Filmmaker Sam Raimi could certainly relate to that when he tackled
the first “Spider-Man” project two years ago. Commendably, he took
one of the most popular of all comic book characters and crafted a
critically praised blockbuster that went on to become the
fifth-highest grossing movie of all time.

But there was something missing.

As I stated in my original review, “If this faithful rendition of the 1962 Stan Lee/Steve Ditko creation is any indication, Columbia Pictures has a franchise on its hands that could flourish for years. Yet this initial film also demonstrates that there’s plenty of room for improvement.”

Problem solved.

With “Spider-Man 2,” Raimi has masterfully managed to avoid every pitfall that plagues superhero flicks -and sequels in general. The result is one of the year’s best films and arguably the most successful comic book adaptation of them all.

Whereas the original movie felt like two separate ideas forced into
one story (an origin tale and a super-villain showdown), the flow
here is remarkably improved. The opening minutes reveal this flair.
Rather than resorting to some clunky recap or “Star Wars”-like crawl,
the credits are bolstered by panel art that wordlessly summarizes the
plot of the first movie.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is now in college, and it’s not going well. He’s underemployed, he’s failing his classes and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) is dating the hunky astronaut son of his callous publisher. Equally distressing is that his best friend Harry (James Franco) blames Spider-Man for the death of his billionaire father.

Meanwhile, a noted physicist working for Harry named Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) has found a way to harness controlled fusion. To aid in his manipulation of the materials, he has created mighty mechanical arms that are artificially intelligent, which he temporarily grafts to his spinal column.

“Intelligence is a gift,” he tells Peter when the science student is researching the project. “You use it for the good of mankind.”

But Octavius abandons this conviction after the experiment doesn’t go quite as planned. The doctor winds up permanently fused with the extra arms, who begin to influence him like the man with the proverbial devil on one shoulder and angel on another. Only here it’s more like a chorus of four devils.

Stripped of his moral guidelines, Doc Ock (as the tabloids christen him) ravages the city with only Spider-Man left to stop him.

Then things take a personal twist that propels Peter and those he
oves into the combat zone.

The “Spider-Man” franchise, like fellow Marvel Comics’ standout “X-Men,” has learned a valuable lesson when it comes to casting. Unlike the “Batman” series which flaunts movie stars, “Spider-Man” hires ACTORS. Molina isn’t exactly a household name to most 13-year-old superhero devotees, yet his ability to show a human side being corrupted by power brings added depth to the story.

He’s also so much more menacing than the previous picture’s Green
Goblin (Willem Dafoe, who has a brief appearance in the sequel).

It’s odd that the MPAA says the film earns its rating for “stylized violence,” because when Doc Ock first gains control of his arms after waking up on a hospital operating table, the resulting carnage is absolutely terrifying. The metallic sounds alone are nightmarish enough.

The effects in this film – specifically Ock’s appendages and the web-slinger himself – make the first picture’s CGI work look as
clunky as Claymation.

Director Raimi manages to combine the exaggerated quirkiness of his
“Evil Dead” trilogy with the emotional impact of his taut morality
play, “A Simple Plan.” The story has a wicked sense of humor (when
forced to wash his costume at a laundromat it also stains Peter’s
socks blue and red), a compelling romance, a sense of internalized
drama and enough brilliantly conceived action sequences to keep the
fanboys drooling.

Most importantly, Raimi puts his own distinctive stamp on the production. There are moments where he flirts with pure genius, such
as an off-the-wall montage set to “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”
that seems straight out of a 1970s shampoo commercial.

There’s little to find fault with in this staggeringly entertaining sequel. However, it sure raises the bar enormously high for the inevitable “Spider-Man 3.”