Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 is still praised as one of the best superhero films ever made. A big reason for this goes to the villain: Doctor Octopus "Doc Ock" played by Alfred Molina. Not only did Molina portray the villain with a top-notch performance but the character was reinvented for the better.
The same can actually be said for another villain who was unfortunately crammed into a different mess of a movie. Thomas Haden Church played Sandman in Spider-Man 3 and for all the things the third movie failed it, Sandman was the diamond in the rough. With both actors returning to their roles for the new Spider-Man film, fans wonder who is actually the better villain.
Sandman: The CGI Is Still Impressive
When it comes to the Sam Raimi trilogy, the digital effects are a flip of the coin. This is the case for a lot of blockbusters in the early 2000s; some things just don't age with grace while some things look great today. However, when it comes to Sandman, it is a case of the latter.
Every single particle of sand is animated beautifully. So Flint Marko's morphing and geokinetic abilities all look great to this day. Doc Ock's CGI is still impressive in many ways as well but mainly for the arms: whenever Alfred Molina was turned into a CGI character, it looks really off.
Doc Ock: Chemistry With Spider-Man
Even before becoming Doc Ock, Alfred Molina portrays a likable character as Otto Octavius. He and Tobey Maguire bounce off each other well with a lot of good chemistry. That carries over into their battles as Spider-Man and Doc Ock.
They have little bits of back and forth, making the fights just a tad more memorable. It helps make Doc Ock's descent into villainy feel much more tragic.
Sandman: Comic To Screen Looks
While Sam Raimi understandably went in his own direction with the villain designs, he decided to honor the comics big-time with Sandman. The green-striped shirt, the tan pants, and the flat top hair cut made Thomas Haden Church look like he leaped out of the comics.
Even the many morphs and sand constructs that Sandman creates are directly from the comics. Sure, comic book accuracy is not essential to make a good movie but in this case, it definitely was a great icing on the cake.
Doc Ock: Better Than The Comics
Here's the thing about Doc Ock in the comics: though he is an iconic foe for Spider-Man, he is nothing special. He is the typical mad scientist who is willing to do all kinds of evil deeds to complete his experiments and/or plans. The movie takes that idea and gives Doc Ock more.
The added bits of showing Otto as a good man who loses everything; he becomes victim to madness and the persuasion of the cybernetic tentacles' AI. This darker yet fascinating version of Doc Ock became so beloved that even the new Marvel's Spider-Man games take some inspiration from it.
Sandman: The Best Fight Scene In The Trilogy
Before Emo-Peter comes along, there is one perfect scene with the darker Spider-Man. That is when he wears the symbiote suit to hunt down Flint Marko in the subways. This leads to a confrontation between hero and villain that should be done more often in films.
Due to the personal connection between Spider-Man and Sandman, the fight is so much more brutal and visceral. The hits and blows are heavy with so much anger and combined with the brilliant visuals and cinematography, it is perfect. This is why fans agree that Sandman should have been the only villain for the rest of the movie rather than forcing in a rushed Venom.
Doc Ock: More Iconic Fights
Since Doc Ock was the only villain for Spider-Man to fight, he has several great fights with Spider-Man. Each of them memorable in some way with many of them becoming iconic. This is also a credit to Sam Raimi who had a brilliant eye for filming Spider-Man action scenes.
Probably the most famous of them being Doc Ock's duel with Spider-Man on the train. It was so loved that not only did it generate tons of memes but was the springboard for a lot of famous superhero fight scenes to come.
Sandman: Not A Bad Guy
Similar to Doc Ock, Sandman in the comics didn't have much of a story. He was a brutish thug who gained geokinetic abilities and body: that's about it. Spider-Man 3 improved on Sandman by giving him a personal connection to Spider-Man and a relatable motivation. Thomas Haden Church definitely nails the emotional side of Flint Marko.
He's not evil, he just wants to save his daughter from dying but is going about it poorly. It culminates in a final scene between him and Peter that is the best part of the climax. Why? Because it's a tearjerker and is a different yet perfect end for a villain like him.
Doc Ock: More Screentime And Development
As mentioned, Spider-Man 3 suffers a lot due to trying to do too much. This is at its worst when Sandman is tossed to a supporting role in favor of making Venom the main villain at the last possible second. Spider-Man 2 on the other hand keeps things simpler.
Sure Harry Osborn is a villain but he's more of a subplot while Doc Ock remains a big threat. Doc Ock's descent into villainy is fleshed out perfectly and so is his redemption arc. The true Otto Octavius breaks through the AI's influence and ends up sacrificing himself for New York City.
Sandman: The Resurrection
The best scene of Sandman's and arguably of the whole movie is when he actually first becomes Sandman. There is no dialogue, no inner monologue, it's just Sam Raimi being a genius for a few minutes.
Flint Marko is discovering that he is no longer a human. Despite all this potential power and existential crisis: the only thing he cares about is his daughter. So through pure willpower, he learns to harness his new powers. Not only is the sand animation beautiful but Christopher Young's score is perfection.
Doc Ock: Charisma Goes A Long Way
This is not to say Thomas Haden Church was a bad actor as Sandman. Far from it, he delivers at being a determined and desperate father. However, the character did not have the same amount of personality that Alfred Molina poured into Doc Ock so well.
Whether it's banter with Spider-Man, plotting with the tentacles' AI, or just talking with Peter Parker: Alfred Molina made Doc Ock into a likable character. Even when he's captured Aunt May, he throws in a joke or some wit to make the scenes just that much better. Molina brings bombast and gravitas to the character but never goes so far as to make it over the top: he finds the perfect balance.