Saw the second spider-man film yesterday and I gotta say, I don't know what the hoopla is about. I'd call it a passable matinee flick but not the "best comic film ever" as it was hyped to be. In fact, it's not as good as the first and falls far behind the likes of Superman 2 (essentially the same story) and both the X-men films.

Sure there were some great scenes, I enjoyed the train scene in particular (yep, the cheesy feel-good part was my fav.) but it was a big Hollywood mess overall. Tobey Maguire should get an award for having the guts to call that a performance, he sleep walks his way through the entire film. And as for Dunst, did she think this she was shooting Pretty Woman 2? She plays M.J. as a such an ignorant, trashy tramp that I'm sure Spidey 3 will have a "our baby has four metal arms, but I swear it's yours" scene.

That said, the underlying story is strong enough to save the film, the characters solid enough that even a comatose Tobey and tarted up Kirsten, can't ruin them completely. The almost Shakespearean drama still tugs at the heart strings, quickens the pulse, and proves that a great tale poorly told is still a great tale.