So here it is... our pick for the most essential comic book movie ever: Spider-Man 2. This is the motion picture that we feel, above all, nails exactly what it means to be a great comic book movie in almost every regard; everything, from the astounding visual effects, the villain, the pacing, the drama, and the fact that it feels faithful to its source material (i.e. that of a comic book) means that Spider-Man 2 stands tall as the most accomplished - technically and narratively - of the bunch. What's even more impressive about this film, of course, is the fact that it's a sequel, and here director Sam Raimi proves that even without an origin story to carry the movie, it's still entirely possible to make a follow-up that feels relevant. This is dizzyingly entertaining stuff in both its superhero moments and in its human moments, too. That's to say, Spider-Man 2 is a joy to watch even when Peter's just trying to pay the bills or struggling to deliver a pizza. And then there's Alfred Molina, who gives one of the best ever comic book villain performances as Doctor Octopus, that rare bad guy who manages to earn both our sympathies and our hatred in equal measure. The action sequences are also similarly stunning, choreographed with such kinetic energy that you genuinely feel like the pages of comic book have sprung to life up there on the screen. What's more, this movie really does feel like a step-up from the original in all the ways that a good sequel should; it's romantic, funny, tense, and - in places - surprisingly dark. It's not even hyperbolic to to say that, throughout its entire running time, Spider-Man 2 doesn't put a single foot wrong. An unbeaten triumph of comic book movie filmmaking? Here it is, people. Like this article? Agree with our picks? Got any to add? Let us know in the comments.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
