Spiderman 2 joins the small fraternity of sequels that surpass the original.

Movies such as Aliens, Superman II, X-Men 2, Toy Story 2, and The Empire Strikes Back are included in this group. Like those other sequels, they do not simply repeat the first movie (something I think Shrek 2 did) but develop the characters better. They also introduce new characters. In this movie, they introduce Dr. Octopus who is a three dimensional character. He is a man obsessed with his work to the point of madness. He will do anything to finish his work no matter what. Meanwhile, Peter Parker feels he must choose between his life as Spiderman or be with the true love of his life, Mary Jane. Of course, these two plot lines must intersect at some point. Fortunately, how they do is very satisfactory. The ending does set the stage for Spiderman 3, which I am already looking forward to. Not just a great sequel but the best movie of the year so far. 10/10