An excellent super-hero movie that is essentially flawless

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2007)

In "Spider-Man" we got the introduction, and now we get the story -- a darker, deeper, more poignant tale that defies the boundaries of comic book movies and dares to venture into the territory of motion picture excellence.
The first "Spider-Man" was a very good movie, and one of my favorite films from 2002. It contained a sort of underlying complexity, surrounded by a simple cover that made it worthy of recommendation. The setup of Peter Parker's superhero powers was the most entertaining aspect of the movie, and its fight scenes were explosive in more ways than just one.
Now, in "Spider-Man 2," the complexity becomes even more elaborate. The film takes on a dark edge that deals with the hero behind the mask -- Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), the human being, not Spider-Man, the invincible superhero alter ego. The action is reduced to secondary importance; the characters take first place. It studies them, their motivations; what makes them tick. The first film didn't only introduce Spider-Man, but also his friends -- now, we sit back and watch their progression unfold on screen.
Probably my favourite film.