10 Reasons Why Tobey Maguire Is STILL The Best On-Screen Spider-Man
2. THAT Train Fight
Could this have made the argument all by itself? Maybe so, but here we are.
Spider-Man 2, Doctor Octopus, a runaway train. The drama, the action, the incredibly tense and heroic ending. It is amazing superhero action, and just great filmmaking. If you don’t know what I'm talking about, you NEED to re-watch Spider-Man 2 and experience the battle between Peter and Octavius on the train for what it really is.
It epitomises the struggles of Spider-Man. He has to beat his enemy while simultaneously keeping himself and the people around him alive. He is both on the offensive and defensive, and Peter is pulled between justice and protection.
The decisions Maguire’s character makes are trademark Peter Parker, and his abandonment of pursuing Doc Ock to stop the train is exactly what Spider-Man is all about. Responsibility and power.
And what competition does it face? What other great scenes in the Spider-saga can compare? Well, there’s the illusion sequence in Far From Home, the fight against Thanos in Infinity War, Gwen Stacy’s death…
These are all brilliant, but none capture the essence of Spider-Man like the train fight. Those other scenes happen TO Peter, but this one is shaped by his personal actions. It is a combination of choice and resolve, and Spider-Man doesn’t disappoint.