It seems futile to do a plot synopsis, as most of the planet should've seen this movie by now. Over the years I've tried my best to look at this film with a critical eye and not be influenced by nostalgia. But the nostalgia runs strong with this whole trilogy. Still, I can openly admit the flaws with the first film. And it becomes all the more easy with the bloated mess that is Spider-Man 3. But even after dozens (and I mean dozens) of viewings, this still stands up as one of the best, if not the best film to come out of the now over packed Super Hero genre.

The main question Spider- Man 2 poses is - What are you willing to give up to be a hero? At the heart of this movie is Peter's struggle to live any semblance of a normal life while grappling with the responsibility being Spider-Man carries. Sam Raimi was an avid Spidey comic reader growing up and his understanding of the character and themes presented therein is simply unmatched. The thing that separates Spider-Man from other super heroes is his struggles are grounded. He can't hold down a job, he's failing at school, his relationships are falling apart. Things your everyday person can relate to.

Compounding his stressful daily life is a new threat in the form of one of the greatest comic book villains ever put to screen - Doc Ock. There's a reason Alfred Molina's appearance in the No Way Home trailer broke the internet. He's just that damn good! His super villain origin story is tragic. At his core he's a good man with good intensions. Who's own intelligence and ego ultimately become his downfall. Watching the Jekyl & Hyde back and forth between Ock and his mechanical arms creates a captivating dynamic unlike anything put to screen before or after. Although I wish they would've kept him alive, his sacrifice at the end of the film is undeniably powerful. I still get chills every time I hear, "I will not die a monster."

Tobey Maguire also gives us the quintessential iteration of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. You can't watch the train sequence and tell me he didn't give this role 110%, constipation memes aside. He brilliantly encapsulates everything that's great about the character. Peter's a deeply conflicted man being torn between two worlds. But as this film shows, even without the powers Peter Parker is still a hero at heart.

Every aspect of this movie is near flawless. Danny Elfman's score is riveting, the action set pieces have such style and provide some truly unique and memorable fight choreography. Most of the CGI holds up extremely well to this day. I still have to remind myself almost all of Spidey's web slinging is completely digital. It also has one of the best CGI shots of the decade, with the corpse of Doc Ock floating underwater. Yes that's entirely CGI. They actually attempted a close up shot of a human being fully submersed in water in 2004... Mind blowing!

I could rave about this movie all day, as I do believe it to be the pinnacle of the genre. It's funny, romantic, touching, dramatic, brilliantly shot and even manages to throw in some of Raimi's signature brand of Horror that jump started his career. With Spider-Man 2 Sam Raimi has crafted a comprehensive character study with some brilliant performances and plenty of bombastic Spidey vs Doc Ock action. Anyone who gives this move less than 4 stars should be psychiatrically evaluated. Super Hero movies just don't get better than this!