2) Spider-Man Vs. Doc Ock (Spider-Man 2, 2004)
The battle between Spider-Man and Doc Ock is a perfect example of a physical comic book movie showdown that uses the city itself as main element, while testing our hero to the very limits of his ability. Doctor Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) leads an experiment to develop sustained fusion power, under the sponsorship of Peter Parker’s childhood friend, Harry Osborn (James Franco). He uses a powerful harness of mechanical tentacles, along with an artificial intelligence neural inhibitor chip to work on his invention. When the experiment becomes unstable, however, the tentacles and artificial intelligence fuse with the scientist, influencing him to commit crime to fund the completion of the work.
The experiment poses a dire threat to the city and its residents, but he needs one specific material to complete it. In order to manipulate Harry Osborn and Spider-Man to provide that material, Doctor Octavius – now Doc Ock – abducts their mutual love interest, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). He uses this to draw Spider-Man out into the open – having been previously decommissioned by his alter-ego, Peter Parker – and the two head for an inevitable showdown atop a clock tower in the heart of the city.
These two biologically-enhanced beings stage their altercation high above most of the city’s residents – crashing against the architecture, with Spidey making good use of his web-slinging skills as Doc Ock repeatedly tries to throw him to his death. Eventually, however, the two tumble, and land on the roof of the rapid-transit R train, filled with commuters. The train travels at speed along an elevated track through crowded streets, and Spider-Man is relentless in his pursuit of the villainous scientist.
This bad guy reaching his mechanical tentacles into the carriage and yanking passengers out is a momentary distraction for our hero, who keeps them from falling with more webs. Doc Ock then disables the controls of the train, causing it to speed up, and he disembarks – leaving Spider-Man to save the passengers, and those on the ground. With the passengers behind him, Spider-Man attempts to stop the train with his feet, then with his webs, but to no avail. Eventually, spreading himself wide across the front of the train and with seconds to spare, he bombards the surrounding buildings with sticky web and is stretched almost to breaking point, with the full weight of the locomotive slowing behind him.
It is Sam Raimi’s direction of this scene that makes it so completely glorious – and it all comes down to pacing. Once the enemies are aboard the train, the scene moves at high speed – hurtling ahead and rushing innocent people toward certain doom. As Spider-Man begins to bring the situation back under control, however, Raimi dials back the speed, while simultaneously cranking the tension, with shots along the track and close-ups of Spidey’s desperation. By the time the train grinds to an agonising halt – with a now unmasked Spider-Man stuck to its front end like a squashed bug – we are on the edge of our seats, gripping the arm-rests and holding our collective breath. We are given immediate respite, however, as Spider-Man faints and is carried back through the carriage to safety by grateful passengers – who then pledge to keep the superhero’s true identity confidential.