Spidey 2 Good

Rating: 7/10 (18 July 2004)

Greetings again from the darkness. Everyone's complaints on the first were pretty much the same. Weak special effects and poor character development left us with a bit of a hollow feeling. This sequel is far superior on both fronts. Tobey Maguire has made Peter Parker/Spiderman HIS role. His turn as Parker is more impressive than that of the masked hero. Dr. Ock played by the surprisingly cast (always excellent)Alfred Molina is a terrific villain and this is where the special effects really shine. The only real weakness in this one was the strength of the first: Kirstin Dunst just doesn't bring her usual sparkle. As a matter of fact, she looks a tad under the weather in most scenes with her bad hair and bad make-up. I have often said she could be the next Julia Roberts, but this one is a step in the wrong direction. Of course, we have the mile wide opening for the next sequel and it will be interesting to see if all the key players re-sign. This is one not to be missed if you want to see a comic hero done right.