Best Comic Book Movie Ever.

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2007)

Spider-Man 2(2004)
Starring: Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson James Franco as Harry Osborn Alfred Molina as Dr. Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus
Plot: Peter's life as Spider-Man is taking it's toll on his life as Peter Parker. His grades are slipping, his jobs aren't going well and he can barely make ends meet. On top of all that, his long time love Mary Jane is getting married to John Jameson because he can't make a commitment to her. And on top of all of *that*, Dr. Otto Octavius has an experiment go wrong which grafts four additional arms to his body, making him Dr. Octopus. Spidey's life is about to get rougher.
So I sat down in my theater for something, I can't remember what, and all of a sudden I see Peter Parker on the screen. I knew immediately what was following. A scene from Spider-Man 2, featuring Doc Ock. As with my feelings when the original came out, I know also got to see a favorite villain of mine hit the screen. So this one had something new to it, in addition to being a sequel to one of my favorite movies of 2002.
In a word, this movie is the best comic adaptation ever. No question about it. Batman Begins runs a very close second, but Spider-Man 2 is flawless, in my opinion. And now I'll tell you why.
First of all, the story continues to amaze. You continue to feel for Peter and it's like we never left these characters when the movie gets going. The actors bring something new to the roles again instead of just playing on what they had to go on from the original. If there's a new aspect of a character's life, they play it. The main and supporting cast continue to shine in their roles, as they have grown more comfortable in them. We even get some surprise cameos from Cliff Robertson(Uncle Ben) and Willem Dafoe(Green Goblin)!
Secondly, we get the wonderful Alfred Molina being cast and playing perfectly Doc Ock. Not only that, but he's far more fleshed out than the comics ever thought about making him. That's right, this would be the second time Sam Raimi improved on the source material(the first being natural web-shooters...yes, I said it). Doc Ock was a bad guy, and you wanted Spidey to win, but it clearly wasn't that simple. He was developed and you knew exactly why he was doing what he was doing, and it wasn't just because he was bad.
Third, the Spider-Man: No More story was here, in full! It's one of the comic's best stories, and they don't fail to adapt it here. Also, Peter's love of Mary Jane grows more complicated, as he can't seem to decide between making himself happy and being Spider-Man. Finally, the visual effects and action sequences improve on the original and there's more to see. It's all about the train fight. That scene alone was well worth the money spent to see this(twice!)
Spider-Man 2 is still my favorite comic-book adaptation, and also one of my favorite movies ever. It's just an amazing film and a movie I can watch over and over and never get tired of it. Highest Recommendation.
Rating: ***** of *****