As a kid growing up in the 1970's, I never missed Spider-Man in the comic books and the Sunday paper. By far, my all-time favorite villain and episode(s) involved Doctor Octopus.

I was severely disappointed by the first Spider-Man, and had pretty much given up on Hollywood ever doing a proper comic book adaptation. Although the first one was watchable and not too bad, it fell far short of my expectations. At best, it was mediocre.

This one not only met and exceeded them, but it utterly overwhelmed them. Finally, I have lived the dreams of my childhood brought to life on the big screen, and clearly CGI has at last achieved its potential. God, but I regret having missed this in the theater! If you ever liked comic books, Spider-Man or the Dr. Octopus episodes then RUN, don't walk, to your nearest video store and rent this. Then RUN, don't walk, and buy it so you can watch it over and over.

This film has renewed my hope that Hollywood still has a vision, and still has capable (even excellent) screenwriters, directors, animators and producers.

The best movie of 2004, and easily among the five or ten best movies I've ever seen. An easy 10/10.