high energy and  completely alive with that hyper kinetic sensibility that Sam Raimi is known and loved for.  

It should be noted that the sequence was far from finished. There were many storyboard inserts and some roughly animated portions, but the flow was there. It really was breathtaking to watch.  

I hate spoilers so I'm not going to ruin a couple of key surprises we saw in the piece, but I will say that the sequnece was capped off by a moment that was a tad cheesy.  

Still, it was exciting stuff. Simply put, this sequel looks bigger than the first. I should also point out that the presentation was awesome. It was projected digitally and the sound  in this joint was absolutely stellar.  

And to make things even cooler, Sam Raimi, Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire were all there and talked to the crowd for a few moments. Funny enough, during Tobey Maguire's  speech, the massive Sony banner crashed to the stage nearly scaring Dunst out of her shoes. At first, the audience thought it was part of the presentation but as it turned out, it was some weird malfunction. The crowd really got a kick out of Dunst's reaction.  

Anyway, Sony really brought the house down with an outstanding event. I wasn't a huge fan of the first Spider-Man movie. I enjoyed it but I certainly didn't love it. This one looks to blow the first away. Even though we were only treated to a mere seven minutes, it's was stronger visually then anything in the first film, and the Sam Raimi touch was evident in every frame.  

If anyone's interested in reading more about all the other cool stuff that went down at ShoWest (Screenings of The Punisher, Stander, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius, Ella Enchanted, The Notebook, and the first ten minutes of Shrek 2), there will be a massive report over at Zboneman.com. There was a lot of amazing stuff this year. I didn't see the Alamo Drafthouse booth though. That's cool that they were there representing.  

Anyway, I love the site Harry. It's one of my favorites.  

Adam  

P.S. As expected, The Day After Tomorrow looks spectacular visually, but everytime a character opens their mouth, you want to smack them.