**Superheroes Anonymous** Tragically I am a Batman. An obsessive Caped Crusader comic-book collector until 1972 when my evil mother tossed the entire bunch in the garbage. My cousin was Spider-man. His noble mother preserved his collection with plastic envelopes and to this day they remain in pristine condition. What's truly tragic about being a Batman is that, despite Nolan's recent attempts (and questionable sincerity), the best Batman movie hasn't been made yet. As far as we know, with Batman's fate resting with Warner Bros, David Goyer, Zak Snider and Ben Affleck, the best Batman movie will not be possible for another decade or two, maybe three. I await thee Dark Knight. Again to my cousin's good fortune, the best movie about Spider-man has been established for quite some time. In fact, as a benchmark, it is arguably the best comic-book super-hero movie ever made. I didn't much love Sam Raimi's first Spider-man, and wished my mother could have disposed of his last entry, but _Spider-Man 2_ was, and is, the ultimate movie adaptation from comic-books to the movie screen. I was living in Shanghai in the summer of 2004 where I had to commute 3 hours on a hot and dizzy day to see it in English, and was fully rewarded for the effort. I was thrust into a imaginary super-hero world far more pleasing than anything I could remember since childhood. The 3 hour commute back home…

I don't think anyone can review this movie better than what Roger Ebert said about it back in 2004: "It's a real movie, full-blooded and smart, with qualities even for those who have no idea who Stan Lee is. It's a superhero movie for people who don't go to superhero movies, and for those who do, it's the one they've been yearning for." I also don't think any film has so eloquently defined a hero the way Aunt May does in a wonderfully heartfelt and poignant scene half way through the film. I do think the villain of Doctor Octopus is underdeveloped in both logic and motivation (although Alfred Molina is great), Mary Jane Watson is too dependent on the men in her life, and the friendship arc between Peter and Harry is a bit contrived, but none of these flaws affect what is otherwise a beautifully constructed film and a worthy sequel to the original.

Sony did a great job of focusing on what really matters in this movie - the character. Here we see a relatable Peter Parker who can't seem to catch a break and when he does it just feels so satisfying to watch him rise up from all the challenges he faced.

It was amazing to see what they did to Harry's character. He went from being Peter's best friend to mortal enemy. I can't blame him though cause what do you expect would happen if you found out your best friend was the one who killed your father?