Takes every element from the first film and improves on it!

Rating: 8/10 (27 April 2005)

It only happens very rarely that a sequel surpasses the original (Terminator 2, Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back) and after the relative disappointment that was the original my expectations for the second film in the series had decreased. When I finally did sit down in the cinema to see this film I was a bit anxious. But my anxiety was quickly put to rest because Spider-Man 2 took the premises from the first film and improved upon them all. The first Spider-Man film a well meaning picture but quite as good as it could have been the second film is a good film for both hardcore fans like myself and the broader audience.
First off, the acting in the second film has improved tremendously. Tobey Maguire feels more right in the second film. I found him quite shallow in the first film but in the second one he seems to have developed more depth. More nuances have found their way into his acting in the second film making the character more believable and less of a square. Kirsten Dunst is never a good actress but I found her a little less annoying in this film than in the first and therefore I felt I could tolerate her presence. James Franco is decent but still has a problem with portraying nuances which basically means that in order for his performance to work he has exaggerate every emotion his character feels. As it is with most superhero movies the villain is the most interesting character and Sam Raimi couldn't have picked a better actor than Alfred Molina to play Otto Octavius aka Doc Ock. I'm a big fan of Willem Dafoe but I didn't like his performance in the first Spider-Man film very much and therefore I was delighted when Alfred Molina turned out to be a far better villain than Willem was. His performance was both menacing and nuanced and even though the character isn't always directly in control of his actions (making him somewhat misinterpreted) Molina's performance makes the character highly credible and undoubtedly the most interesting character in the film.
The effects have improved which is logical considering that it has been 2 years since the first film hit the cinemas. Also I found that Doc Ock was much better suited for flashy moves and cool fights than Green Goblin ever was so in that aspect the film is far superior to the first film as well. Especially the train fight will, I think, go into history as one of the best hero/villain showdowns in history if not the best. The computer effects have become slightly more subtle making the film seem more polished. There were still a few unfortunate scenes were the CGI was pretty obvious but overall the effects have improved dramatically and received a well earned Oscar.
The musical score continues in the same epic fashion from the first and Danny Elfman does an exceptional job as usual. The score is both thrilling and epic but it is also subtle when it has to be and that aspect of the score works wonderfully as well. Elfman has some experience in super hero scoring (having done both Batman and Hulk aside from Spider-Man) and it shows as the score is very appropriate and fitting. Two thumbs up on the music.
In terms of story telling the second film is also far better than the first. I found the first film to be very unoriginal in terms of its story. Anyone who has just an ounce of knowledge into the myth of Spider-Man knows the story beforehand and thus the film becomes very predictable and boring quite frankly. The second film did not have this problem. It was a breath of fresh air. The story seems to flow more from the heart this time around. Raimi proved in the first film that he could take a situation from the comics and translate it reasonably to the screen. In the second film he proves that he can make a highly original story as well and make it entertaining. It should also be added that Spider-Man 2 has a lot more of the humor like the kind that appears in the comics. J.K. Simmons who was one of the elements in the first film returns in his role and he is absolutely hilarious. He truly embodies the spirit of J. Jonah Jameson. There is also a very funny elevator scene which should be mentioned.
Some people complained that Raimi has turned mainstream with the Spider-Man films. That is a load of rubbish and Raimi proves it by adding some elements from his cult films, the Evil Dead series. He even lets Bruce Campbell tell Spider-Man off as if to symbolize that he hasn't forgotten where he came from.
All in all Spider-Man 2 surpasses the first film in the franchise in almost every way imaginable Spider-Man 2 is twice as engaging, entertaining and heartfelt than the first film in the series.
9/10