Better than the original

Rating: 10/10 (1 July 2004)

I think the biggest mistake people make when they walk into sequels is thinking that it's going to be inextricably bound to the original. In a sense they are, but sequels need to be given the opportunity to stand on their own. This film does something most action films would never even consider; it focuses on the story more than the action, a decision undoubtedly linked to the absence of the cheated feeling in my stomach when I left the movie theater that often accompanies me on my way home from most movie sequels.
The film starts with us seeing the burdens of Peter Parker's double life finally taking their toll on him. He has to juggle two jobs with his studies and of course his alter ego. His love interest Mary Jane Watson has finally made it in showbiz, and she can't understand why he never comes to her shows. His closest friend Harry is preoccupied with "putting OSCORP on the map" and obsessing over the identity of Spider-Man. Enter the brilliant Dr. Octavius, on whom Peter coincidentally has elected to write a school paper. He's created some wacko machine that creates energy that he can control with those creepy looking arms of his, but (surprise, surprise) something goes terribly wrong, the machine gets destroyed and he ends up nuts and hell bent on recreating his machine and killing anyone who gets in his way. Meanwhile, Parker goes through an identity crisis that makes him question the very nature of true heroism. So it comes down to whether or not Peter Parker/Spider-Man can serve two masters or will the obligations of one life eventually destroy the other.
The special effects in this movie are much better than the first one. (Spider-Man doesn't look rubbery anymore!) Octavius's mechanical arms are fascinating and realistic. The city looks gorgeous, especially in the many shots of Spider-Man swinging from buildings, but the special effects are second to the acting. The supporting cast is excellent, but it's Maguire's show. He has made Spider-Man one of the most likable and humanistic superheroes in cinematic history. He fights, flips, falls and tugs at your heart in a dead-on performance. This movie was exciting, suspenseful, uplifting and the most fun I've had at the movies all summer. Great acting. Great special effects. Great movie. 10/10 (The train scene will surely go down as one of the greatest action sequences of all time. It was spectacular.)