It’s no secret that the original Spider-Man film is likely one of the best superhero films ever made. That being the case, a sequel was inevitable. And as usually is the case, fans expected it would be a great film, but could it live up to the caliber of the first one? Few sequels do, after all. More often than not, they’re an afterthought, or worse still, a re-hash of a film that unexpectedly became a hit.

Yet, Spider-Man 2 manages not only to equal the quality of Spider-Man, it exceeds it. The reason for this is mainly because Spider-Man 2 is not really a sequel. It’s much more akin to another issue in an ongoing comic book series. And indeed, the film takes advantage of the rich lode of already existing storylines revolving around Spider-Man, drawing heavily from themes that have made the comic book series so very popular.

As the film opens, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire ) has been swinging around the streets of New York as Spider-Man for a few years. One might expect that being a superhero and having powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men (sorry DC) would make life a bowl of cherries. But that’s not the case for Peter Parker. He’s holding down two jobs trying to help his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris ) make ends meet, and trying to attend college, too. Being Spider-Man interferes with all of this, not to mention his love life, especially where Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst ) is concerned. And it has cost him his best friend, Harry Osborn (James Franco).

Peter isn’t sure what to do. He’s torn between his responsibility to the greater good of mankind and the demands of his own personal life. “With great power comes great responsibility,” his Uncle Ben once told him. But then a strange thing happens. Spider-Man’s powers begin to fail him, and Peter takes this as a sign. He decides to give up being Spider-Man.

He couldn’t have picked a worse time. Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) is a brilliant scientist working to produce an unlimited supply of energy from a fusion reaction. When something goes wrong with the experiment, however, a set of artificially intelligent appendages Octavius has constructed becomes permanently grafted to him. The benevolent Dr. Octavius is transformed into the malevolent Dr. Octopus, and his experiments must continue, no matter the cost. But will Spider-Man return in time to stop him and save the people of New York?

Spider-Man 2 is chock full of plots and sub-plots, unexpected twists and turns, and lots and lots of character development. Like the first film, it incorporates a great deal of Spider-Man history straight from the comics. But there are differences here, too, including a few very interesting plot turns that are unique to the screen version of Spidey. These work, though, and they work very well.

Sam Raimi’s direction is flawless. He weaves a fascinating web that draws the audience in until we’re stuck, then pounces on us like a hungry spider. Whether the action we’re following is Spidey slugging it out with Doc Ock or Peter and Aunt May trying to get a loan at the bank, we’re spellbound by the story. The occasional humor peppered throughout is welcome, too.

The acting is excellent, with Maguire seemingly even better in the role of Peter Parker than he was in the first film. Once again, J.K. Simmons is spot on as J. Jonah Jameson, bringing the curmudgeonly eccentricity of the character to life flawlessly. Best of all may very well be Molina. He’s a convincing all around nice guy as Otto Octavius, and a brilliant villain as Dr. Octopus. When he’s good, he’s really good, and when he’s bad, he’s really bad. A complex villain indeed.

The special effects, mostly CGI, are well done and will have you believing a man can swing through the streets of New York with ease. There are a few moments, especially during the spectacular battle scenes between Spidey and Doc Ock, when the effects are clearly computer generated. But you’ll be so caught up in the action you’ll hardly notice.

This is a fantastic film indeed. Those who enjoyed the first film (and their numbers are legion) will very likely love this one too. But when the film is over and the last credits roll, don’t fret true believer. Spider-Man 3 will be released in 2007. And with the seeds for that film already planted in this one, It will likely continue the quality that Spider-Man films have become famous for.




Recommended: Yes