With Great Power Comes Great Resonsibility: Part Deux; Truly Amazing!

Rating: Null/10 (1 July 2004)

SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004) ****
Filmmaker Sam Raimi does the impossible  delivering a sequel superior to its equal in the latest franchise chapter depicting Peter Parker facing an identity crises with his obligations of having great power necessitating great responsibility as web slinging superhero Spider-Man (Maguire continuing the star-making role with some subtle nuanced moments providing the heart and soul to the film) while dealing with the truth in his undying love for his friend Mary Jane Watson (beguiling Dunst) and concern for debt plagued Aunt May (Harris providing the film's warmth) while facing a new enemy, Dr. Otto Octavius (a truly terrific Molina, the master character actor) whose philanthropical scientific experiments - funded by Parker's bud Harry Osborn (Franco reprising his tortured role to full effect) taking over his begrieved slain father's business  takes a turn for the worse as he becomes the mechanical hybrid Dr. Octopus or 'Doc Ock' as he's christened by The Daily Bugle's blowhard cigar-chomping editor-in-chief J. Jonah Jameson (the always reliable Simmons also reprising his role) and out for blood-thirsty revenge with Spidey in his sights. The visual effects are absolutely incredible and the action sequences are amped up soaring to new f/x heights with some wonderful fight sequences between the two rivals high over the sparkling city of New York (best bits: bank sequence and subway brawl) but the film really owes its great debts to a truly surprising amount of emotion wrung from its conflicted hero and humanizes its villain largely thanks to its smart screenplay by Alvin Sargent and storyline by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Michael Chabon. A crowd-pleaser and a new leap for big-screen comic book adaptations that nimbly leaps over its predecessors in its fun and  shocker  deep themes that resonate for anyone whoever felt like the underdog. One of the year's very best films.