This one is what Spider-Man is all about.

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2004)

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Wow... how do I begin? This movie was intensely emotional and breathtaking.
Yes, the first film was good, but this one is what Spider-Man is all about.
I can easily compare the first movie with the first Batman film (directed by Burton). Like it or not, it was typical. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely ate it up, but it was what we all expected in a superhero flick. This one (Spider-Man 2) tapped the true essence of what made the Spider-Man franchise soar. The story is incredibly involved-- I'm surprised they fit all that they did in the movie's time frame. The makers did an impeccable job of covering all aspects of the complicated storyline and the detailed character of Peter Parker.
I'm a HUGE fan of both Sam Raimi and Spider-Man, so these films are like the best of both worlds for me. Raimi's style is incredibly potent, and it was overly obvious he had his hands wrapped around a couple of scenes. One scene in particular was when Dock Ock was in the hospital... it was pretty much lifted from the 'Evil Dead' films. It made me giggle to myself to see that Sam was still at it, no matter how tightly Hollywood has its hands gripped around him.
There wasn't a single time during the movie that I was restless or board, and as I said before, it was a masterfully told story. The emotional meter ran high in this one-- vulnerabilities were exposed and life-changing choices had to be made. The movie was actually exhausting at times because we as viewers got to be involved in Peter's difficult life. As mentioned earlier, it really got down to the gritty aspects of the Spider- Man story that made it so successful.
If you liked the first one, don't miss this one because it does Spidey even more justice. Heck, even if you hated the first one, give this one a shot. Chances are, you'll like at least one aspect of it. This one exceeded all of my expectations and breathed real life into Spider-Man, making it a true comic book movie. The first movie was mere superhero fun while this one was the grim life of a man who was given a great responsibility. It's a great contradiction to typical comic book films.
It's an easy 9 out of 10.