Yesterday was the day Spider-Man 2 was first released, as well as the day that gave millions of people around the world a newfound appreciation for superhero movies. The movie which together with Spider-Man 2002 started it all. The true beginning of superhero movies. Peter Parker may be a teenager but he had to learn about the responsibilities that come with great power. And, above all, or beloved wall-crawler's first few comic book outings were down-to-earth dramas of youthful romance and inner dilemmas caused by the overwhelming responsibilities of being granted seemingly otherworldly powers and the difficulties of being unable to pay rent. The difficulties of being a superhero are shown rather than told. The tone of Spider-Man's best comics are almost perfect in their execution.

Tobey also continues to have great chemistry with Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane. Their romance picks up right where it left off from the first movie and it continues to evolve. And surprisingly, despite how difficult it would presumably be, it's pulled off masterfully. Hinged on a secret that weighs our protagonist down while allowing him to flourish, something that eats away at him despite his best efforts to keep it at arms length

The rest of the returning supporting cast is also great. J. K. Simmons continues to steal every scene as J. Jonah Jameson. James Franco also gets more to do as Harry Osborn. He's a tortured soul that is thirsty for revenge against Spider-Man. The drama between Harry and Peter is expertly crafted while leaving it unresolved so that may be completed in the sequel. Rosemary Harris gets to really shine here as May Parker. She has some great moments with Peter and her quieter scenes along with her nephew are some of the emotional highlights of the story.

Spider-Man 2 believes in its story in the same that the die hard fans believe it, it knows what it wants to be and succeeds while keeping its audience glued to the screen. Isn't just a brain smoothing CGI-fest. It's simply and poignantly a realization that being Spider-Man is a burden that Peter Parker is not entirely willing to bear whilst also realizing it will bring him more hardship than he can handle at times. Parker is just like you and me. He struggles to pay the bills, tries to take care of his Aunt, wants to end up with the girl of his dreams, and he takes a mean beating when it comes to blows. You can see the conflict in his eyes as Parker wants to throw it all away for Mary Jane, but knows he has a responsibility because "He's been given a gift. With great power, comes great responsibility. " and learns that "Sometimes to do what's right we have to be steady and give up the things we want the most, even our dreams."

And of course, the score is excellently composed by Danny Elfman which manages to sell every mood and every moment. It's just as iconic for the web-slinger as the classic theme song from the 1967 cartoon, and completes what I personally believe is the greatest cinematic masterpiece of all time which will hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.