Best of the Trilogy, With Some Minor Issues...

Rating: 9/10 (13 March 2018)

I saw this film on opening day in 2004, and in November of that year I purchased the Special Edition DVD. Ever since, it has remained one of my favorite superhero films of all time. The actors truly explore their characters, giving them even more life and attitude.
Tobey Maguire does excellent work, playing each and every side of Peter's changing emotions with an effectiveness rarely matched. His confliction between honor and desire comes through perfectly. Kirsten Dunst brings more of a fierce backbone to Mary Jane, and James Franco brings a seething hatred to Harry Osborn...at times, you don't know whether to hate him back, or feel for him. J.K. Simmons again "eats the scenery" as J. Jonah Jameson, being extremely funny, yet never outright campy...and Alfred Molina makes a wonderful turn as a wrecked scientist seeking comfort, who then becomes a victim of his own twisted invention.
The special effects have improved by leaps and bounds, yet they never aim to distract from the tale. So many films these days let the effects guide the story, rather than the other way around. The "stylized world" remains intact, and is given a grander, bigger feel. But the crowned jewel of this picture, in terms of effects, is really Dr. Octopus' tentacles. Created through a mix of brilliant puppetry and computer animation, they take on a life of their own.
The music, reprised and expanded by Danny Elfman, soars to new heights while retaining much of the magic that made his original score so successful. Many of the themes found in "Spider-Man" are present here as well, and there's some new material to enjoy on top of it.
As for the criticisms, I have fewer with this than I did with the original. The film still pushes boundaries, but it's more relaxed than last time around. Mary Jane gets soaked again, being at a riverside lair. Her dress is drenched, but the "Wet T-shirt" controversy from the first round is all but absent (the outline of her nipples is still partially visible at one point, but it's very brief). I give Raimi both credit and applause, for listening to those who complained about the similar moment from his 2002 effort.
Like the franchise's first entry, this film holds very true to the superhero formula, featuring many battles of epic proportions, As before, citizens are still in peril, and the action sequences feature the familiar acrobatics of the first film. The biggest moment of violence occurs about halfway in, when an unconcscious Ock sleeps at a hospital, while his sentient tentacles kill the medical crew. It's chilling, but not gory. The language in this film is again at a minimum, with remarks present but not overly abrasive.
This film gets a 9 out of 10, deducting a single point for violence and minor sexuality. The upright morality of its predecessor is furthered all the more, in the rare case of a sequel that's actually better than the original.