8 limbs of awesome superhero fun!

Rating: 8/10 (30 January 2012)

Spider-Man 2. Considered by many to be the best of the web-slinging trilogy, this movie nailed it as one of the greatest moments in the Spider-man history. Appropriately, there are about eight reasons why I love this masterpiece.
Story: Peter Parker reaching a difficult time in his life (love for MJ, Aunt May's financial problems, failing Dr. Connors' class, etc.) and having to face another villain causing him to consider what life to choose is a great idea for a story. It's such an important part of his life in the comic books that it's hard not to put it in a movie.
Peter/MJ Romance: Sure Spidey had other love interests in the comics, but Mary Jane stands out on top. Their love is taken to another level as both struggle to choose between love and the lives they choose, making each of them more 3-dimensional characters. This is all very subtle.
Villain: Doctor-freaking-Octopus! Considered by Stan Lee himself to be one of the greatest villains of all time, Doc Ock is finally brought to life as the tentacled terror he is. Like in the comics, he starts out as a good person and someone Peter can relate to, but fate deals a tragic hand as the nuclear physicist is fused to his artificially-intelligent mechanical arms and he sets out to finish what he started by any means necessary. Spectacularly executed and the design of his arms is excellent.
Action: These are some of the best action scenes I have seen in a superhero movie. Superior to the ones from the first film, the battles between these 8-legged critters literally takes you to new heights as they practically beat the living crap out of each other. AWESOME!
Effects: While the effects like the CGI of the first movie were kinda obvious, this films effects are a major improvement. It almost makes me have a tricky time telling whether something is real or a computer effect and that is impressive. It all makes the action more amazing to watch.
Cast: Most of the classic characters are played by a fine cast with Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Alfred Molina doing excellent jobs playing their parts, even if Tobey is a little too goofy and dorky. Rosemary Harris does an even greater job here as Aunt May as she goes through a significant change in her life throughout the movie. Lastly, I absolutely enjoy J.K. Simmons as Jameson, who's just wonderfully hilarious and portrays the character perfectly.
Themes: The themes are substantial. Spider-Man 2 brings another aspect of the whole great power/great responsibility, that is it is ultimately determined by how we choose to lead our lives, and this is enhanced when you're a hero or villain. This coupled with a few other themes discussed in the film brings a sense of reality to the story.
Dr. Connors: Also known as the Lizard, he is my favorite Spider-man character of all time and I am so happy to see him here. LONG LIVE THE LIZARD!!!
Without a doubt, this is a spectacular sequel, better than Spider-Man 1 and 3. Wanna see 8 limbs of awesome superhero fun, then this is the perfect movie for you.