Even better than the original.

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2007)

Spiderman 2's predecessor set the scale for all of the other modern superhero movies to be made after it- at least for me.
I think that the magic of the Spiderman series is that it is not a "superhero" movie as much as it is a "human" movie. A lot of the time in the first movie was spent developing Peter Parker's character as a person and his everyday life.
That theme continues in Spiderman 2, with even more force. Peter begins to question whether or not saving the world is worth sacrificing the things that are important to him in his life. His job, his school, his friends, and most importantly, the long-time love of his life, Mary Jane Watson.
Spiderman 2 stands out as a superhero movie that behaves more like a drama than an action movie- which is typical of a lot of second-rate superhero movies. It isn't all about the villains and the flashy battles scenes- though those remain.
So in a way, the movie provides double-gratification. I get to enjoy all the unrealistic, fantasy elements of a superhero film without having to sacrifice a great plot- and even a carefully threaded in moral. There's something for everyone in Spiderman 2.
As with the first movie, the acting remains excellent. Tobey Mcguire and Kirsten Dunst are still excellent as Spiderman and Mary Jane. James Franco's performance is actually stronger than it is in the original, with his behavior in a certain scene (which I cannot mention to avoid spoilers) particularly impressive.
Even after seeing it a second time, Spider-man 2 is still my favorite movie.