Spider-Man 2 improves on the original in many ways. Perhaps something is lacking, but, again, you'll be hooked.

Rating: Null/10 (18 July 2004)

Rating: **** (out of *****)
It appeared almost inevitable that Spider-Man 2 would go down as the ultimate summer blockbuster. The trailers made it seem so, as did the majority of reviews from America, some of which have labelled it the greatest superhero/comic book film ever made. Does Spider-Man 2 really live up to the hype?
Well, in my eyes the answer is both yes and no. It lacks the constant energy of a Pirates of the Caribbean and the novelty of the first Spider-Man film. Yet that doesn't take anything away from the fact that it improves on the original in many ways.
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is struggling desperately whilst leading his double life as a college student and Spider-Man. His best friend, Harry Osborn (James Franco) still holds it against the web-slinger for the death of his father, and he can never tell Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) how he really feels about her, knowing the consequences it would bring.
It's about to get worse. Not only does Mary Jane get engaged (knowing that she can't keep waiting for him) but a new villain emerges. An experiment carried out by scientist Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) goes horribly wrong, leaving him with four additional mechanical arms with minds of their own. As Dr. Octopus (or Doc Ock), who can tell how seriously he will affect both the city and Peter  who, not long after "giving up" and deciding to lead a normal life, must suddenly don the suit again?
There are obvious parallels to be found here with previous superhero sequels, such as Superman II and Batman Returns. (Think of Peter abandoning his alter-ego, for example.) More apparent rehashes are likely to be spotted in the opening credits sequence, and certain scenes that seem like leftovers from the original's cutting room floor. But they differ significantly enough from their original source to stand on their own very well.
Spider-Man 2 is a deeper film than its predecessor, with more entertaining action sequences and a more mature cast. The star of the show, Tobey Maguire, is as solid as ever, although in parts you feel the rest of the cast is catching up with him. Like Kirsten Dunst and James Franco, for example, who have both grown into their roles  if Dunst is slightly less camera-friendly, this works to her advantage, as it makes her more believable. J.K. Simmons is back as J. Jonah Jameson, and this time he's even funnier. Even Rosemary Harris's Aunt May has a greater impact on the story. But the real standout is Alfred Molina, whose Doc Ock is very nearly on par with David Carradine's Bill as the most three-dimensional and sympathetic (if such a word can be used) screen villain of the past few years.
The biggest coup the Spider-franchise has, though, is director Sam Raimi. His intentionally corny approach, coupled with his ability to keep focused on the story ahead of style (let's face it  the music and special effects are hardly earth-shattering) has made both this film and its predecessor uniquely entertaining. He even throws in some brilliant light-hearted touches, just like he did in the first film (There's a musical montage that is certain to make you chuckle, and at least two notable cameos). Let's hope him  and the cast  stay in place for at least one more film.
However much I want to agree with the critics and fans who rate Spider-Man 2 as the greatest comic-book film ever made, I can't. Nonetheless this is still a marvel-lous (please excuse the pun) adaptation which also, thanks to a certain "old friend", sets the stage nicely for Spider-Man 3.