A long-awaited return to form for Sam Raimi, his best film since `Darkman'. This sequel to his hyperkinetic, indifferently made entry into the comic book adaptation genre is far more pleasing than the first, perhaps because the first's success has relieved Raimi of the stress of delivering a hit; he seems more relaxed, more focused on bringing craft (though the special effects still seem a little spotty) and depth to the project. He delivers an adult feature this time around, with scenes a bit more sadistic (one set piece in an operating room is particularly intense--and effective because it momentarily abandons Danny Elfman's very fine score) and a grown-up perspective on the goopy romance of the first film. The organic conceit of the drama isn't new, carrying the basic psychological construct of an awkward adolescent's search for a place in the world into young adulthood as Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finds difficulty reconciling his outsider status with everyday responsibilities; but in fact, by the end of the film, the main character is revealed to be Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) who has gone from the confused uncertainty of her relationship with Parker to a complete understanding of her role in it. (The actors, given more to do, are appealing here, though Dunst and Maguire are still too slight to solidly impress.) There's some genuine humor in Alvin Sargent's dependable script (this time there's a gentle ribbing of arrogant New Yorkers as opposed to the last film's post-9/11 reverence of them) and Alfred Molina's Doc Ock is an effectively conflicted villain; but Raimi's real connection is with one of the story writers, Michael Chabon, whose novel `The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier And Clay' affectionately recreates the golden age of comic books and whose unique insights are in harmony with Raimi's love of that era's art and horror film genre (this film and `Darkman' are passionate homages to Universal Pictures' creature features), while Bill Pope's photography of the Manhattan skyline evokes a yearning for the innocent era Chabon's book so exquisitely captured. Visually and emotionally satisfying, it's good to see such traditional movie-making as Raimi's in this day and age.