Overrated.

Rating: 5/10 (27 December 2004)

* Minor Spoilers *
I don't even know where to begin with this movie except to say that it is grossly overrated.
It makes no attempt to even create suspension of disbelief. Miniature man-made suns float in midair and are labeled 'nuclear fusion power'. Doc Ock's physics-defying mechanical arms are kept in check by a magical green chip that predictably gets destroyed and makes him turn evil. Peter Parker falls 10 stories onto concrete and gets up and brushes himself off like he's Wiley Coyote. Mary Jane writes off Peter Parker's friendship simply because he missed her play.
The plot is trite and predictable. Peter Parker loses his powers and questions his role as Spiderman. Mary Jane questions her feelings for Peter Parker and vice versa. Doc Ock tries to kill Spiderman and Mary Jane.
I couldn't help but think, after the end credits began rolling, how much this movie reminded me of the latter Batman movies, which were resoundingly criticized as terrible, yet somehow this movie is praised as fantastic. It makes no sense. 'The best comic book movie of all time' it is not.
Is anyone here really going to tell me with a straight face that Alfred Molina as Doc Ock was a better villain than Jack Nicholson as The Joker in 1989's Batman? Or that either of the Spider Man movies even come close to the same level of suspension of disbelief or convincing atmosphere as that movie? I don't think so.