Fantastically Faithful to Stan Lee's Amazing Arachnid

Rating: Null/10 (2 July 2004)

Obviously, the people who are grousing that this film is simply a 'rehash' of Raimi's original Spider-Man have never read the comic books.
Unlike the first film, which by necessity must explain the basic elements of Peter Parker's complex world and how exactly he became the Amazing Spider-Man, the sequel maintains a focus on the theme that has consistently flowed throughout Spider-Man's 42-year comic book career: the burden of being Spider-Man and how heavily it weighs on Peter Parker and those he cares for.
Yes, the visuals are perfect (some slightly dodgy CGI, aside) but it's the writing and the performances that truly make this film outshine its forebear. Raimi's casting choices from the first film are pitch-perfect again, maintaining the perfect balance between comic book- camp and real-world believability that compels the audience to empathize with characters that in most films would be little more than window dressing, such as Rosie Octavius.
Lastly, to counter the charges by some reviewers that the movie suffers from a gigantic plot hole that fails to explain the 'physical changes' that affect Spider-Man and Peter - it's all explained by two scenes: 1) the doctor's psychoanalysis and 2) the "kiss me" scene in the diner. It's all about choices between responsibilities and dreams, and believing in one's own self (which are also central themes in many of Stan Lee's books).