I have been a reader of Spider-Man since I was a child. While the first movie exceeded my expectations, the second reached a new level. I believe Spider-Man is (thus far) the greatest comic book movie series created and that Spider-Man 2 is the best individual comic movie. The only competition i would concede it is batman. while that movie was very stylized and re-envisioned Batman and comic book movies, if you watch it today, I believe you will see that it has not aged too well. In particular, the Joker's boom box toting hench-men are a little dated. Spider-Man walks the line of putting its fantastic characters into the real world without making them campy or unrealistic. Of course there is the sci-fi fantasy element, but who couldn't imagine a character just like Peter in their college class? In my opinion, his cinematic development has in two movies dwarfed the development of Bruce Wayne or the Clark Kent (who I felt were kind of one dimensional on screen). Also, Spider-Man has managed to convey some dark scenes and strained relationships (as in the books) without slipping into a completely dark and depressing atmosphere.

I think Spider-Man 2 works so well because of the attention to character development. While some long time readers will complain that "this" or "that" didn't happen in the comic books as it did in the movie, its clearly an unfair analysis. How could you expect 40 years worth of story to be converted into a trilogy of movies, as Spider-Man was originally slated to be (im aware that since there has been rumor of as many as six spider-man movies on deck)? Besides that, as much as i love the comics, especially the older origin stories, and Spidey's classic battles with the likes of the Green Goblin, Kraven, Sandman, and the Vulture, just to name a few, I have to admit that many of those origins would be difficult to translate in to a fantastic reality on screen, and i do believe Raimi has tried (and succeeded) to make these characters as realistic as possible.

When this movie was coming out, I wasn't too excited to see Doc Ock. He's never really been one of my favorite villains (that was Green Goblin). However, even though this movie didn't feature one of my favorite enemies, I still love it for the human element and the character relationships. Even though the characters and stories may differ some from the original comics, the SPIRIT of the characters is dead on. Raimi has, in my opinion, beautifully captured the heart of the characters and their interaction with one another. I couldn't imagine anyone putting Peter Parker on screen any better than he has, and I think Tobey Maguire has been phenomenal in his subdued portrayal of the luckless hero.

As a Spider-Man fan, I couldn't have asked for a better director than Mr. Raimi, who himself is a lifelong spider-fan. He has translated a character that I grew up on onto the big screen, and i wouldn't have any of what hes done changed if i could. Spider-Man 2 transcended the big summer blockbuster with great dialogue, character development, and romance. He combined a great, smart story with jaw dropping action. I couldn't have asked for anything more of this movie, and if one and two are any indication, all spider-man fans should be anxiously awaiting Spider-Man 3.