Spider-Man 2

REVIEW
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man returns, and he's better than ever. In this sequel to the 2002 box-office smash, the accent is less on action and more on story, and surprisingly it makes for a more satisfying film. Don't worry, there's plenty of Spidey action, but it's now surrounded with a truly compelling tale of villainy, duty and unrequited love. As beleaguered Peter Parker and heroic alter ego Spider-Man, Maguire is totally in groove with each character, as here Peter is struggling to make ends meet at college and is undergoing serious doubts about his future as a crime-fighting superhero. When a scientist (Molina), working for Harry Osborn (Franco) and his conglomerate, is zapped into the mutli-tenacled menace Doc Ock during a fusion experiment, it's time for Spider-Man to come to the rescue -- but is it too late? Dunst also returns as Mary Jane, Peter's one true love, and their scenes together resonate further than any comic book adventure has a right to. Though there are fewer action scenes than in the first film, they're more substantial and are terrifically exciting, including a classic scene in and atop a moving subway car. It's not often a sequel surpasses its original, but Spider-Man 2 accomplishes just that thanks to a solid screenplay, a glorious sense of fun, characters we've come to care about, and special effects that can still make us believe.