The hotly anticipated "Spider-Man 2" arrived in theatres in June of 2004 and soon proved to be nearly as big of a box office success as its predecessor. The film even managed to garner better reviews than the original, which is something of a rarity for sequels.

The story picks up a couple of years after the first movie and finds Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) struggling to cope with the sacrifices inherent in being Spider-Man. As a result, he seriously contemplates giving up crime-fighting. Meanwhile, the demented Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) will stop at nothing to continue his fusion research, though the results could be disastrous.

The cast of the previous film returns here and they perform their roles capably once again. New addition Alfred Molina makes a memorable villain and the film features another entertaining cameo from Bruce Campbell.

However, I find that the acting talent is somewhat squandered on a less than stellar script. Despite the involvement of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon and two-time Oscar winner Alvin Sargent the screenplay comes off as a dumbed down effort (no doubt as a result of catering to a young audience). That being said, the conclusions of the film's individual story lines are so satisfying that I can almost overlook the script's lesser moments.

Sam Raimi returns as director and the film's visuals are on par with the first film. The special effects landed the film its sole Oscar and are responsible for some memorable moments. Danny Elfman once again provides a fitting score while good use is also made of B.J. Thomas's "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head".

In the end, "Spider-Man 2" is an enjoyable popcorn movie but nothing more. While I may be in the minority here, I find the first film more rewarding than the followup. The third film, meanwhile, is especially disappointing considering the promise of this film's ending.