Spider-Man 2 (Wide Screen)

Advantages: Action, Romance and Comedy all present and correct
Disadvantages: I didn't need to see Kirsten Dunst's nipples again

...his skill and reputation as Spider-Man have improved, his personal life still leaves much to be desired. Still estranged from the love of his life, Peter will not allow himself to get close to MJ for fear of putting her in danger. His best friend Harry hates Peter’s alter ego Spider-Man for killing his father in cold blood. Not only does Harry not know that his father was the Green Goblin, but he’s also oblivious to the fact his best friend and arch ...
...Octavius (Alfred Molina) and without Spider-Man New York is defenceless… There’s something hugely comforting about all Marvel Superheroes, it’s the overwhelming evidence they provide that having super powers sucks. It alienates you from the world at large, puts those you love in danger and leaves you with a choice between a life of self sacrifice and near constant misery or one of maniacal super villainy (I know which one I’d go for). ‘Spider-Man ... Read review

Advantages: Doc Ock looks great, stunning battle sequences, humour
Disadvantages: Too much Mary-Jane

Two years or so after we last saw him, our hero Spiderman is still having a tough time. Apart from balancing the time pressures of his high school education against those of a part-time job to pay his rent, he also has his aged aunt to worry about and he has to keep his feelings to himself over the girl he loves. Whilst Mary-Jane Watson means more to him than anything else, he must continually push her away for fear that one of his many enemies will ...
...say, he can’t tell Mary-Jane the real reason he pushes away, so he must watch sadly from the sidelines as he struggles to understand him. The final straw comes when, unable to meet an appointment to see Mary-Jane perform in her new play, he turns up at the end only to see her meet up with her dashing new boyfriend, John Jameson. For Peter, it’s all too much and given that his amazing powers seem to be fading anyway, he finally throws ... Read review

Advantages: Great cast, story and special effects
Disadvantages: Could have had a more interesting title

...scenes is when he thinks Spider-Man has gone for good and he admits that maybe he misjudged the wall-crawler, before conforming to type again when it becomes clear that Spidey is back with a vengeance. “Evil Dead” stalwart Bruce Campbell turns up in a cameo as an obstreperous doorman and Sam’s little brother Ted turns up again as one of Jonah J Jameson hapless lackeys. I have already mentioned one aspect of the special effects, but in such a CGI-heavy ...
...for me were the old Spider-man TV series theme tune, sung lounge style by crooner of the month James Bublé and Burt Bacharach’s “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” during a montage of Peter enjoying normal life. The score is far better, with Danny Elfman doing the honours and resisting the temptation to cover everything in twinkly piano music. In fact the score fits the film so well, that you sometimes forget it’s there. The costumes are pitch perfect, ... Read review

Advantages: Everything
Disadvantages: Having to wait til 2007 for the end!

Peter Parker has survived both his internal, and explosive external battles with the mad Green Goblin. However, all True Believers know that such victories are dubious wins at best and Peter's life is never an easy ride. This second web-spinning tale opens with a string of defeats and personal disasters that, while amusing to the viewers, leaves us wondering how a working class superhero keeps his chin above water. The Story: Everywhere Peter turns, ...
...disappoints them, he needs to get his act together, he's too lazy or just plain too broke to meet his commitments. The line, "If you've done six impossible things this morning, why not round it off with breakfast at Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe?" springs to mind. Spidey could easily pick up some extra cash doing commercials spots for Milliways, which would really come in handy. Instead, Peter tries desperately to juggle his ... Read review

Advantages: Spider-Man 2 rocks
Disadvantages: Mary-Jane's hair should be fluffier

...you include Dr Octopus). Spider-Man began as a try-out character in issue 15 of Amazing Fantasy. There never was an issue 16. But the character had generated enough interest to warrant his own series and, within a year, The Amazing Spider-Man #1 hit the news-stands. From the outset writer Stan Lee wanted to write a superhero comic with a different perspective. Bruce Wayne is a gazillionaire, Clark Kent has a great job (he’d probably get Super-unemployment ...
...of discovering you have superpowers, Spider-Man 2 brings our hero right back down to earth. The opening titles recap the events of the first movie using fan-favourite Alex Ross’s hyper-realistic artwork. We are reminded how Peter Parker became Spider-Man and how he was indirectly responsible for the death of his Uncle Ben. The still images show us Spider-Man standing over the lifeless body of Norman Osborn as Osborn’s son, Peter Parker’s best friend, ... Read review