Spider-Man 2

"Spider-Man" laid heavy groundwork for a sequel, and Spider-Man 2 is so sure of its success that the film more than hints at what Peter Parker alias Spider-Man will be up against in part three. During the opening title sequence the plot of the first film is quickly recapped, which is an advantage for those of us who may not have the film entirely fresh in our minds, but for newcomers to the Spider-Man universe there are bound to be scenes that feel like in-jokes.

Spider-Man 2 is an entertaining sequel, but the story seems less focused and the issues are by and large the same as in the first film. Peter Parker starts to consider packing away his Spider-Man costume for good so that he can live a normal life with a job, college and a girlfriend. That is not so straightforward when he must at the same time be able to save the world at a few seconds' notice and cannot reveal his double identity to anyone, not even the love of his life, Mary Jane.

The film's new supervillain is the scientist Dr. Otto Octavius, whose groundbreaking invention ends up gaining power over him, with death and destruction as the result. His megalomaniacal plans are what force Peter back into action as Spider-Man.