Spider-Man 2 comes at a time when people just can't seem to get enough of these superhero flicks. From Van Helsing to The Hulk or Daredevil, the success of "flicks" like X-Men have made big bucks for companies willing to catch on to the coming trend. But superhero films are nothing new. Superman broke huge ground in 1978 and Batman is still in the upper-tier section of Tim Burton's catalogue of films.

Yet, with the exception of the original X-Men, only 2002's Spider-Man has proved to be the best superhero film of this the modern age of summer blockbusters. X2: X-Men United was mere above-average work, and Daredevil and others were just awful. Spider-Man, directed by cult director Sam Raimi, was a fun film. It had its problems, and it sure as hell didn't even follow the comics as closely as other comic-book-themed films like Dick Tracy, but it came as a surprise to me and this is a huge reason as to why I'm so particularly fond of it.

The sequel, Spider-Man 2, further surprised me as it lived up to the original's standards, and then some. It's a rare oddity to be sure, but Spider-Man 2 is a more grown-up film that's eager to take the series to a new direction. The surviving cast is largely the same; Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Harry Osborn, et all. What's also great about the film is that it's also quite different from what most casual fans expected. This being that the film's story doesn't revolve around the villain and his plans, but rather on the physical and emotional problems of the protagonist. We're meant to feel Maguire's thoughts, pains, and successes and for 130 minutes, Raimi perfectly accomplishes this.

The villain in the film is Dr. Octopus, a comic book favorite, who's brilliantly played by Frida co-star Alfred Molina. Molina is pitch-perfect in his role, and the villain is much more likeable then the original's Green Goblin (though Willem Dafoe's acting I prefer more, the entire Goblin get-up looked like something out of the original Power Rangers). Furthermore, we learn and see what Harry's been doing with himself after discovering Spider-Man was the person who killed his father. His goal is to discover who's behind the mask and to get his revenge. His interest in knowing the truth becomes a key factor in ending his relationship with his friend Peter (he doesn't know he's Spider-Man, but he does know that Peter is a "friend" of the 'bug').

The problems the characters face lead to a great climactic ending, leaving room for more to be sure, but also giving just enough so people will be satisfied. Mind you the mindless audiences who don't care about good films will most likely prefer the free-form style of the original, but the sequel is much better because it makes you care about everything that's going on around the character. The film isn't perfect, though. Computer effects, though slightly improved from the previous outing, still look weak given the huge budget of the film, and some of the acting is only exceptional, and the jokes flat. The "Raindrops.." song from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid fits greatly into the movie though, and Elfman's soundtrack is an improvement to the original's. The rest of the soundtrack, performed by major players like Dashboard Confessional, is all weak though.

But the film prevails from the proverbial trappings of the normal summer blockbuster. It's a good film, that's the surprise, and it's also one to be remembered. We're fed with problems that plague our beloved characters. But if Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot" taught us anything, it's that "No one's perfect".

8.5/10 (***+/****)