Very Enjoyable (small spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (1 July 2004)

Spidey vs. Doc Ock and the usual travails of life.
I'm one of the six people in America who haven't seen the original, so this was all fresh for me. I, of course, know the general mythos: Spiderman is basically a realistic Superman. He isn't just "nerd-like", he's an authentic nerd. His boss isn't just irascible, he demeans Parker and spends his days trying to destroy Spiderman. Etc. The joke in Spiderman is that being a super-hero doesn't do much to help you in daily life.
The movie is well cast. Tobey Maguire is a very fragile Spiderman: he seems bowled over by the pressures of his life. It's a very interesting portrayal -- true to the character, but different than most superhero stuff we see on the screen (who are usually larger than life). It's best dramatized by the best sequence in the movie, an abolutely knockout fight scene that starts on a skyscraper and moves to a train. (The CGI effects throughout are exceptional).
The other real highlight of the movie is the script, which is thoughtful and delicately done (an odd observation, but you don't usually see restraint in a superhero movie). The movie's been compared to SUPERMAN 2, and there's a little of that, but a closer comparison, I think, is BATMAN 2, with its themes of identity and "who's the real guy under the mask". I've always liked BATMAN 2, but I have to say this movie is better, far more coherent and engaging (while coming to the same basic conclusion).
Well directed by Raimi, who has the rare gift of poking gentle fun at his story without ever condescending to it. (The elevator sequence is priceless). Kirsten Dunst is appealing in the always-limited role of "the girl"; Alfred Molina plays an occasionally sympathetic bad guy, and J.K. Simmons is the definitive Jonah Jameson.